USDA Food Pyramid

In April 2005, USDA released the MyPyramid food guidance system. Along with the new MyPyramid symbol, the system provides many options to help Americans make healthy food choices and to be active every day.

Visit MyPyramid.gov for more information.

Strength and Conditioning: Nutrition

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Nutrition Essentials for Sports: Diet Basics

Food Pyramid Guidelines

• Fats & Sweets = Eat very little of these
• Diary, Meat, & Poultry = Eat the required amount for you
• Vegetables & Fruits = Eat more of these
• Bread, Cereals, Pasta, Beans, Rice, & Lentils = Eat the most from these

Daily Calorie Calculator  |  Nutrition Calculator

Carbohydrates (CHO)

• Provides energy, particularly during high-intensity exercise
• Sources include grains, fruit, vegetables, milk, and sweets
• Activities over one hour can be enhanced when carbohydrates are consumed within five minutes of, over 2 hours before, and at frequent intervals during the activity
• Two types of carbohydrates:
  1. Simple Sugars – High GI (Glycemic Index)
  2. Complex Carbohydrates – Low GI (Glycemic Index)

Proteins

• Builds fat-free muscle mass.
• Strength athletes need 1.4 to 1.8 g per kg body weight versus 0.8 g per kg RDA.
• Endurance athletes need 1.2 to 1.4 g per kg body weight versus 0.8 g per kg RDA.
• Diets exceeding 1.8 to 2.0 g per kg body weight per day have not been proven to provide additional benefits and may damage kidney function
• Supplements are generally not needed providing caloric intake is adequate.

Fats

• Do not eliminate fat from your diet – MYTH!
• Fat serves essential purpose in physiological function;
• Allows various chemical reactions to occur;
• Allows for the absorption of essential vitamins and minerals
• Avoid saturated fats (e.g. partially-hydrogenated), use mono-unsaturated fats (e.g. canola, olive oil etc), limit poly-unsaturated fats.
• Mono-unsaturated fat is considered to be one of the healthiest types of general fat. It is found mainly in olive oil, rapeseed oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds.
• Although much healthier than saturated fat, poly-unsaturated fat is considered to be less healthy than mono-unsaturated fat.

Vitamins & Minerals

• Vitamins and minerals do not appear to have any ergogenic value in amounts beyond the RDA. Taking them in amounts greater than RDA will not improve performance and may be dangerous.
• If no deficiency exists, supplementation is ineffective
• Potential great for toxicity with fat soluble vitamins ( A,D,E,K)
• Unreal expectations are associated with their use
• Use leads athletes to ignore importance of a balanced diet, adequate rest and proper training

Some of the reasons athletes may feel they need supplements are for improved performance, energy and to "supercharge" the body. They may rely on them to compensate for less than optimal diets or to meet unusual nutrient demands induced by heavy exercise. The facts are that inadequate diets are not redeemed by supplementation, they do not address energy needs and, any increased needs for vitamins and minerals can be met by increasing the amount of calories taken in over the day.

Water & Hydration

• If dehydration exceeds 2% body weight, physical performance is impaired.
• Water loss increases during exercise due to sweating
• Loss of water via sweating disrupts electrolyte balance.
• Sodium and chloride are the most abundant electrolytes in sweat.
• Our thirst mechanism does not match our hydration state, so it is best to consume more fluid than thirst dictates
• During prolonged exercise, water intake is primary, but drinking 4 g to 8 g of CHO per 100 ml solution every 10 to 15 minutes reduces risk of dehydration and provides a partial energy supplement.

Avoiding Dehydration

• Drink plenty of water even if you don’t feel thirsty (10 cups/day);
• Drink 1 ½ cups of plain water 15 minutes before physical activity;
• Drink ½ cup of water every 10-15 minutes during physical activity;
• Drink 2 cups of water after physical activity for every pound lost.

Pre-Competition Nutrition

• The pre-competition meal can ensure a normal blood glucose level and prevent hunger; it should include 200 to 500 kcal of foods that are easily digestible and are eaten no less than 2 hours before competition.
• Athletes can get the nutrition they need with a strictly vegetarian diet as long as the foods they select include a balance of essential nutrients and calories.
• Pre-competition meal should be comprised of complex carbohydrates to avoid “crash effect” – hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
• EAT 3-4 hours before competition for LARGE meal
• EAT 2-3 hours before competition for SMALLER meal
• EAT 1-2 hours before competition for LIQUID meal
• Sample Foods to Eat: baked potatoes, rice, pasta, whole wheat & oat products, most all veggies, cereals & breads.

Post-Competition Nutrition

• Research suggests that high-GI foods consumed after exercise replenish glycogen (carbohydrates) faster than low-GI foods.
• Post-competition foods should be consumed immediately following activity (within 15 minutes). Carry snacks with you at all times.
• Sample post-competition foods include:
  
  1. Sports drink (gatorade) with trail mix and peanuts;
  2. Yogurt & fruit;
  3. Graham crackers with peanut butter & juice;
  4. Cereal bar with milk or juice;
  5. Sports bar with water;
  6. Bagel with juice;
  7. Turkey slices with juice.

Body Composition & Performance

• Maximizing fat-free mass is desirable for strength, power, and muscular endurance but undesirable for endurance or jumping sports if result is a gain in weight
• Combining resistance training with the ingestion of carbohydrate, or carbohydrate and protein, during recovery from resistance training appears to be effective for increasing fat-free mass

Minimizing Relative Body Fat

• Desirable, especially in sports in which the body weight is moved through space
• Improves speed, endurance, balance, agility, and jumping ability

Achieving Optimal Weight

• Combine proper diet with exercise.
• Lose no more than 0.5 to 1.0 kg (1 to 2 lb) per week.
• Reduce caloric intake by 200 to 500 kcal less than daily energy expenditure
• Decrease fat mass and increase fat-free mass

Gaining Weight Safely

• Must take in more energy (calories) than you expend in order to gain weight
• To gain 1-2 pounds of muscle mass per week, you must exceed your caloric expenditure by about 500-1000 calories per day accompanied by an intensive resistance training program to ensure the extra weight is not gained as fat.
• Pay attention to your body fat percentage during your weight gain program
• See daily calorie calculator for calorie requirements