Montauk Sun


COLUMNS April Fit Tips by Candice Monte *Maximize Nutrition for Your Sport* Aside from training, nutrition is the most important influence on sports performance. To reach one's highest potential, all of the body's systems must be working optimally. The best way to achieve this is to eat a variety of nutritious foods. Calories, carbohydrate, protein fat, and fluid intake all play a unique and crucial role. To have enough energy for exercise (and for life), an adequate number of Calories must be consumed. The amount of calories needed depends on many different factors, such as age, sex, height, weight, muscle mass, and fat mass. Too few calories can negatively affect workouts and energy levels, as well as cause the breakdown of muscle and bone, increasing the risk of injury. Carbohydrates are needed to build muscle and burn fat. Carbohydrates are the body's main energy source for all types of exercise. Carbohydrate is stored as glycogen in the body, and the amount of glycogen stored in the body affects stamina and endurance. When muscle cells run out of glycogen, fatigue sets in and performance will suffer, though the effects will vary among different sports. Training and eating properly, with particular attention to carbohydrates, can increase and maintain glycogen stores, which is particularly important for endurance athletes. A large part of an athlete's diet should be carbohydrate. Foods high in carbohydrate include pasta, rice, cereals, starchy vegetables (e.g., potatoes, carrots, corn, sweet potatoes), fruit, and bread. Not all carbohydrates are equal in providing needed nutrients, however. Focusing on carbohydrate from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables will make sure vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other important nutrients are part of one's diet, while filling up on too many sweets and processed foods can negatively impact sports performance. Protein is essential to build and repair muscle tissue, and it can be used for energy if you've exhausted your carbohydrate supply. Protein allows muscles to contract, gain in size, and increase in strength. Loading up on protein does not guarantee larger muscles. Protein in excess of the body's needs is stored as fat, not protein. Muscle growth comes from hard work, proper training, and balanced nutrition. Food sources of protein include lean meat and poultry (fish and chicken), fish, legumes (dried beans and peas), nuts, seeds, and dairy products. Protein needs for active athletes, especially endurance sports, are higher than for non-athletes. The maximum recommended amounts of protein is 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg of body weight. This requirement can be met through diet alone. Fat provides energy, protects the body's organs and helps with the absorption of some vitamins. When fats are eaten as part of healthful foods, they provide an important energy source for athletes in training. Good choices include the fats from nuts, seeds, vegetable oils (flaxseed, canola, olive, peanut), fatty fish (high in Omega 3 fatty acids) and avocados. Water is critical to all body functions and makes up about 60 percent of a person's body weight. Water helps move nutrients throughout the body and helps remove waste from the body. Replacing the fluids lost during exercise is essential to sustaining performance, preventing dehydration, and avoiding injury. Even mild dehydration can cause muscle and body fatigue, which will reduce athletic performance. Since thirst is not always a reliable indicator of fluid loss, athletes should drink fluids before they get really thirsty. Eight to ten cups a water a day is the recommended daily intake for most people. However, extra fluids are needed by athletes to replenish what is lost during exercise. A quick test is if your urine looks like apple juice, you're dehydrated, if it looks like lemonade, you're doing better and like water, you may be drinking too much water. Drinks with caffeine or alcohol should be avoided, as they are dehydrating. Exercising in extreme heat increases fluid needs even more, since more is lost through sweat. Taking in too much water can be just as dangerous as not taking in enough. Athletes should experiment with different fluid intakes to determine the best amounts for optimal performance If you combine good eating practices with a good training and conditioning program a winning athlete can result!
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COLUMNS

April Fit Tips
by Candice Monte

Maximize Nutrition for Your Sport

Aside from training, nutrition is the most important influence on sports performance. To reach one's highest potential, all of the body's systems must be working optimally. The best way to achieve this is to eat a variety of nutritious foods. Calories, carbohydrate, protein fat, and fluid intake all play a unique and crucial role.

To have enough energy for exercise (and for life), an adequate number of Calories must be consumed. The amount of calories needed depends on many different factors, such as age, sex, height, weight, muscle mass, and fat mass. Too few calories can negatively affect workouts and

energy levels, as well as cause the breakdown of muscle and bone, increasing the risk of injury.

Carbohydrates are needed to build muscle and burn fat. Carbohydrates are the body's main energy source for all types of exercise. Carbohydrate is stored as glycogen in the body, and the amount of glycogen stored in the body affects stamina and endurance. When muscle cells run out of glycogen, fatigue sets in and performance will suffer, though the effects will vary among different sports. Training and eating properly, with particular attention to carbohydrates, can increase and maintain glycogen stores, which is particularly important for endurance athletes.

A large part of an athlete's diet should be carbohydrate. Foods high in carbohydrate include pasta, rice, cereals, starchy vegetables (e.g., potatoes, carrots, corn, sweet potatoes), fruit, and bread. Not all carbohydrates are equal in providing needed nutrients, however. Focusing on carbohydrate from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables will make sure vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other important nutrients are part of one's diet, while filling up on too many sweets and processed foods can negatively impact sports performance.

Protein is essential to build and repair muscle tissue, and it can be used for energy if you've exhausted your carbohydrate supply. Protein allows muscles to contract, gain in size, and increase in strength. Loading up on protein does not guarantee larger muscles. Protein in excess of the body's needs is stored as fat, not protein. Muscle growth comes from hard work, proper training, and balanced nutrition. Food sources of protein include lean meat and poultry (fish and chicken), fish, legumes (dried beans and peas), nuts, seeds, and dairy products. Protein needs for active athletes, especially endurance sports, are higher than for non-athletes. The maximum recommended amounts of protein is 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg of body weight. This requirement can be met through diet alone.

Fat provides energy, protects the body's organs and helps with the absorption of some vitamins. When fats are eaten as part of healthful foods, they provide an important energy source for athletes in training. Good choices include the fats from nuts, seeds, vegetable oils (flaxseed, canola, olive, peanut), fatty fish (high in Omega 3 fatty acids) and avocados.

Water is critical to all body functions and makes up about 60 percent of a person's body weight. Water helps move nutrients throughout the body and helps remove waste from the body. Replacing the fluids lost during exercise is essential to sustaining performance, preventing dehydration, and avoiding injury. Even mild dehydration can cause muscle and body fatigue, which will reduce athletic performance. Since thirst is not always a reliable indicator of fluid loss, athletes should drink fluids before they get really thirsty.

Eight to ten cups a water a day is the recommended daily intake for most people. However, extra fluids are needed by athletes to replenish what is lost during exercise. A quick test is if your urine looks like apple juice, you're dehydrated, if it looks like lemonade, you're doing better and like water, you may be drinking too much water.

Drinks with caffeine or alcohol should be avoided, as they are dehydrating. Exercising in extreme heat increases fluid needs even more, since more is lost through sweat. Taking in too much water can be just as dangerous as not taking in enough. Athletes should experiment with different fluid intakes to determine the best amounts for optimal performance

If you combine good eating practices with a good training and conditioning program a winning athlete can result!

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