5 Nutrition Tasks Before Traveling By Air to Races

Traveling across the country for that big race is exciting. However, traveling by air can wreak havoc on athletes' performance when not done right. To be ready to race when you arrive at your destination, here are 4 things you should do BEFORE you travel this summer.

1. Research food vendors at your destination
Nothing is worse than arriving at your destination and realizing there are no good food options in sight. Do a little research in advance. Know where you will eat the night before your race. Locate the closest grocery store to do some shopping for essentials when you arrive. Make a list of what you need to buy, and go shopping first before you do anything else.

2. Pack your favorite foods
If you have a favorite race morning breakfast or preferred snacks, don't take any chances - pack them! Don't forget race day fuel, as this is not something you want to be driving around looking for once you arrive. Remember that any liquid or semi-liquid foods need to go into a checked bag, so plan for this when packing. Call the hotel to see if there is a frig, microwave or even full kitchenette in the room. If not, pack a hot pot (cook pot) that you can easily use to make foods such as rice, oatmeal, pasta or quinoa right in your room. And don't forget plastic plates, bowls and utensils.

Should I see a sports dietitian nutritionist?

Most athletes who want to be the best will do whatever it takes to get there. So why is my office not overflowing with athletes waiting for nutrition advice? I  - like most health professionals - have found that athletes don't come to me until there is a problem to be solved. This is great if an issue is actually recognized as a nutritional problem or if an issue has not progressed to critical. However, sometimes athletes don't realize that what they are feeling or experiencing might not only be caused by poor nutrition but also be solved (sometimes rather quickly) with good nutrition. Instead of accepting aches, pains, tweaks and twinges as "normal", review this list to see if proper nutrition might be your answer.

Are you fueling correctly? You may not be if you.......

How Athletes can Boost Immune Function to stay well

As athletes ramp up their training, they put their body at a higher risk of illness and infection. Research indicates that athletes are at an increased risk of illness not only in the hours after a hard workout, but in the 1-2 weeks following a competition. This is likely due to the increase in stress hormones (particularly adrenaline and cortisol) associated with training and competition. However, there are things you can do to keep your immune system running strong and minimize your risk of illness during training and competition.

1. Eat well
Despite the fact that many athletes take multivitamins, antioxidant blends and the like, there is a lack of evidence to support high dose supplementation of anti-oxidant vitamins, glutamine or echinacea to prevent exercise-associated immune system depression. In truth, there is much research about the positive synergistic effect of the vitamins and minerals consumed in food itself versus a supplement. At meals and snacks, focus on nutrient-rich foods and fluids to provide the immune system what it needs. A few examples include:
-Whole grain and fiber-rich cereals, breads and pastas - especially those that include flaxseed or chia seeds as ingredients
-Include a variety of whole fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Fruit is great as a snack on-the-go, at the office or at home. It is naturally portable and also a great source of fluid. Add veggies (frozen are great too) with every meal. The more color at meals the better.
-Don't settle for plain, boring sandwiches, soups or pastas. Fill them with color by adding fresh and dried fruit and fresh cut up vegetables.

Athletes: 4 ways to ruin your spring season

We are almost to March, which means many of you are about to start the spring season (either in competition if you are a high school/college athlete or in training if you have spring/summer races planned). You have waited all winter to get to this point. You are determined this will be your best year yet. But little do you know, you may be making huge mistakes with your nutrition that will cost you big come game/race-day. Looking to ruin your season? Try this............

1. Don't eat breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal for athletes. It re-plenishes muscles after an overnight fast. It also gets muscles ready to work that day - regardless of what time your training session(s) will be. Skipping breakfast forces the body to pull from other stores - often times this means breaking down muscle. Have an early-morning workout and think skipping breakfast is okay? Think again. You might as well skip the workout and keep sleeping. Not a breakfast eater typically? Start small - Greek yogurt, bagel with peanut butter, or a piece of fruit....and work up from there. Anything is better than nothing.

