Finally, a nutritionally sound article in a health magazine!

With so many fad diets and skinny cover models, it was nice to read an article on the importance of fat in a diet. A writer for Women's Health Magazine, wrote a nutritionally solid article, complete with reasons why fat is important, why low-fat diets aren't so great for you, and what fats to avoid.

There are various reasons to consume fat. This article mentions how fat is necessary for certain nutrients to bind to and be absorbed by the body. In addition to being a necessity for health, fat can satisfy hunger and without it, may leave you snacking more throughout the day. This article points out that although Americans consumed a lower percentage of calories from fat in 2000 compared to 1971, total calories consumed increased by more than 300. One point I found interesting to note, is the glucose stabilizing effect of meals containing both fats and carbs. The article states that this combination may prevent spikes and dips in the sugar levels in blood, which can cause hunger. The various types of fats are also discussed, including saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids. The benefits of these fats are briefly discussed, as are examples and serving sizes. This article did a great job of describing the importance of fat, as well as providing specific examples. I am happy to read an article that I find to be nutritionally helpful and not strictly based on weight loss. Kudos Women's Health Magazine!

Weight Gain in Former High School/Collegiate Athletes

As I was sitting in the airport, reading my Women's Health Magazine, I came across an article that seemed like perfect support for a project my physical performance class is working on. The project is a survey for current and former athletes from Meredith College, inquiring about their physical activity and nutritional habits. Our goal is to see if former athletes continue to be active and healthy post-college.

This article provides support for our survey. A woman gained 100lbs over the years post-high school by continuing to eat like she did in high school, but without keeping up with her activities of track, basketball, and softball. This also relates to one of my original posts about how sports nutritionists are needed to teach athletes how to stay healthy throughout their life and not just during their seasons. This woman worked out so much throughout high school, that she appeared healthy despite her unhealthy junk-food eating ways. It wasn't until she stopped being active that those habits really took their toll by adding extra weight, and causing high blood pressure and diabetes.

Once these medical conditions arose, she finally decided to take control of her health and her life. She began altering her habits by replacing her three daily sodas and bag of M&M's with fresh fruits and veggies and cooking at home. By adding 3 days/week of gym sessions, she lost 45 lbs and was ready to step up her routine even more. Almost a year later, she was off her blood pressure and diabetes medications and a few months after that, she was back to her college weight. This woman is the perfect example of an athlete who suffered from poor nutritional habits and once the physical activity ceased, tangible medical conditions manifested. Luckily, this woman realized her mistakes and took control of her life.

Through our survey, we hope to see that Meredith College did a better job of preparing their athletes for the real world.

Professionals Need Help Too!

I love finding articles that reinforce why sports nutritionists are needed. I was randomly perusing the Yahoo! homepage when I came across this beauty:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/justin-verlander-proves-not-liar-downs-taco-bell-171811206.html

Justin Verlander's (pitcher for the Detroit Tigers) "secret to success" is apparently consuming three crunchy taco supremes, a cheesy gordita crunch, and a mexican pizza before game night. This crazy amount of fast food is not only highly caloric with 1,630 calories, but also contains 96 g of fat and 2,300 mg of salt. That is almost double the recommended dietary intake of sodium and about 3 times the RDA of fat per DAY (from the USDA website). And that is just for one of his meals. Even if he ate relatively healthy the rest of the time, a regular consumption of this type of meal is surely going to reduce any chance of healthy aging. There are plenty of studies, including the well known Framingham Study, that show direct links between coronary heart disease and dietary intake of fat. Regardless the appearance, and apparently the performance, of an athlete, nutritional intake still determines actual health. 

Yet again, I say thank you, for this is why my career exists. And good luck to you Mr. Verlander, you may need it. 

Work Hard, Play Hard...er?

I came across an article in Women's Health Magazine the other day that was called Exercise and Alcohol: Running on Empty Bottles. This article highlights the somewhat perplexing paradox that the people who exercise the most (especially women) also drink the most. After examining my own habits and peers, I began to notice this association as well.

One of the plausible explanations the article suggests is the "repentant party girl" model, ie the girl (or guy) who goes out on the town, and feels the need to "make up" for the indulgences the evening before by working out extra hard. I have to say, I knew these girls in college. Come to think of it, I was this girl in college. But in my experiences, the older and more mature a person becomes, the less this is the case. What I mean is that the focus tends to shift from party, college mode to work, real life mode. That being said, these people do exist across all spectrums. I just feel that this explanation is more of a fleeting period in life for many people.

