Proper nutrition is the foundation of any good strength and
conditioning program. Everyone agrees with the previous statement, however
not all experts agree as to what entails "proper
nutrition". With all the gurus and gimmicks out there it's extremely difficult
to determine what sound nutritional practices are. The guidelines
contained on this page are designed to support a program of intense weight
training and high intensity exercise based on research, not magazines, blogs,
or independent commercial companies. Hyperlinks are provided for all sources
and you are encouraged to read the supporting publications and make your own
decisions.
The focus of this post is on general dietary practices to
support the type of physical training of the Strength Group: high intensity
conditioning and weightlifting. Future posts will expand on selected relevant
topics in sports nutrition.
The basis of dietary intake should be whole foods which are
as minimally processed as possible. This is the concept of food synergy, which
is the idea that natural whole foods contain nutrients in combinations that are
more beneficial for health than engineered foods or an isolated nutrient
supplement (1, 4, 10). If you don't recognize an ingredient, then that food is
most likely processed and contains unwanted additives and calories with
relatively few nutrients. Desirable whole foods to support training include
non-starchy vegetables, fruits, starches and starchy vegetables (such as whole
grains, potatoes, rice, and corn), lean meat and seafood, and low/non-fat
dairy.
Protein
Power
Dietary protein provides amino acids for your body which are
used in all bodily structures including muscle, connective tissues, and organs.
Amino acids also form many important compounds like enzymes and hormones which
are important for your metabolism and performance. Daily dietary protein
requirements differ based on many factors including lean body mass and activity
levels (1, 2, 9). Consuming a variety of protein sources is important to ensure
adequate nutrition (1, 2, 10). Consuming dietary protein above recommended
levels has not been shown to offer any benefit in terms of lean mass gain or
performance (1, 9). In fact, over consumption of protein may actually impair
performance (3, 7, 8). Athletes conducting regular intense training are
recommended to consume between 1.6 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body
weight (roughly 0.7 to 0.9 grams of protein per pounds of body weight) (1, 2,
9). Recommended primary sources of protein are animal, seafood, and low/non-fat
dairy products, as these are complete protein sources which provide all
essential amino acids (2). Include a lean source of protein in each meal or
snack to meet your daily total protein requirement.
Carbs
Schmarbs
High intensity exercise preferentially burns carbohydrate
for fuel, while exercise at a lower intensity preferentially burns fat (1, 5,
6). As the focus of this program is high intensity exercise, carbohydrates
provide the primary fuel for exercise, and as such, should form the basis of
your diet. There are many different types of carbohydrates, but for our
purposes here we're concerned with three major types, all plant life:
non-starchy vegetables, grains/starchy vegetables, and fruits. We want to
include a variety of these sources of carbs at each meal or snack. Eat an unrestricted
amount of non-starchy vegetables at each meal. Consume one or two servings of
fruit at each meal. Round out your carbs with a minimally processed significant
carb source such as whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, potatoes, whole grain
rice, corn, etc. Daily guidelines for carbohydrate intake to support an intense
exercise regime is between 6 and 10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of
bodyweight (between 2.7 to 4.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight)
(1, 6).
Fats
Fats are essential to your health and well-being. They
provide energy while at rest or during low-intensity activities, transport fat
soluble vitamins, are involved in hormone production, provide insolation and
protection, provide a feeling of satiety, and most importantly give your food
flavor. Fats are very energy dense (roughly 9 Calories per gram compared to
about 4 Calories per gram for carbohydrate and protein). While certain
lifestyles may benefit from the focused consumption of fat sources, a program
focusing on high intensity exercise is not one of those lifestyles (1, 5, 6).
Increasing the fat content of your diet will result in a reduction in either
carbohydrate content, protein content, or both; this will impair your
performance and recovery (3, 7, 8). The goal is roughly 20% to 30% of daily
Calories from fat sources (1, 10), which can be accomplished by focusing on
meeting goals for protein and carbohydrate consumption and using fats primarily
to cook or garnish your foods. Examples include roasting your vegetables in olive
oil, creating an avocado dressing for your chicken salad, or crushing up some
nuts to top your yogurt.
