P ART III The Sport
CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 10 The Training Table
A. Practical Applications
The food guide pyramid for athletes, Figure10.1, not only offers an easy strategy for an individual to select a nutritionally balanced diet, but also provides a guide in planning training tables for teams who eat together on a regular basis. Foods are classified according to their nutrient content. By eating a variety of foods from each group every day, the athlete will obtain the needed nutrients for a nutritionally sound diet. During periods of heavy training, athletes should increase their consumption from the Grain, Fruit, and Vegetable Group. This will increase their carbohydrate intake and help minimize the gradual decline of muscle glycogen and the feeling of fatigue that occurs with heavy training.
Athletes who travel need to make sure that they make wise food choices on the road either by providing them with a nutritionally balanced meal or educating them on how to choose a balanced meal on the road. For example, at a suitable restaurant, the athletes should ask for a pasta meal within their budget. Usually, the manager or chef can accommodate them, especially if this request is made on a regular basis when the group is in town. Pasta meals, burritos with beans and rice, cold cereal with lowfat milk, baked potatoes, fruits, and vegetables can usually be found in restaurants and provide the easiest and cheapest source of carbohydrates.
Table 10.1 Protein Requirements for All Levels of Athletes Protein for sedentary adult—0.36 g of protein per pound of weight Adult recreational exerciser—0.5–0.75 g of protein per pound of weight Adult competitive athlete—0.6–0.8 g of protein per pound of weight Adult building muscle mass—0.7–0.8 g of protein per pound of weight Dieting athlete—0.7–1.0 g of protein per pound of weight
Growing teenage athlet—0.7–0.8 g of protein per pound of weight Examples:
160-pound sedentary adult 160 × 0.36 = 58 g of protein per day 170-pound recreational exerciser 170 × 0.5 = 85 g of protein per day 150-pound growing teenager 150 × 0.7 = 105 g of protein per day 8199/C10/frame Page 153 Thursday, August 10, 2000 4:00 AM
154 NUTRITIONAL APPLICATIONS IN EXERCISE AND SPORT
If the team or individual athletes stay in a hotel that offers food service, the coach or trainer should contact the catering manager and request high-carbohydrate meals within their budget. Table 10.2 gives guidelines for choosing meals while traveling. As long as the team or school is paying for the meals, they can demand the type and quality of food desired. They should be able to ask for special foods and get a reasonable price. The hotel or restaurant wants their business, but the team manager or representative must be able to tell the hotel or restaurant what they want for their meals. Athletes can also be taught how to order from the menu for better nutrition. For example, ordering à la carte might be more expensive, but it has the advantages of offering greater variety and possibly increasing the carbohydrate content of a meal by requesting substitutions, such as a baked potato instead of french fries, whole wheat bread for white bread, jelly instead of fat-laden pats of butter, and skim milk or fruit juice instead of calorie-dense soda pop. They can also ask for their salad dressing on the side to help control the amount of fat in the diet. These are ways in which athletes can make small changes when eating out that will make a significant difference in their nutritional status. All-you-can-eat buffets should be approached with caution. Some athletes regard buffet dining as a personal challenge, with the goal to get more than their money’s worth by filling up their plates to overflowing. Athletes should be taught to survey the entire buffet line and then decide what foods are high in carbohydrate and low in fat and stick to those foods. If athletes fill up on nutritious foods first, they will get all the fuel and nutrients they need to compete and stay healthy. Table 10.3 lists key words to look for when reading a menu.
Figure 10.1 The Food Guide Pyramid offers a guide to a nutritionally balanced diet for both individuals and teams who eat together on a regular basis.
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THE TRAINING TABLE 155
Table 10.2 Guidelines For Choosing Meals While Traveling Breakfast
• Pancakes, waffles, french toast, bagels, muffins, cereal, fruit or juices for a high- carbohydrate breakfast
• Juice, dried fruit, fresh fruit, pretzels, and bagels are good snacks to pack when away from home
• Breakfast is the easiest meal at which to consume carbohydrate-rich foods
• Avoid high-fat choices such as bacon or sausage
Suggested Breakfast Menus Total
Orange juice (1 cup) pancakes with syrup (3)
banana sliced on pancakes (1) 547 calories, 90% carbohydrate Apple Juice (6 ounces)
Raisin Bran (1 large bowl) Low-fat milk (1 cup)
Banana (1) 498 calories, 95% carbohydrate
Bran Muffin (1 large) Hot Cocoa (1 cup)
Raisins or fresh fruit 310 calories, 69% carbohydrate Plain English muffin (1)
Strawberry jam (2 tablespoons) Egg (1 scrambled)
Orange juice (1 cup) Low-fat yogurt (1 cup)
Lunch
• Emphasize the bread in sandwiches rather than fillings
• Avoid hamburgers, fried fish, fried chicken, and french fries at fast-food restaurants
• Try baked potatoes, salads with fat-free dressing, plain hamburgers, chili, or plain burritos and tacos at fast-food restaurants as they have less fat
• Choose fruit juices or lowfat milk rather than soft drinks
Suggested Lunch Menus Total
Large turkey sandwich on two slices of bread Low-fat fruited yogurt (1 cup)
Orange Juice (1 cup) 1017 calories, 60% carbohydrate Plain baked potato
Chili (1 cup)
Chocolate milkshake 916 calories, 62% carbohydrate Vegetable soup (1 cup)
Baked chicken (1 breast) Bread (1 slice)
Applesauce (1 cup)
Low-fat fruited yogurt (1 cup) 737 calories, 71% carbohydrate 8199/C10/frame Page 155 Thursday, August 10, 2000 4:00 AM
156 NUTRITIONAL APPLICATIONS IN EXERCISE AND SPORT
If athletes or athletic departments cannot afford all three meals at a hotel or restaurant, then they should choose breakfast for a team meal. With selections like cereal, both hot and cold; bagels;
English muffins; pancakes; waffles; toast; fruit and fruit juices; as well as yogurt, breakfast can be an easy, inexpensive way to get carbohydrate-rich foods. If the budget does not allow restaurant meals or if the athletes are only on a day trip, any nearby grocery store will offer a great variety of foods that are cheaper and faster than eating in restaurants. Many grocery stores have a delica- tessen or a soup and salad bar, and athletes can always pick up fresh fruits, vegetables, fruit juice, and low-fat dairy products as well as hot rotisserie chicken for an easy and nutritious meal on the road. In just about every grocery store, athletes can choose foods from all five food groups and come away with nutritious food choices that can enhance their performance.
Another way to urge athletes to make better food choices is to bring or pack a cooler with nutritious snacks for the road trip. Too often, when there is a long road trip where athletes travel by van or bus, they tend to consume candy, soda pop, chips, and fast foods. These types of foods can lead to increased fat content of the diet, which does not enhance athletic performance. To cut down on these types of foods, pack a cooler with high-carbohydrate foods. Table 10.4 lists examples of nutritious, high-carbohydrate snacks for athletes who travel.