Another theory the article addresses points to stress management. Some people work out in order to relieve tension. This also happens to be the same reason some people consume alcohol. Both these habits tend to relax and calm people who partake in them. So the question arises, are work out fiends also heavy drinkers because they need a stress reliever? If studies show, that heavy exercisers are also heavy drinkers in the same day, then I would disagree with this explanation. Personally, I feel energized and stress free post workout and do not need another way to relieve stress. But if studies show that people who exercise frequently, also drink frequently in general, then I could see how this may be related. Everyone needs some type of stress relief right?

The theory I find most interesting is that exercise may cause a cross-tolerance to alcohol. A study on rats suggests that a higher exposure of exercise may downplay the feel-good effects of alcohol. I am torn to the validity of this theory in humans. Once again from observations of peers, I have noticed that the higher amount of exercise a person participates in throughout the day, the lower the their tolerance to alcohol that evening. But I can understand how a person who consistently reaches for the endorphins and the highs of exercise, may become more unaffected by the "highs" that alcohol produces.

My own personal theory? Exercise releases endorphins that make us feel happy and energetic. These endorphins seem to increase our self-esteem, which in turn, increases our desire for social contact. I am curious as to if the association is actually between high amounts of exercise and high feelings of extraversion. Do people who exercise actually just feel a higher need to socialize? Or is the link truly to alcohol consumption?

Thoughts?

Here is the link just in case. Super interesting and thought-provoking.
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/exercise-and-alcohol?cm_mmc=Twitter-_-WomensHealth-_-Content-Health-_-exerciseAndAlcoholMarch#axzz1n3dWaZc9

But I'm Not Thirsty...

Last week in class, we talked about the importance of hydration for athletes. Yeah yeah, drink your 8 glasses of water a day, blah blah blah. That is what I thought as well. But apparently, water and sports drinks are far more important for athletes than I ever anticipated learning. Here’s why:

1. About 93% of blood is water and blood is the main transporter of oxygen and nutrients to and from cells. 
2. Water cushions the spinal cord and brain from sudden-impact injuries. 
3. Water is the key component in body temperature regulation.

On a regular basis, two hormones called antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and aldosterone, help to balance the amount of water and sodium in our blood. This balance is important to keep blood volume at the correct levels, which assists in temperature regulation.  When we work out for a long duration or high intensity, it is difficult for these hormones to maintain balance because of the high amount of fluid loss through sweat.

Sweat is an important mechanism for temperature control and contains both water and sodium. Many sports drinks contain electrolytes that help to replenish sodium and assist in regulating our blood volume. Without adequate hydration, the body may stop sweat production and could cause us to overheat.

Now did you know that being “thirsty” is an indicator that the body is already significantly dehydrated? By the time the “thirst” sensation arrives, the body has already lost between 1.5 and 2.0 liters of water (think of a large bottle of soda)!

Tips for staying hydrated:

• ·      14-22oz of fluid 1-1.5 hrs before exercise, then sip periodically until activity
• ·      During exercise, make a habit of sipping on beverages containing some carbohydrates (~7% carbs) and sodium (electrolytes)
• ·      Do NOT wait until you are thirsty to rehydrate

Let's just say, next time I pass the aid station during a race, my new answer will be "Yes please."

Need Some Motivation?

Don't forget to 'feel the burn' this weekend!

Meet Our Future Patients....

http://gma.yahoo.com/video/health-26594251/pageant-mom-s-go-go-juice-comes-under-fire-28232065.html


Are you kidding me??? Giving a 6 year old a combo of Mt Dew and Red Bull is horrible. It is a shame people are so ignorant. Is anyone else outraged by this video as much as me?

Too Much Salt or Too Much Processed Food?

Since we briefly touched upon the age-old debate of salt intake in class yesterday, I figured I would post this article I came across.

http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/07/10342463-cdc-9-out-of-10-americans-eat-too-much-salt

For those who do not know, researchers are trying to revisit the topic of sodium intakes and whether or not they directly impact health as originally proposed. It is interesting to note that other than breads, the top salt-containting food sources people consume are lunch meats, pizza, cheeseburgers, sandwiches, pasta dishes, meat dishes, and snack foods. Anyone notice the trend that most of these items also contain significant amounts of fats and calories, especially if purchased from a restaurant? Could it be other cofactors (like fat) that usually accompany salty foods, that are the true link to unhealthy states? I, for one, would love to see a study that observes people who consume entirely home-cooked foods with varying salt intakes. Let's see those results!

So I challenge you to examine your food this week for salt intake. Do your high sodium foods also contain more fat and calories?

The Importance of Iron

Iron is an important nutrient for all people, but especially for athletes.  Iron is necessary to form oxygen-transporting compounds, meaning that iron is needed to efficiently move oxygen around the body. Without adequate iron intake, iron-deficiency anemia can result and drastically affect an athlete’s endurance.

People who need to be especially aware of iron intakes are women of menstrual age and vegetarians. Women have higher needs for iron due to the regular loss of blood and iron from menstruation. Their daily recommended intake is around 18mg as compared to men with a DRI of 8mg.

