La Crosse County Health Department Nutrition Tips for Training:

Nutrition and Training for Events (Marathon/Triathlon) or just to get in shape!

Start with small steps.   Participate in a 5K run/walk and then continue to progress. Avoid depriving yourself of foods.  Your diet should not be so strict that it hard to follow Help with performance. Decrease time of recovery. Prevent some exercise injuries due to fatigue. Training is the time to experiment with pre and post exercise foods and fluids, not the day of your event. Stick with what has been tried and true for you. Nutrition is a key point when it comes to training for events! Good nutrition can:

**But do note: A serious athlete should meet with a registered dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition. They can tailor a training meal plan to promote best performance and meet the needs of the individual athlete. Diets all are individualized!**

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap. They are loved, yet shunned by many. However, carbohydrates are necessary for peak athletic performance, because they provide a fairly quick source of energy for working muscles. Carbohydrate is your fuel!

Protein:

Most people, athletes and non-athletes consume more protein then necessary. And the bottom line remains that the body cannot store protein, it uses only what it needs.  Excess protein, over and above a person's overall protein and energy needs, is converted and stored as fat.  It is also important to meet protein requirements through whole foods as opposed to supplements or powders.  Protein is part of the balance with carbohydrates and fats for performance and recovery.

Fat:

No need to be afraid! Fat is not the only contributor to weight gain, excess intake of calories from any food group will lead to weight gain, if more is eaten than what is utilized in physical activity. Need to focus on your healthy fats that you get from foods such as avocados, salmon, nuts and seeds. No one should consume a diet that contains less than 15% of total calories from fat on a regular basis. Fat is necessary for the absorption of certain vitamins like A, D, E and K. Fat is not your fuel for a race, and can cause you to become sluggish.

Beverages/Fluid:

Sports drinks are most beneficial for people performing continuous physical activity for longer than 60 minutes. Most exercise lasting less than 60 minutes will not result in severe carbohydrate and electrolyte depletion. Drinking water will maintain fluid balance for shorter periods of exercise. If you are not physically active, you do not need a supplement such as Gatorade, because it will provide calories, sugar, and sodium that your body does not need.

For the Event:

Day before the Event:

Continue normal good eating patterns. Aim for balanced meals- whole grains/lean protein/fruits and vegetables and healthy fat.  Better to consistently eat carbohydrates vs. carbohydrate load the night before. Regular intake is more important.

Day of the Event:

1. Fuel up
"Fuel up" with your pregame meal 3-4 hours before the start of the event.  Make this your largest meal. It ensures that you have fuel stores to power you through the game and allows adequate time for digestion. Have a balanced of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fat. About two thirds of your plate should come from carbohydrates. Oatmeal with peanut butter, fruit and low-fat milk.

2. Top off
"Top off" with a snack about 1-2 hours before your game. Make this snack carbohydrate based to simply top off your already full "fuel" stores. Remember to always pick something you are familiar with and that is easy to digest. Often a granola bar and fruit with Gatorade® are good choices.

3. Reload
"Reload" during the event with carbohydrates, electrolytes, and fluid to power you through the remaining race. Try bananas, dried fruit like raisins, Gatorade, granola bars, and sports gels to see what works best for you. During long distance training plan for 30-60gm of carbohydrate snacks that are easily digestible, medium banana, sports drinks, energy bars.

Reference 30 grams of carbohydrate sheet

4. Refuel
"Refuel" and "Recovery" is a two step process:  immediately after the event with a mixture of carbohydrate and protein. This recovery snack begins to replenish your fuel stores and repair damaged tissue. Try chocolate milk, fruit (banana), yogurt, cheese or sandwich.  Always follow up with an additional meal 1 hour after your immediate recovery snack. Continue to rehydrate following the race.  

Quick and Easy Meal Preparation for every day and training!

Whether exercising/training in the morning or evening you are often in a time crunch to put meals together. By planning and preparing for the week you will save time during the week and make healthier choices.

Plan meals and snacks in advance, even plan the fruits and vegetables for the week. Include a plan for your pre and post exercise meals/snacks. Prepare foods in advance for quick meals during the week. Chop and prepare fruits and vegetables. Have foods packaged in easy to go containers. Prep entrees on the weekends. If traveling for your event/race; be sure to plan your meals and snacks to compliment what you have been doing during your training. Not to rely on eating out.

Remember! Don't try anything new on race days! Aim for an overall healthy balanced diet during training of

carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats!

And remember an emphasis on a variety of fruits and vegetables.

But do note: A serious athlete should meet with a registered dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition. They can tailor a training meal plan to promote best performance and meet the needs of the individual athlete. Diets all are individualized!

For more information, contact Jennifer Miller at the La Crosse County Health Department.

Jennifer Miller, RD, CD, CLS

La Crosse County Health Department-Nutrition

Foot Steps to Health Coordinator

Head Start Consultant

WIC Nutrition Educator

Phone: (608) 785-9831

Fax: (608) 785-9846

Address: 300 4th Street North,

La Crosse, WI 54601

Excerpt from:
Nutrition Tips for Training