1. Consistent and Inconsistent Meals: Effects on Performance
Jackie Berning, PhD, RD, CSSD
Associate Professor/Chair
University of Colorado
Sport Dietitian: Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians

2. Challenges to a Swimmers Diet
Hectic schedules
Little knowledge about:
Basic nutrition
Grocery shopping
Food preparation
What to choose when eating out
Good nutrition isn’t always a priority

3. Nutrition Knowledge Survey of Adolescent Swimmers
Most nutritious carbohydrate
63% chose an apple while 37% chose French fries
Good source of protein
63% chose chicken, while 37% chose oatmeal
Food Groups
95% identified the food groups, but only 45% could identify foods from the group
Berning et.al, IJSN, 1991

4. Nutrition Practices 30% of adolescent athletes skip breakfast
25% skip lunch
86% eat at fast food restaurants each week
82% of male track, basketball, and football teams could not identify the fuel sources in the muscles

5. Food is Fuel Never go more than 3-4 hours without food
Strategies to help players maintain their “fuel tanks”
Must eat breakfast even if it is small
Liquid meal supplements may be useful when in a hurry
Focus on “grab & go” foods
Focus on foods with protein and carbohydrate
Hydrate before during and after workouts or games
Never go more than 3-4 hours without food
Bagel with Peanut butter
Banana
Sports Drink
Instant breakfast
Cold cereal with milk
Energy bar
Apple
Recovery drink
Yogurt

6. - Effects of skipping meals + Higher body fat Lower body fat 24 hours
Fatigue, lethargic +
Lower body fat
More energy
Throughout the
day -
24 hours
Athletes who skip meals and only eat one meal per day have higher body fat
Deutz et al, 2000 Med Sci Sports Exerc 32(3)

7. Recovery Nutrition
Normally takes 24 to 36 hours to replace muscle energy (glycogen)
By consuming carbohydrates immediately post exercise (w/n 30 minutes) can reload the muscles in 12 to 16 hours
Snack should be mostly carbohydrates and some protein (4 parts CHO’s and 1 part Pro)
Chocolate milk, nutrition shake, smoothie, peanut butter sandwich, energy bar, yogurt, turkey sandwich, string cheese and crackers

8. Example of Post Game/Recovery Nutrition
Local High School Soccer coach wanted to cut the time it takes to come home after an away game
He asked the parents to provide snacks on the bus for the trip home
Found:
the team recovered faster the next day
Were not as hungry coming home
Were not as grouchy coming home
Felt he could push them harder the next day
Took the team to the State High School playoffs—lost in second round double overtime…sudden death

9. Sample Recovery Foods Granola, energy or breakfast bars
Bagels with peanut butter
Sports drinks
Recovery shakes
Sub sandwiches
Crackers and cheese
Burritos
Fresh fruit like apples, bananas, oranges, grapes
Vegetables such as carrots and celery
Fruit smoothies (prepackaged)
Trail mix/animal crackers

10. High School Football Team
Local HS football coach felt that students needed to know about nutrition/hydration
Set up several educational opportunities
Met with booster club
Parents, students and coaches all hearing the same information

11. Local High School Football Team
Meet with players in the summer at speed camp
Breakfast
Hydration for camp and two a days
Healthy snacks throughout the day
Weight gain and weight loss

12. Weight Gain/Weight loss
Weight gain (muscle) involves eating more calories not just more protein
Weight gain is a combination of strength training, proper nutrition and rest
Increase calorie intake 500-1,000 calories per day
Maintain hydration
It takes a plan to gain
Eat smaller meals more frequently
Need a calorie deficit per day
Don’t skip meals or only eat one meal a day
Eat slowly
Fast eaters tend to overeat
Increase aerobic exercise slowly each day
Maintain hydration

13. Breakfast Skipping Bad for Bones and Weight
Journal of the American Dietetic Association. (June 2005)
Study found that skipping what some call the most important meal of the day "may predispose" girls to diets low in calcium and fiber.
Those who eat breakfast on a regular basis have a reduced body mass index compared to "infrequent breakfast eaters.“
Girls who consistently ate breakfast had a lower body mass index and higher fiber and calcium intakes, which may suggest that eating breakfast during the critical pre-teen and teen years could help prevent osteoporosis.