2. Don't sleep
Sleep is probably one of the most important things you will do over the course of 24 hours. Sleep is when your body repairs, replenishes and builds. In addition, the longer you are awake, the more opportunities to eat, which can mean too many calories coming on board. Trying to drop fat or gain muscle? Hoping to improve recovery and relieve soreness? Wanting to prevent illness and injury? Looking for more energy during the day or during training? Aim to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep on average to help that happen.

3. Don't eat any fruits and vegetables
No one likes them anyway, right? And you burn so many calories, you can eat whatever you want, right? WRONG. While getting enough calories is important, it's about quality within that quantity. Fruits and vegetables are essential to athletes. They contain vitamins and minerals that help with recovery of tired, sore muscles as well as metabolism of every type of food you eat. In addition, they help hydrate the body. Dehydration is the number one cause of nutrition-related performance deficit. Write down everything you eat for a day or two. Count the number of times you eat fruits or veggies. If it is less than 5, you have work to do. Five servings is the minimum, so get munching.

4. Don't worry about what you eat until the night before you compete
Ah - the pre-competition pasta dinner. The perfect start to a perfect game. While this may be true, that should not be the start of your performance nutrition. It is not just about what you eat the night before, but also the days, weeks and months before. So start assessing your intake now. Meet with a sports RD who can help you meet your athletic goals. Don't waste precious time by not helping your body train (and eventually compete) the way you want it to.

Be Extraordinary,


RDKate

5 Ways to Fight Flu Season with Food

Whether or not we want to admit it, pharmacy advertisements for flu shots are a tell-tale sign that flu season will soon be upon us. That nasty virus comes back each year to wreak havoc on our bodies and neatly-planned training schedules. Fortunately, your food choices on a daily basis can have a huge impact on your likeliness of being sidelined by the flu (or any cold in general). Starting today, follow these five guidelines to assure you are able to train and compete throughout the entire fall and winter season: 

1. Hydrate!
While proper hydration is key for many reasons, it becomes especially important for the prevention of illness. As the weather turns colder, it's natural to not think about drinking fluids as frequently. However, a properly hydrated body can better transport essential nutrients to muscles and organs for proper functioning and recovery. Should you contract either the stomach flu or even a mild fever, hydration should be a top priority. Oral rehydration products such as sports drinks or Pedialyte may be a good way to avoid dehydration if symptoms are severe.

2. ACE it
Antioxidants may be your best defense against inflammation and stress within the body. Vitamins A, C, and E (ACE) are the power players in this category. To make sure you are meeting your needs each day, aim to eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal and snack. The darker the fruit or veggie, the higher it is in antioxidants (i.e dark, green, leafy vegetables, carrots, peppers, berries or oranges). Decreasing daily stress within your body is a key way to help it better fight off any potential threats to your immune system.

3. Consider Carbohydrate
Be sure to use carbohydrate-containing foods and/or beverages before, during, and after intense training or competitions. The body's stress hormones are at their highest after this type of exercise bout. Fueling your body properly with adequate carbohydrates will provide protection during this vulnerable time, decreasing the negative effect of stress hormones on your body.

4. Fuel, Refuel Recharge
In addition to proper carbohydrate supplementation during exercise, it is essential to maintain a well-balanced diet throughout the entire day. Include adequate carbohydrate, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. For most athletes, this includes eating at least every 3-4 hours to meet the body's training and recovery needs. Committing to good nutrition on a daily basis will assure your immune system is functioning at its best.

5. Supplement Smart
Unfortunately, there are no supplements guaranteed to prevent a cold or flu. However, at the first sign of illness, research has shown that two supplements may help decrease the severity and duration of the cold: zinc lozenges and vitamin C tablets. Begin sucking on zinc lozenges at the first sign of an impending illness, but limit length of use to no more than 1 week and don't use on an empty stomach. Note that citrus juice interferes with zinc absorption, so avoid it 30 min before and after using a lozenge. When taking vitamin C, limit each dose to 500 mg max for a total of 1000mg max daily. Anything above this amount is not efficiently absorbed and will simply be excreted in the urine.