Because the best sources of iron are contained in foods of animal origin (meat, poultry, and fish), vegetarians should pay close attention to their iron intakes. The type of iron available in vegetarian foods is called nonheme iron and is more difficult for the body to absorb. Vegetarians need to consume more iron sources in order for the body to absorb all necessary iron. Vegetarian sources of iron include dark green leafy vegetables (spinach), many whole grain cereals (oatmeal, fortified cereal, enriched grits), and legumes (black, pinto, navy, kidney beans or blackeye peas, soybeans, lentils). Absorption of these nonheme iron sources can be enhanced if consumed with Vitamin C. One example could be to add lemon or orange juice to vegetables before consumption.

As always, dietary sources of iron are far superior to supplements. Although iron is important for athletes, there is no research to support that supplementation is beneficial for people with normal iron status. Supplementation is best if only utilized by people with diagnosed anemia or low iron stores.

Supplemental Vitamins and Minerals

This week’s post is about vitamins, minerals, and supplements. After reading chapter 2 of my Advanced Sports Nutrition textbook, it amazes me even more how many people take various supplemental vitamins and minerals. Obviously, vitamins and minerals are extremely important components to keep the body running smoothly. But other than for a few exceptions, there is little research to support any benefits from taking supplements.

First, the body requires vitamins and minerals to be in a particular balance. Most vitamins and minerals work together, along with coenzymes and cofactors, to complete their tasks. Any large does supplement of one particular vitamin or mineral could completely dismantle this balance and potentially cause the body more stress in achieving equilibrium again.

In addition to maintaining balance of vitamins and minerals, many would not perform their intended benefits if taken solo. The higher quality of dietary vitamins and minerals versus supplements is partially due to the variety of vitamins and minerals consumed in a food. This variety provides a higher chance that the vitamins and minerals will interact with their cofactors and coenzymes and perform properly.

The human body is also very adaptable. If a person consistently consumes a high dose of a vitamin, then their body may actually need that high of a dose to function properly.

The moral of this story: if a proper, well-rounded, and balanced diet is consumed, all the proper vitamins and minerals the body needs are also consumed.*

*This is true for most individuals but some diagnosable medical conditions do exist that can disrupt the absorption of vitamins and minerals.

**Vegetarians, and certain athletes with restrictive eating habits (ie wrestlers, ballet dancers, and gymnasts) may be slightly more inclined to rely on supplements due to their restrictive diets, but dietary sources are still the best way to consume necessary vitamins and minerals.

The Real Role of Sports Nutritionists?

My professor brought up a great point in class tonight. She noted that many athletes consume high amounts of what she called “white bread” type carbohydrates (ie white bread, white pasta, white pizza crust ect). She recommended that as a sports nutritionist one may want to encourage athletes to consume as many whole grain products in place of the less nutritious “white bread” products. This got me thinking about the responsibilities of a sports nutritionist. Is the only responsibility of these specialized health professionals, to create a diet that will help the athlete perform at his highest capabilities? Or should these nutritionists also try to teach dietary habits and behaviors that will last the athletes long past their playing days?

The point my professor brought up is a great example of how to encourage a dietary habit that would benefit the athlete later in life. To explain briefly, carbohydrates play a major role in the diets of athletes. Glucose from the carbohydrates acts as the main source of fuel and keeps the Central Nervous System working properly. An athlete would become both mentally and physically fatigued very quickly if a high amount of glucose was not stored in their body. This is one reason why many athletes may “carb load” the night before an event. Now from a performance perspective, carbs are carbs. White pasta, wheat pasta, they are both carbohydrates and will help keep athletes energized during their event. But from a nutrition perspective, wheat and whole grain will always nutritionally dominate over the equivalent white foods.

Speaking from the experience of a former high school athlete and from the friend of many college athletes, all we knew were that foods were important to keep energy elevated. Because of the great shape of many athletes, the types of foods played a less significant role on a regular basis. I can recall downing multiple pieces of S’barro’s cheese pizza from the rest area after especially tiring cross country meets. In college, I remember looking over at the table of swimmers and seeing piles upon piles of pizza, lasagna, and Belgian waffles. Obviously, nutrition was not the top priority in any of these situations.

If athletes, especially at the high school and college level, are only taught that they need carbohydrates and not the RIGHT carbohydrates, they may be in for a shock once their careers are over. Continuing a competitive athlete’s diet once that lifestyle has ended, will only lead to future weight gain and an unhealthy lifestyle in the future.

So the question remains, should a sports nutritionist solely be concerned with helping an athlete perform better while not damaging his current health? Or should they also be attempting to build a nutritional framework for these athletes to follow after their careers have ended?