Basic Guide to Nutrition

The below is a basic guide to the three key things you need to bear in mind about nutrition, namely:

1. Hydration
2. Carbohydrate intake
   
3. Protein intake
   

Really the only other thing to bear in mind is to always go for quality in whatever you eat – in a number of ways you are literally what you eat. I don't get very excited about whether things are low fat – 20% of your calories should come from fat so really it isn't a drama, but it is of course an issue if you're focussing on weight loss.

The rest of this blog was originally written 6 years ago for students – so its quite simple, but I've cut it down again. It can be found here in full: http://www.channing.eclipse.co.uk/ems-nutrition/icqt_novices_nutrition.htm

Hydration

Introduction

• Your brain and muscles are 75% water.

• Keeping properly hydrated is the key to peak performance, as well as being a safety matter.

• The more fully saturated muscle tissue is, the greater its contractive strength.

• Keeping muscles saturated allows them to burn energy more efficiently, regulate body temperature better, and to wash away the byproducts of exertion (lactic acid, ammonia, and other toxins), thus boosting endurance.

Requirements

This is a rough guideline as to the amount of water you need per day for your body weight – it does depend on the level of activity, relative humidity and temperature.

Weight		Volume of water by training level
(stone)	(Kg)	low (ltrs)	medium (ltrs)	high (ltrs)
8st 3	52.21	2.16	2.28	2.4
8st 9	56.75	2.16	2.4	2.64
10st 10	68.1	2.16	2.4	2.76
12st 7	79.45	2.28	2.52	3
14st 3	90.8	2.28	2.64	3.18

Guidelines

• Note that the daily water requirement becomes proportionally much higher per body weight as the activity increases.
  
• Adjusting for (hopefully) eight hours spent sleeping, this means that someone moderately active and 12 stone/80Kg should drink at least 200ml. of water per (non-workout) hour.
  
• During training you should replenish water at the rate of 150-200ml. every 15-20 minutes.
  

Further information

• http://ems-nutrition.blogspot.com/2006/08/nutrition-rule-2-hydration-is-key.html
  
• http://www.scienceinsport.com/go.htm
  
  

Food

Introduction

• Roughly speaking you are looking for a 5:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio, with a lowish fat but you shouldn't get caught up over it.
  
• You're aiming for a consistent blood sugar level rather than peaks and troughs, so for someone training hard you should aim to eat 5-6 small meals (a couple of energy bars counting as a meal) daily as opposed to 3 large meals.
  

Carbohydrates

Requirements

Again a very rough guideline - but for active people you are looking at needing a carbohydrate intake around the following (with the higher level being what you should aim for when carb loading/training very hard):

Weight		Range of daily carb intake in grams
(stone)	(Kg)	low	high
8st 3	52.21	418	522
8st 9	56.75	454	568
10st 10	68.1	545	681
12st 7	79.45	636	795
14st 3	90.8	726	908

Guidelines

• Try to should consume approximately 100grams of carbohydrate within 20 minutes of exercise to help muscle glycogen (energy) storage.
  
• Follow with additional 100g feedings every 3 to 6 hours (particularly prior to competition).
  
• 100g of carbohydrate = 4 apples or 2 bananas or 4 muffins or 6 slices of bread or 2 NY style bagel.....so, this is beginning to sound like hassle right? All of a sudden energy bars and drinks seem to have a point – Science in Sport Go bars=68g carbohydrate; Clif bar=45g; Powerbar=43g; SIS PSP22 energy drink 99g per 100g of mix; Cytomax energy drink 88g per 100g of mix; SIS Go energy drink 76g per 100g of mix ( more info see http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/nutrition/articleView.asp?MessageID=1631 http://www.scienceinsport.com/products.htm )
  
  

Good Sources

• You're ideally looking for something with a low Glycemic Index (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index) ie it turns to sugar in your blood stream slowly.
  