Of course there are many flu-prevention behaviors you should keep in mind in addition to diet. Don't underestimate the value of proper sleep (ideally an average of 7-9 hours uninterrupted sleep per night), washing your hands, getting a flu shot, and keeping daily stressors to a minimum. If you feel like you are coming down with something, it is better to err on the side of caution and take a rest day. Overtraining and chronic fatigue only creates extra stress, which makes it more difficult for your body to mount an attack on the pending virus.

Be Extraordinary,


RDKate

To Prevent Illness, Eat Smart During Winter Training – Plus: Black Friday Deals!

How often do you get sick? As the cold season sets in, many of us will develop that annoying cough or sore throat. Is there anything you can eat to fend off illness during the winter training season? In fact – yes! But it may not include quite what you thought...

1.       Take in plenty of carbs throughout the day.

Following a low-carbohydrate diet results in elevated levels of cortisol in an athlete’s body. Cortisol is known as the regulator of the immune system. It functions to increase protein breakdown in muscles, inhibit uptake of glucose into the body’s cells, and increase breakdown of fat. Therefore, chronically elevated levels force your body into a constant state of muscle breakdown and suppressed immune function, increasing your risk for upper respiratory tract infections (such as the common cold). High levels also negatively affect sleep, mood, bone health, ligament health, cardiovascular health, and athletic performance. Follow a moderate to high-carbohydrate daily eating program and don’t go into a workout without first taking in carbohydrate.  This is particularly important for athletes trying to improve speed or training for greater than 3-4 hours (Seebohar, 2004).

2.       Don’t underestimate the importance of protein.

Just like carbohydrate helps decrease elevated cortisol levels before and during exercise, protein (and specifically branched-chain amino acids), help decrease cortisol levels post-exercise. This is another reason why that post-workout meal or snack must include protein (Seebohar, 2004).

3.       Minerals matter too.

Three minerals play a significant role in strengthening our immune system: Zinc, Selenium, and Iron. Before you run out and buy supplements, consider the fact that zinc supplements can interfere with the absorption of iron and copper and actually suppress the immune system.  Besides, research is mixed whether supplementing with zinc actually wards off illness. Instead, turn to animal foods and whole grains for zinc. If (and only if) you have been diagnosed with low zinc, consider 15mg of supplemental zinc daily (max!). Selenium deficiency is less common, but food sources include meat, fish, poultry, whole grains, and nuts. Discussion of iron deficiency could be its own blog, but know that it is very common in endurance athletes (especially females). Food sources include animal products as well as dried beans and legumes, green leafy veggies, and iron-fortified grains (Dunford and Doyle, 2008).

4.       Vitamin C is effective…sort of.

I’m sure many of you consider vitamin C your “go to” vitamin when you are trying to fend off a cold. I have good and bad news. A meta-analysis of studies revealed that routine vitamin C supplementation did not reduce the incidence of colds (boo). However, once the cold was present, duration was reduced by 8% and severity was also reduced (yay) (Douglas et al., 2004). Look to get vitamin C from foods such as citrus fruits, berries, broccoli, peppers, and tomatoes.

5.       Re-assess your training regimen.

While moderate exercise strengthens the immune system, more rigorous or prolonged training (such as that for marathon training) greatly increases risk for upper respiratory tract infections. If you are concerned about being sick for your favorite holiday party, perhaps scale back from a hard training regimen for a time and give your body a (likely) needed break (Dunford and Doyle, 2008).

   

Stay tuned! In honor of Black Friday, I will be offering coupons accessible only through my website on Friday, November 25^th (24 hours only). If you enjoy savings of up to 50% off, then you won’t want to miss this! Make sure you are ready for the holidays with special performance nutrition savings.

Be Extraordinary,

RDKate