Putting it
All Together
Simple meal construction that will support training involves
selecting one or more quality lean protein sources, adding copious amounts of
non-starchy vegetables, one to two servings of fruits, and an appropriate
amount of starches or starchy vegetables to meet your daily carbohydrate goals.
Use fats in preparation or as a garnish. Divide your recommended intake up
amongst your meals for the day, eating every 4 to 6 hours to prevent hunger and
optimize recovery and performance.
Sources
1. Butterfield, G., Manore, M.,
& Barr, S. (2000). Nutrition and athletic performance: American College of
Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association, and Dietitians of Canada joint
position statement. Medicine and Science
in Sports and Exercise, 32(12),
2130-2145. Available from: http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2009/03000/Nutrition_and_Athletic_Performance.27.aspx
2. Campbell, B., Kreider, R. B.,
Ziegenfuss, T., La Bounty, P., Roberts, M., Burke, D., …Antonio, J. (2007).
International society of sports nutrition position stand: protein and exercise.
Journal of the International Society of
Sports Nutrition, 4(8), 1-7. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1550-2783-4-8.pdf
3. Fleming, J., Sharman, M. J.,
Avery, N. G., Love, D. M., Gomez, A. L., Sheett, T. P., …Volek, J. S. (2003).
Endurance capacity and high-intensity exercise performance responses to a
high-fat diet. International Journal of
Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 13, 466-478. Available from: http://journals.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/Documents/DocumentItem/2621.pdf
4. Jacobs, D., Gross, M., &
Tapsell, L. (2009). Food synergy: an operational concept for understanding
nutrition. American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, 89(suppl), 1543S-8S.
Available from: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/5/1543S.long
5. Juekendrup, A. E. (2004).
Carbohydrate intake during exercise and performance. Nutrition, 20, 669-677.
Available from: http://www.finanzaonline.com/forum/attachments/arredamento-edilizia-impianti/1722042d1363511078-palestra-casa-un-consiglio-carboidrati.pdf_id-ials4lnexso8efgktkiusvs8w2rvlkgajfterggs9lauxvt0-act_view-1-r_folder-su5ct1g-.pdf
6. Kerksick, C., Harvey, T., Stout,
J., Campbell, B., Wilborn, C., Kreider, R., …Antonio, J. (2008). International
society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of
Sports Nutrition, 5(17), 1-12. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1550-2783-5-17.pdfJournal
7. Langfort, J., Zarzeczny, R.,
Pils, W., Nazar, K., & Kaciuba-Uscitko. (1997). The effect of a
low-carbohydrate diet on performance, hormonal and metabolic responses to a
30-s bout of supramaximal exercise. European
Journal of Applied Physiology, 76, 128-133. Available from: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ryszard_Zarzeczny/publication/13947246_The_effect_of_a_low-carbohydrate_diet_on_performance_hormonal_and_metabolic_responses_to_a_30-s_bout_of_supramaximal_exercise/links/54d389c40cf2501791823f99.pdf
8. Maughan, R. J., Greenhaff, P. L.,
Leiper, J. B., Ball, D., Lambert, C. P.,& Gleeson, M. (1997). Diet
composition and the performance of high-intensity exercise. Journal of Sports Sciences, 15, 265-275.
Available from: www.researchgate.net/profile/Derek_Ball2/publication/13986240_Diet_composition_and_the_performance_of_high-intensity_exercise/links/0912f50fff4fa93751000000.pdf
9. Phillips, S. (2004). Protein
requirements and supplementation in strength sports. Nutrition, 20, 689-695.
Available from: http://www.clalit.co.il/he/lifestyle/sport/fitness/Documents/2004_ProteinRequirementsandSupplementationinStrengthSports.pdf
10.
U. S. Department of Agriculture and U. S. Department of Health and Human
Services. Dietary Guidelines for
Americans 2010. 7th Edition, Washington, D. C.: U. S. Government
Printing Office, December 2010. Available from: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment