High-intensity endurance exercise depletes the body of electrolytes, fluid and fuel (carbohydrates). But with so many sports nutrition products on the market, which one(s) should you choose for your specific sport?
Sports Drinks
Regardless of the sport that you play, in general, athletes require more protein than the average person. Beyond protein’s well-known role in building and repairing lean muscle, protein supports strong bones, ligaments and tendons, helps in the movement of oxygen to muscles, controls many metabolic processes in the body, aids in repair of body cells and plays a role in healthy immune function. But how much protein do you really need and what type of protein should you be eating?
Determining Your Protein Needs
Today's blog is an interview with Director of Sports Nutrition at Colorado State University, Pamela Bartz, RD, CSSD, CSCS. Read on to get tips straight from the CSU athletics RD for your next run, ride or game!
You help athletes at CSU learn how to eat properly for their best athletic performance – what are some of the surprising things you have learned in this job?
You’ve heard that “milk does a body good.” But perhaps you didn’t know that milk is not only beneficial for healthy bones and teeth, but milk and other dairy foods are a nutrient-rich alternative to sports drinks. Many of your favorite athletes refuel with milk after a strenuous workout, and for good reason…
How much and what should I eat before exercise?
We get this question a lot. It is important to eat right to fuel your body for an upcoming event, but the last thing you want to do is eat too much - or too little. The following recommendations are specific to how much time you have before an activity or between events:
One hour or less before your next activity (practice, game, match, race, etc.), choose foods that are a good source of carbohydrates. They help to provide energy:
When most people think of the Dallas Cowboys, their minds automatically wander to the 53-man roster. However, the team extends well beyond the players on the field to include coaches, trainers, a chaplain, front office staff and even merchandise designers. While they don’t all compete on Sunday, each person is an integral part of the team. One thing that helps make the Cowboys unique in the NFL is the Fuel Up Training Table that continues feeding the team long before and after the players take the field.
It’s common to have some muscle soreness after physical activity. During exercise, your body takes fuel from your food and breaks down muscle for energy, so you’re left dehydrated, drained of fuel and broken down.
Proper and consistent fueling is important for high performance, as an athlete and as a student. Every meal is an opportunity to provide the energy and nutrients your body needs, plus it gives you an edge over athletes who don’t focus on nutrition.
Incorporate dairy, whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, veggies, and healthy fats into your daily diet to ensure proper fueling and recovery.
Ever wonder if your kids are getting the nutrients they need – especially after a workout, practice or game? There’s some compelling new research out about how chocolate milk affects high school athletes, compared to regular sports drinks.
Previous studies all looked at adults, but never at the 7.8 million high school athletes in the nation – yet nutrition is especially important for these young athletes, whose bodies are still growing while also handling the heavy physical demands of athletics.
How Did the Study Work?
As a kid growing up in Wisconsin, I drank a ton of milk. I also loved eating cereal for breakfast—I would eat two bowls, and I especially loved to drink the milk at the bottom of the bowl. So it’s safe to say I grew up knowing the importance of starting my day with a healthy breakfast. Now that I’m a professional football player, and a dad, I have come a long way since my cereal days.
