post workout: drink your chocolate milk

Last weekend, I went to a conference where Felicia Stoler presented information about nutrition and exercise and what helps athletes perform at their best.

She gave some great advice.  These are some notes that I took that I found interesting.

1) Eat before a workout- food provides your body with necessary stores of energy (glucose) to perform optimally.  Within an hour before- only drink liquids or semi-liquids, look at my previous post for ideas.  Additionally, make sure that what you are eating/drinking within the two hours before a workout is low fat (fat slows down digestion- making you feel full- but also causes food to remain in your stomach for a while).  If you workout right when you wake up- consider drinking a glass of juice.  It will provide the sugars that will help you to perform during your workout.

Sports Beans

2) Keep a food/workout journal.  Write what you eat before you work out, and write how it made you feel (energy, cramps, nausea).  Everyone is unique and metabolizes differently, so what works for one person may not work for another.  It is important to figure out what makes your body function at its best and writing this down helps you to remember and see trends.

3) Before a long race- eat jelly beans!  (In all seriousness- foods made of simple sugars, like jelly beans, will give you a boost of energy without a lot of volume in your stomach.  Find something that works for you- some people like pretzels if they crave more savory things).

4) Don't take sleep for granted when on an exercise regiment. Sleep helps you recover from strenuous workouts.

5) Protein supplementation is not necessary.  Generally, people get enough protein in their diet without needing that extra protein shake.  Instead- drink a glass of chocolate milk to rehydrate, rebuild, and refuel.

There is something special about chocolate milk, take it from Michael Phelps*.  Chocolate milk (and milk in general) is an ideal mix of carbs, fat and protein to help your body rebuild muscle, reduce post-workout soreness, and ultimately recover faster!

*Michael Phelps preferred to drink Carnation Instant Breakfast between races during the Olympics.

When snacking- all nuts are not created equal

There are many recipes for homemade roasted nuts

Nuts are a great choice for a quick, nutritious snack.  They provide many nutrients like minerals, fiber, protein, and essential fatty acids (think good, unsaturated fat).  Yet- some nuts are more nutritious than others- providing more bang for you buck, so to speak (more nutrients per calorie or per gram of fat).

But- always keep in mind that high fat products are high in calories!!

When snacking on nuts- take into account calories, protein, fiber and minerals.  You can use the chart below to compare:

1) similar calorie content (ex. walnuts give you more than twice the protein that pecans do for the same calories)
or
2) similar protein content (ex. walnuts have less calories and fat compared to the macadamia nut for the same amount of protein)

Nutritional composition of 1 cup of various nut varieties- 1 serving is usually 1/4 cup*

*Peanuts are not truly a nut- they are considered a legume.  But, for our purposes- they are included in this.

Nuts are one way of lowering risk of heart disease by providing monounsaturated fats

The key to nutritionally dense foods is portion control.  A quick/handy measure of a serving of nuts is the amount that fit (in a single layer) on the palm of your hand.

Take home message: 
-Choose your nuts wisely as some  may be much higher in fat or calories than another.
-Nuts should be MINDFULLY eaten (not straight out of the can!)- measure out a portion because, although nutritious, these are very high in fat and calories.

For more nut (or any!) comparisons- look to the USDA food composition website!

Source for table:
Murano, Peter S. "Chapter 2- Food Categories and Composition." Understanding Food Science and Technology. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2003. p35. Print.

What sports drink should I buy?

sports drinks are a $7.5 billion industry!

The goal of a sports drink is to keep athletes hydrated and fueled during games, training, or any physical activity.  These beverages are now formulated to be consumed before, during, and after physical exertion.  Because there are so many drinks available for purchase, it's hard to know which one to get, for what purpose, and when to drink them!! 

In general, a sports drink contains water, a source of electrolytes (salt, minerals, etc.) and a source of carbohydrates (sugar).  And, each drink has a special formula designed for a specific purpose- whether it's for hydration or recovery.  Originally, the ratio of the water:carbohydrates:electrolytes was supposed to be the same/similar to sweat, with the idea that as you drink your sports drink, you are consuming the same balance of electrolytes in your drink as those which leaving your system in sweat (perfect recovery- your body doesn't get dehydrated nor does it get hyponatremiac (meaning it has too little salt- also called "water intoxicated"). 

But- there are really 3 different types of sports drinks (isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic), and they each play a different role in the body's hydration and recovery process.

hypotonic sports drinks are helpful for hydration

A hypotonic sports drink is one that has less electrolytes than your own body fluids.  Water moves by osmosis and goes towards the area with more concentration (to keep your body in homeostasis or balanced).  So, when you drink something that is hypotonic (less concentrated) the water in the drink goes into your cells (which are more concentrated), and your body is most efficiently hydrated.  Essentially, hydration occurs almost simultaneously as you drink. Hypotonic drinks are best and most effective when consumed before an event.  The best example is water but watered-down sports drinks work, or anything "light" like Gatorade G2, Powerade Zero.

isotonic sports drinks are good to replenish and recover

An isotonic sports drink is one that contains fluid and up to 8% of carbs (ideally glucose) and electrolytes.  This is a similar concentration of water, sugar, and salt in your body which means that they replenish anything that was lost in sweat.  The water from the drinks is absorbed well, but when you drink these isotonic drinks you also provide important electrolytes (necessary for all body functions) and carbohydrates (an important source of energy) which help you maintain energy levels throughout the activity.  These are best to be used during and after an event.  Gatorade, Powerade, Accelerade, most commercially available sports drinks,  etc are examples 

hypertonic solutions

A hypertonic sports drink then is one that has more carbs and electrolytes than your body. The increased particle concentration is essential for athletes to replenish glycogen stores; however, they are absorbed the slowest (think- opposite of hypotonic). These are most often used as energy supplements after heavy and intense exercise.  Examples of these are the drinks that say high carb/high energy/high calorie, "endurance," "performance," or plain fruit juices, etc.

So why do I care what drink I drink and when?