• Recommended complex carbohydrate sources for meals tend towards the whole-grain and include brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, oatmeal, couscous, orzo, pearl barley and bulgar pilaf.
  
• The above may well be unappetising. Next best and easy to get hold of is normal pasta, basmati white rice and bread from a bakery.
  
• Potatoes, particularly mashed/without skin have recently fallen from favour because the high starch level leads to a blood sugar spike rather than a slow release over a number of hours (which is what you want for the glycogen levels in your muscles to increase).
  
• Fruit, particularly bananas are also a great source of carbs.
  
• Real food is always best – but failing that specialised sports drinks, bars and gels are all good.
  

Protein

Requirements

Below are some general guidelines for the protein intake you need - but basically you are looking for somewhere between 100&150 grams a day for the girls and 150-200 grams a day for the boys (sources http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/414351, http://www.exrx.net/Nutrition/Protein.html). Protein however takes a relatively high length of time, level of blood supply and water to digest, and so should not be consumed in large quantities the day before a race, and not at all on the day of a race before racing.

Weight		Range of protein intake daily in grams for
(stone)	(Kg)	Normal	Average training	Heavy load training
8st 3	52.21	73	94	136
8st 9	56.75	79	102	148
10st 10	68.1	95	122	177
12st 7	79.45	111	143	207
14st 3	90.8	127	163	236

Sources

• This is perhaps more obvious than carbohydrates, but good sources of low fat protein are turkey, chicken, pork, and tinned tuna (fresh fish is also great but more expensive) and soya for those of you who like it/veggies. Other things such as eggs, cheese, bacon have higher fat contents but are also fine.
  
• Red meat is great, and a good natural source of iron and creatine, but usually more expensive and also tends to have a higher fat content than white meat, but if you can get your hands on it, typical game meat such as venison usually has a lower fat content than commercially farmed beef.
  
• Do make sure you are getting sufficient protein, because if you don't you won't put on muscle which makes weights pretty pointless.
  
• Soya has had some bad press recently. People often combine the fact that soy contains phytoestrogens (estrogen hormone-like substance) with other research showing that soy protein as a sole source of protein is associated with low testosterone levels. Both bodies of research are not entirely conclusive, and further the general results on soy as a sole source of protein are probably more to do with the fact that soy does not contain the amino acid carnitine. It is probably true that a carnitine free diet results in low testosterone levels but if you have a mixed diet the addition of some soy is unlikely to have any effect on testosterone levels.
  
• Protein shakes and powders can be a very mixed bag – better to go for a particular supplement amino acid or a specialised supplier if you really need the additional protein (100g is very easily reached on most western diets).
  

Amino acid supplements

• Glutamine is a "non-essential amino acid" (ie your body can make it out of other amino acids), but it is nonetheless key for optimal muscle function, muscle growth and resistance to infection. For people training hard or under stress, it is a sensible thing to take.
  
• There have been numerous studies on how much Glutamine to take and when – but basically anything between 2-20g dose first thing in the morning and then additional doses taken additionally immediately after exercise, 2 hours after exercise and then just before bed depending on exercise intensity and general health have been recommended.
  
• Creatine is the other regularly used amino acid supplement. In the form of phosphocreatine it provides 'free energy' which doesn't require food or oxygen to produce energy in the muscles. It is the first part of the energy cycle in your muscles when you go from a standing start into exercise – ie the first bit of a sprint which doesn't hurt (and we'd all like that to go on for longer!).
  
• Creatine also pulls water into your muscles, appears to help with lactic acid, and muscle synthesis - and overall making it easier for you to train harder for longer. Its therefore very important for athletes in sports involving explosive activity or sprinting, as well as being helpful for endurance athletes and those people trying to put on more muscle mass.
  
