JLab Run-A-Round - Five Week Training Plan

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Nutrition
"Nutrition is one of several significant factors that can affect your performance as an athlete. Optimal performance also relies on good training, good health, and proper rest.

Nutrition for sports performance includes these components:
Proper fluid intake and hydration
Ingestion of the correct energy balance (carbohydrate, protein and fat)
Proper vitamin and mineral supplementation
Nutrition for Recovery

Proper Fluid Intake: Proper hydration is extremely important during exercise. Adequate fluid intake for athletes, even the recreational kind, is essential. The longer and more intensely you exercise, the more important it is to drink plenty of fluids. Inadequate water consumption can be physically harmful. Consider that a loss of as little as 2% of your body weight due to sweating, can lead to a drop in blood volume. When this occurs, the heart works harder in order to move blood through the bloodstream. Prehydration and rehydration are vital to maintaining cardiovascular health, proper body temperature and muscle function. Most athletes should be drinking water every 15 minutes during the heat and at least every 30 minutes otherwise.

Correct Energy Balance: We have found that athletes should consume the same that they normally feel good on – even on race day or pre-race/event day. For example, if you have received dietary testing and are told that you need to eat more like a carnivorous (meat-eating) lion, then you should eat like this on event/race day. People who normally do not do well with carbohydrates will not do well with carbohydrates during an event/race. Therefore, things like “carbo-loading” really do not benefit all people. It is best to determine your Hauser Diet Plan and then eat accordingly. You may need additional caloric intake, but the make-up of your food should be the same as you normally eat.

Proper Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation: We recommend that athletes are at least taking a good multivitamin supplement that provides greater than 100% of the RDA.

Because you are constantly repairing your body after exercise, you need the extra vitamins that you might not get from food. We also recommend that all athletes take an antioxidant that will help with the reparative process. Many athletes are low in Magnesium, so supplementation may also be required. For a full assessment of your particular needs, please consult a nutrition-minded medical doctor.

Nutrition for Recovery: After running a race, playing a game of football, tennis or soccer, or any other activity, it is important to provide the body with the proper nutrients for recovery. We really love enzymes. Enzymes help accelerate the healing process. Again, avoiding sugar during this time will help the body repair itself.

Your body is a machine that needs regular fueling and upkeep. It takes work to keep it running smoothly. Here’s to you keeping active for life!"

Excerpt taken from Nutrition News, http://www.benutsnews.com/nutrition_basics_for_athletes.htm