Sport Nutrition 101

This year, when thinking about your upcoming race season you may have intensions of
improving your performance through better nutrition. Before running out and buying the latest
recovery drinks or supplements, start with the basics. By simply evaluating your daily eating
habits you may find cheaper and healthier alternatives.

In February of last year Health Canada introduced the new Canada Food Guide (CFG).
Reviewing this healthy eating resource is a great place to start when looking at improving
your overall diet. Unlike many fad diets and supplements on the market, the CFG is backed
by decades of good nutrition research. It is an excellent tool to use for evaluating your eating
habits. The following is an outline of the CFG guidelines and what is different about the new
version:

Recommended number of servings - The CFG now provides more specific number of
servings based on gender and age. Most of these recommendations also apply to endurance
athletes, with the exception of Grain Products. Endurance athletes need more
carbohydrates, and grains are the best source. In addition, whole grain products provide more
B vitamins, protein, minerals and other phytonutrients, all which are important to training
athletes.

More emphasis on vegetables and fruit - Vegetables and Fruit are moved up on the CFG
and have surpassed the Grain Products. Research has shown that these foods play a
significant role in chronic disease prevention. For athletes, these foods are also important for
maintaining a neutral acid-base balance to enhance recovery from exercise.

Emphasis on healthy fats - The new CFG includes an Oils and Fats category and has
eliminated the Others category. The CFG promotes adding small amounts (2 to 3
tablespoons a day) of unsaturated fat to your diet. Vegetable oils (such as olive and canola
oil) are encouraged, and the use of saturated and trans fat sources (such as butter, hard
margarine and lard) is discouraged. For athletes, having a disproportion of bad versus good
fats in the diet can promote inflammation, hence poor recovery and an increased injury risk.

Milk and Alternatives - The new CFG provides more variety to meet your calcium
requirements. The number of servings of Milk and Alternatives has decreased due to the
amount of calcium that is obtained from other foods, such as vegetables. For athletes, these
types of foods are excellent for recovery nutrition due to the carbohydrates, protein and
electrolytes they contain.

Vitamin D - To get enough vitamin D through diet alone is very difficult due to the limited
number of foods that are good sources. Milk, salmon and non-hydrogenated margarines are
the main sources of vitamin D in our diet. The new CFG recommends anyone over the age of
50 to take a supplement with 400 IU of vitamin D daily. In fact the Cancer Society has
increased this recommendation to 1000 IU of vitamin D for everyone during the winter months.
For athletes, the research on vitamin D suggests that deficiency may cause increased
muscle weakness and fatigue.

The following table outlines more of the guidelines that are found in the CFG.

As a part of your training log, try keeping a food log for a few days and evaluate your diet and
eating habits. (Choose "typical" days, not "good" days.) When reviewing your log ask
yourself these questions:
1) Am I meeting the minimum amount of servings from every food group?
2) Do I eat a variety of foods from each food group? (e.g. a minimum of three different fruits or
vegetables a day.)
3) Do I achieve the guidelines recommended for each food group?
4) Is my food intake evenly distributed throughout the day?
5) Am I drinking a minimum of two litres of fluid per day? (This is a minimum amount that you
need to consume if you are not exercising.)
6) Am I abusing sport nutrition supplements and products? (Hint: If you answer 'no' to
question 1 and you regularly consume sport bars/drinks, you are likely 'abusing'.)

After performing this exercise develop one or two nutrition goals to improve your eating
habits. Think of several strategies to achieve the goals and write them in your training log. To
keep yourself on track you may want to repeat this on a monthly basis.

Healthy eating and nutrition habits are the foundation of a successful sport nutrition plan.
Better nutrition correlates with an improved immune system, better recovery, lower incidence
of injuries and overall improved long term health.

Any questions or comments are welcome and can be forwarded to
kimyoung.RD@gmail.com.