• Unlike Glutamine, Creatine, for a variety of reasons has had some bad press associated with kidney and liver failure at high doses. The recommendation is therefore to do a maximum 5 week load of a single dose of 5g and then consider stopping taking it (the alternative is to taper down to 2-3g a day) and while you're taking it really pay attention to your hydration. This is not a time to slip down to less than a litre of water a day.
  
• As with all amino acids you should be careful where you buy from (even "pharmaceutical quality" doesn't mean guaranteed steroid free) and make sure you take it at least 2 hours away from any other protein (otherwise your body will probably ignore it, and your kidneys will just break it down into ammonia and excrete it out).
  

Further information

On the Glycemic Index: http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/Food_Facts/FAQ/glycemic_index_faq.asp

Creatine and Glutamine: http://www.scienceinsport.com/supplements.htm

http://ems-nutrition.blogspot.com/2006/08/first-rule-is-glutamine-is-good.html

http://ems-nutrition.blogspot.com/2006/08/while-were-on-amino-acids-creatines_05.html

Carbohydrates: http://ems-nutrition.blogspot.com/2007/02/fourth-rule-carbohydrates-and-fats-are.html

Event Nutrition and Preparation

SIS Guide

Ok – so first this is done better than me elsewhere! For specific sport tailored advice see the excellent "Library" at Science in Sport's website http://www.scienceinsport.com/solutions.htm

Basics

More detail on the basics are set out on the previous post or on the original guide written for IC http://www.channing.eclipse.co.uk/ems-nutrition/icqt_novices_nutrition.htm

References for ease to Go (hydration & simple carbs), Smart Gel (Go & caffeine) PSP22 (complex carbs), Rego (complex carbs and protein for recovery) and Nocte (protein complex for night time) are to SIS products, but most reputable sports nutrition companies will have something similar.

48 hour guide (R=Race Day DR=Day before Race Day)

2 days before R: Its ok to take your usual evening protein shake and have meat this evening, but generally speaking, not again until after the race.

DR 6 am – 6pm: Depending on your view – training as normal or light training.

• Hydration: Needs to be done by the guidelines, there's a chart on the Summary - but for 80kg/180lb guy its 2.5 litres/5.25 US pints – ie while you're awake 200ml an hour, and 600-800ml an hour for moderate activity.
  
• Carbohydrates: Key is little and often and you've need to stay on top of this. Best is to use an energy drink, but supplement with bars and gels. 100gm/4 oz of carbohydrate within 20 minutes of exercise to help muscle glycogen storage, followed by additional 100gm feedings every 3 to 6 hours.
  
• Protein: Other than your daily glutamine keep this to easily digestible dairy/egg based proteins, and max 5% of your food intake.
  
• Alcohol/Smoking: Just in case it has to be said – none of.
  

  
   

DR 6pm – 10 pm: You should be off your feet and looking after yourself. Warm bath and/or physio/sports massage. Go through your race plan and any visualisation you do to prepare (at the sharp end of things 80% of racing is after all in your head). Basic stuff but make sure your rucksack/bag is packed and ready to go including all the energy gels and bars and bottles of plain water you'll need, and that everything's ready to make up your hydration, energy and recovery drinks in the morning.

• Hydration/Carb/Protein: rules continue to apply – if you're really sore or carrying an injury then take a Nocte or other protein shake you use, but only if you're really sure it'll clear your system by the following morning.
  
• Evening meal: For 80kg/180lb guy you're looking for a total of 600-900gms/1.3-2lbs carbohydrate a day. There is some evidence that 'carbohydrate loading' ie eating lots of carbohydrate the last two days before a race helps with energy/glycogen storage in the muscles. So big meal based around pasta or rice is a good plan.
  

DR 10 pm: You want to get your full 8 hours sleep, so get into bed early.

R 6 am: Get up early and leave on time. Don't rush around, try to stay nice and relaxed – this is when people classically waste energy or injure themselves in really dumb ways. Mix up your drinks for the day (don't forget whatever you add to make them taste ok ie fresh juice or cocoa powder – nothing worse than getting to the race course with drinks that you can't stand), check your rucksack again and set off.

