Q&A | Sports Nutrition 101
Q: What guidelines/tools do you use/recommend and what factors do you consider in computing of energy and nutrient requirements of athletes in different fields?
A: We look at a lot of different things. We can use equations (such as the schoefield equation and rules of thumb), but the more proficient an athlete at that sport, the less likely that these computations are correct. We look at how people move in their sport because this gives us clues to what fuel fuels them best. Some things to consider - history in sport, age, weight, body composition, health issues, speed, goals in sport
Q: Do you take supplements pre/post race/training to aid recovery or performance?
A: It depends... I have a lot of injuries (Tara), so I always have collagen supplements... Sometimes WPI (whey protein isolate) if it is a long session and I need to recover. Some athletes we have them have some supplements including beetroot juice, sodibic, caffeine, protein depending on where they are in their training cycle and what outcomes we are trying to achieve.
For most weekend warriors and active people, supplements aren’t necessary if they can meet their nutrition needs with food.
Q: In long events I start to feel nauseous and can’t take on any more gels or sports drink. Any suggestions?
A:It's pretty common. You need to ensure you start hydrated, as this allows our gut to cope a little better... you may need to mix up the sources of carbohydrate... for example, you may have maltodextrin based gels, so your drink may be better to be sucrose based so you can absorb it better. Then at a specific stage, you may have food... It's not unusual for people to like food during exercise that they don't like on normal days
Q: Is Keto Diet & Intermittent Fasting practical for athletes?
A: Depending on what you define as an "athlete", if you are a speed endurance athlete, it will be hard in competition stage to meet the speed you need..., but if you are an "athlete" focusing on finishing and achieving a big goal, and you are older, have insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes this can be okay for you.
Q: What should I eat before a 2 hour+ cardio session?
A: We get athletes to eat before sessions of 2 hours if they are just starting out, but over time we may challenge this so their body gets used to over-fuelling, under-fuelling and normal fuelling. Aim for carbohydrate based snacks or meals that include bread, pasta, rice, fruit, potatoes or crackers.
Q: What are suitable foods to eat during training for on water sports like paddling
A: Depends on your age, health etc. If you are experienced, you may not need to eat for each session. You can eat prior to training and that can be enough for you until the post session nutrition. You need something easy to eat if you choose to eat, like lollies, sports foods, or cereal bars. You will likely get away with a 2 hour session having fluid like cordial or sports drink.
Q: I don't like using gels or electrolyte powders and want something natural to take on longer rides - what do you recommend?
A: If it is not a race, you can take food like sports muffins, rice triangles, energy balls, sandwiches or baked foods. Store in alfoil so you can open with one hand easily. You might like to try Christie’s bike brownie recipe.
Q: During a 5 to 6 hour swim, what is good to consume to avoid feeling lethargic?
A: If it is your first 5 or 6 hour swim you will feel lethargic regardless of what you eat ;) a 5 or 6 hour swim is a long way! However, if you can come in or you have a feeder on a kayak, trying your race feeds is important. Depending on where you are in your training cycle, you will need different nutrition. More carbs if you are fast and lean (or you are in cold water) ... you may try a higher protein feed if you need to recover well. If you are a little bit away from your race you can try to challenge what you have at different times
Q: What are some of the best foods to consume during ultra marathon events as opposed to consuming Perpetuem, Tailwind and gels?
A: Perpetuem, tailwind and gels are a good mix for performance because they include a variety of carbohydrates and perpetuem have protein... however, there is a likelihood that you want food and/or low flavour options. If it is a super long.. ie multi-day, you may want to have some fat so some of our athletes have crisps and for others they focus on refined carbs, but with lower flavour such as plain rice bubble bars (homemade), bread (can be plain or with spread) or deb potato (yuk usually, yum after long hours of sport), rice cream etc etc. MiX it up, and ensure you don't have too much in one time or you can get sick, you want your food digested well.
Q: How do I time my carbs around training to achieve weight loss?
A: You need to match your carbs with your exercise... so if you train in the mornings, eat your carbohydrates close to your exercise. Look at portions and the quality - aim for less refined and whole grain types.
Q: What do you do when your craving chocolate or unhealthy stuff?
A: It can be better to eat what you are craving and have smaller amounts rather than trying to push your willpower and eat a replacement. We are doing a webinar on psychology of food in a couple of weeks and we will go through all of the strategies then too.
Q: Should vegan athletes take a leucine supplement if their goal is to build muscle?
A: If you need to build muscle, you first need to make sure you are in energy surplus... then focus on enough protein and spread it out 20g at a time over the day... many vegan sources of protein contain leucine, and to get enough protein you can get enough leucine, but a 3g leucine supplement per day, twice a day can help.
Q: Is there value in nitrates in getting ready for competition?
A: For some sports nitrate can be helpful. We will do a workshop on supplements at some stage too. You may need to do a planned trial prior to your race.
Q: What are some basic tips for adolescent and young adult males moving into junior elite and sub elite sport?
A: Make food and nutrition a part of their sport and training. Encourage good healthy eating habits around training and provide support for fuelling in training and after. Getting young adult and junior athletes involved in food preparation can encourage their interest in food. Using the “food is fuel” approach can also be a helpful way to look at nutrition.
Q: What nutrition/hydration strategies should we utilise for athletes involved in round robin competition days or weekends - when they may have 30min/1hr between games and possibly 4 games in a day?
A: It can depend on the type of eater your athletes are - some like to eat continually which makes them feel heavy and sick in later games, and others won’t eat all day and so will run out of energy. Aiming to stick to usual meal times (e.g. morning tea, lunch etc) can be helpful. Eating small amounts of foods and easily digestible foods can also help. Sip on fluids and not lots of sports drinks too. Depending on the number of breaks and the lengths of games, you might also encourage “eating times” between certain rounds…but again, this will depend on the athlete, their position and their needs.
Sandwiches, wraps, muffins
Mouthfuls of pasta or rice dishes
Small bites of fruit or crackers
Juices and milks can help some athletes meet energy needs if they don’t want to eat lots of solid foods