Sports Nutrition Products

A woman recently got involved with ultra distance events and asked me about drinking Pepsi and eating Fig Newtons. These two items were provided at her first event and thus she assumed that they were the ideal fuel for doing such an event. However, she's now getting terrible leg cramps and can't finish her events. In her mind, everyone else seemed okay during the events, so she concluded that the problem must not be her fuel. Though there are several reasons that can explain her experience, I want to highlight the nutrition issues. It may come as a surprise to both new and experienced athletes that what is served at events for refueling and rehydrating isn't always the best thing for you to be consuming. It is critical to your own personal success to understand your unique nutritional needs and learn how to develop a strategy that works for you.

Unique Diet
We are each unique individuals with unique dietary needs that determine how our bodies are affected by the food we eat. For example, some of you may love eggs in the morning, feeling full and energized until lunch. But if I had eggs, I'd end up in a lot of pain and feel as if I was having a heart attack. Though a bit dramatic, the old adage of 'One man's meat is another man's poison' actually holds a lot of truth here. Thus, it's completely okay to make your diet unique for you.

The idea of eating 'normal' is being thrown to the wayside these days as an increasing number of people are opening up to new types of food as well as finding more food allergies and intolerances. And though it's great to look to articles and other athletes for reference, you make the final decision of what works for your body. If you don't feel well after eating something, don't consume it. There are always other options out there that can make all the difference between feeling wonderful (good health) and horrible (dis-ease). So find a diet that energizes your system and allows it to operate optimally.

Consider the Middle
I've found that most people are so concerned with what they are doing and eating just before, during and just after an event that they've completely overlooked all the time in between events. No one seriously considers biking a 200-mile ride or running a marathon the night before the event with no training whatsoever. So why do most of us only consider our nutrition during this short window of time? Meals are a critical part of your training as they determine how well prepared nutritionally your body is for more vigorous and challenging activity. Supplements and other nutrition products such as bars, powders and shakes serve a purpose, but they should never replace real food or meals. Building muscle and increasing endurance is critical to meeting goals, but how do you actually expect your system to do that when your cells are only fed sugar, caffeine, chemicals and other random overly-refined items with little nutritional value? How can your cells operate optimally when they are malnourished? So make a promise to yourself right now that you'll take meals seriously.

Product Placement
Brand exposure is key to marketing. If you constantly see the same logo and product everywhere you go, it becomes recognizable to you and ideally seen as a 'safe' choice. Products served at events are often donated by sponsors meant as both support and advertisement. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying that all products are bad and their respective companies are solely out to brainwash you. But we must always be critical of what is placed in front of us by asking questions. Become your own advocate and learn about where the food and fuel you use comes from. Make informed decisions that are best for you.

Learn the Lingo
Begin reading labels and educate yourself about the ingredients. Most people have no idea what all these chemical and fragmented ingredients do to the body or where these ingredients come from. Pick something that you eat/drink often and google the ingredients that are not easily identifiable. Find out if there are negative side effects. Also, keep in mind that ingredients are listed from the greatest to least amount found in the product. Beware when the ingredient list looks very long. Often times it's a sign of many food fragments mixed together to create something that really isn't good for us.

Make Each Meal Count:Nutrient-loading for Success

It's no wonder that many people are left scurrying the night before or during an event to load up on water, electrolytes and other important nutrients. There seems to be little to no importance placed on all that time in between events that include all of our breakfasts, lunches and dinners. It's time to turn a new page in which we begin to recognize each meal as an opportunity to bring nutrient-dense foods into the system so that when the body is called on to go beyond the norm (such as during an event) it is better prepared.

Yes, I'm taking about some long-term planning and the idea that every meal is a critical increment on your road to success. Don't get me wrong, the convenience of bars, electrolyte-infused H2O, powders and pre-made shakes are fine occasionally. But they cannot correct a month's worth (or more) of poor food choices that leave your system under-nourished. Part of the problem is that we've become so accustomed to highly processed and fortified foods that we don't know what an actual 'whole food' is anymore. (Just for the record, fortification is what food companies do to add back in vitamins and minerals that were lost during processing.)

During my summer workshops, I've done my best to stress the idea of 'mineralizing one's plate'. Truly, if we need those mighty minerals during training and an event, it would behoove us to spend some time in our daily lives improving nutrient intake. Athletes, at times, are the worst diet offenders creating excuses such as "I just burned all these calories" to erase the double damage they're doing to the body in training and eating. Acidity is a real problem for a lot of people, however its worse for those who are active and athletic. As I've written about in the last several articles on hydration, acidity destroys mineral stores in the bones and muscles leading to osteoporosis and mineral deficiencies. Take a step back for a moment to ask yourself- what is really going on in terms of how well you are preparing for events? How much are you truly invested in your success? Sure, you've bought all the best gear and hired the best coach, but when will your body catch a break? When will it get nourished properly so that it can be as strong, fast, and powerful as you will it to be at the starting line?

Here's a great place to start:
Bye bye chemicals!
Kick out as much processed products/food as possible and replace others, such as bars, with options that are whole food-based. Also look at the daily body products that you use including toothpaste, shampoos, moisturizers, etc. Our skin is a porous barrier that cannot keep out toxic chemicals.

No more "white stuff"!
This includes sugar, table salt, and flour. All of this is leaching minerals and nutrients from your system and causing major imbalances. Also, get rid of artificial sweeteners...if you think there is nothing wrong with what's sweetening your drink, google it and see for yourself the side effects. Also, be careful with tofu as it too is processed food.

Start cooking!
Have more control over the quality of ingredients and save money! Remember that prepared foods often have a high sodium content as well as oils that may not be fresh nor good for your body.

Think fiber.
Kick that bread to the curb. Look to add high-fiber whole foods to your meals such as sweet potatoes, legumes, brown rice, and quinoa.

Revisit fats.
The fats are in and we need to have fats in our diet. I know it may make some of us squirm at the thought of adding it to your plate, however they are critical to good health. Look for healthier sources of Omega-3 fats such as walnuts, flaxseeds and their respective oils as well as olive oil for cooking.

Green, green, green!
Add more greens to your plate with options such as broccoli, bock choy, kale, and spinach. Mix in some sprouts at the last minute before eating.

Eat with the Seasons.
Find your local farmers market and shop for your produce there. You really can't go wrong and there is still time to patronize one before Winter sets in. Plus, you'll be investing your money into the local community. Eating seasonally helps give the body the right nutrients during each season that it needs to stay healthy!