R: Depending on when your race is – and your view point – either do a normal light training or rest until you start preparing for your race (about 30 mins prior to racing normally). Generally speaking for most part of the time you want to keep off your feet somewhere sheltered and warm with your team, and keep chilled out. Until you've done a 5 minute warm up, stretching is pointless and can damage – but do keep moving around gently so you don't get stuck in one position.

• Hydration/Carb/Protein: The above rules continue to apply.
  
• 60-30 mins before Race: No more solid carbohydrates, but keep sipping a sports drink (ideally Go not PSP22 by this point).
  
• 5-10 mins before Race: Smart Gel or Go Gel for an additional buzz.
  

Then get in your zone and flatten the competition!

General points: Race days are about staying in the best place to get in your zone when you come to race, so particularly for events involving heats, prepared to be bored out of your mind. It is not possible to check equipment too many times, but also have books and mp3 player with you, short sleeps (30-60 mins) are great, and generally speaking, stay with your team or squad, support other people who are racing before you and, in a very focused way of course, keep away from the competition unless you're prepared to swagger or stare better than they can. Whoever they are, the competition are there to be beaten on your terms on the race course, nowhere else. Winding up the competition is a very specialised job, and only a few people (usually coaches) do it well. Virtually anything else is off limits including: wandering around, sitting in the sun, sitting in a draft or somewhere too cold, chatting only to people who aren't racing, playing with a board or ball or anything else that involves moving around, practice sprints/racing other than with your team as part of warm up etc. If this sounds draconian then that's spot on – an old (and very successful) coach of mine refers to his team as the "Blue Army" (kit is primarily blue) and it works very well.

Post Race:

• If you're doing heats, then within 20 minutes of stopping racing – PSP22 and a Go bar, stretch and get off your feet, treat injuries, snatch some sleep and then back to the R guidelines above until your next race. Stick to a routine so you don't even have to think about it.
  
• If you're all done- Rego and a Go bar, stretch and get off your feet, treat injuries (sound familiar?!) then once you're all sorted go shout for the rest of your team still competing.
  
• Then get out of there asap and get home to a proper meal and bed.
  
• If an evening out has to be done, then it should be done after a full meal. Mid season bear in mind (1) minor injuries become big ones and whole new ones can be developed when tired, emotional and in the presence of alcohol (2) shots are the fastest stupidity accelerant known to man.
  
• Oh and SIS do something great called "Headstart" for hangovers. Failing that – mix up a large bottle of Go, drink the lot (even better if you can also do that before you fall in to bed) then try to eat – bananas or eggs should help. Follow up with painkillers. Hangovers are primarily dehydration and low blood sugar, and there is little worse than a cold morning's post race training on a hangover.
  

Guidelines

For a bit more general advice and some reasons why – below are some key things that you need to remember preparing for an event:

1. You don't want lots of food in your digestive system near the event. This is because adrenalin and demands of the event pull blood supply away from your digestive system to the big muscle groups. Ever thrown up before or after a race? This is the main reason.
   
2. You do need the energy or glycogen stores in your muscles to be well stocked. This means you must eat carbohydrates within 20 minutes of finishing your last training session prior to racing.
   
3. You do need a good blood sugar level and to be well hydrated – water and sugar are fuel for your muscles. This means keeping the carbohydrates and fluid going in until about 30 minutes before you race bearing in mind point no. 1.
   
4. Due to point no. 1 you should not eat protein too near an event (ie roughly 12-24 hours). Protein helps build and repair muscle, it is not (in the reasonable range of things) a fuel, so you don't want to be wasting blood supply on it. This isn't an absolute rule, protein from meat can take anything from 6 to 48 hours to digest (so going to a BBQ the night before a triathlon isn't going to go well) whereas dairy protein should take approximately 1 to 4 hours.