14. Local High School Football Team
Game Day Nutrition
Developed a meal plan for game day
Developed hydration plan for game day
Developed snack plan for half time
Developed recovery plan

15. Meet Day Nutrition
Need to stick with the three meals/day and depending on swim time snacks in between events or heats
Even if its an early morning swim still need to eat something
Oatmeal, bowl of cereal with low fat milk, or energy bar
Need to eat after swim
Carton of yogurt, peanut butter sandwich, smoothie
Lunch
Small sub sandwich, fruit and or vegetables, sports drinks
Mid-afternoon Snack
Fruit/vegetables, low fat string cheese, whole grain crackers
Dinner
Standard basic meal that includes entrée, starch, vegetables and low fat milk
Snack before bed
Smoothie, yogurt parfait, bowl of cereal

16. Pre-Event Eating 1-4 hours before the event
closer to event less food
Consume mainly CHO as they are digested faster
next comes protein, last comes fat
1 hour or less-- stick to liquid, sports drinks
2 hours or less-- sports drinks, toast, muffins, cereal with lowfat milk
3-4 hours--spaghetti, French toast, turkey sand, yogurt, string cheese and crackers

17. Pre-Event Meal Ideas One hour or less before competition
Stick to liquids like water, sports drinks and avoid high glycemic beverages like soda, juice, drinks or “energy” drinks
Two hours before competition
Cereal and low fat milk
Toast, or low fat muffin
1/ 2 Bagel, yogurt and fruit
Three-four hours before competition
Turkey Sandwich w low fat cheese, yogurt, fruit, granola bar
Pasta with meat sauce, bread sticks, low fat milk
French toast, low fat milk, fruit

18. Dangers of Dehydration
Fatigue
Loss of coordination
Increased risk of heat illness, heat stroke and even death

19. Monitor Fluid Loss Two ways:
Weigh in before practice and after practice
3 cups of fluid per pound lost
Check the color of urine
1 - 3 = Optimally Hydrated
4 - 6 = Slightly dehydrated should drink more
6 - 8 = Dehydrated, must drink more

20. Thirst Thirst is not an adequate indicator of fluid needs
Wait to drink until you thirsty its too late
As little as a 2% weight loss as sweat will affect performance
If you drink to satisfy your thirst it’s not enough

21. Sport Drink Formulation Important for Optimal Fluid Absorption
18.3
16.5
FAST
Fluid
Absorption
(mL/cm/hr)
6.9* 0% 6%
1.8* 8% 9%
SLOW
13%
Water
Gatorade
Powerade
AllSport
Ryan, AJ. et al J. Appl. Physiol. 84: , 1998
Soda
Pop
* p<0.05 slower than water and Gatorade.
Water and Gatorade were not different from each other.

22. “Energy” Drinks: What are they
Basically fluid and energy in one bottle
Contain high concentration of carbohydrate (almost same concentration as syrup)
Usually caffeine (sometimes in an herbal form such as Mate or guarana, which is 4-5x more powerful)
May contain other ingredients to potentiate caffeine (ginseng)
May contain Synephrine

23. Fluid Guidelines say: How much should I drink for Practice and Games?
Before
Drink 12 to 20 oz hours before
During
Drink 6 to 12 oz every minutes
After
Drink 150% of sweat losses
Drink 3 cups (24 oz) for every 1 lb weight lost through sweat
Two gulps are about 3 ounces
Replace 70% of what you have lost before next practice
These guidelines are from the American Dietetic Association, American College of Sports Medicine and Dietitians of Canada.
As you will see from the following NATA guidelines, all these organizations recommendation similar amounts of fluids for athletes to consume before, during and after training and competition.

24. What Should Athletes Eat?
Carbohydrates (60%)
Proteins (15%)
Fats (25%)

25. Use a Modified Peace Sign
¹/3 Protein
¹/3
Grains, Bread, Pasta
Fruits & Veg
Breads, cereal, rice
pasta, fruit, vegetables,
tortillas, energy bars
crackers, potatoes (not
fried), pinto beans, black
beans, salad
Chicken, turkey, beef, pork, milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, peanut
butter, nuts, soy

26. All players, coaches and parents bought into the program

27. Resulted in a 5A State High School Championship!
Take home message for me is coaches/athletes believed in:
Importance of nutrition in athletic performance
Importance of hydration
Second half team
Believer in fueling and cooling the body will allow a student athlete to maximize their athletic potential