Nutritional considerations

for performance and

rehabilitation
Objectives
During this lecture you will learn about:
 Fundamentals of nutrition
 Energy balance
The nutrients and how to obtain them
 The importance of a balanced diet for health and
performance
Nutrition for the athlete
Fundamentals of nutrition
Energy balance
Hypercalorific diet
If athletes consume more energy than they use
then they will gain weight.
Isocalorific diet.
If athletes consume as much energy as they use then
they will stay the same weight
Hypocalorific diet
If athletes consume less energy than they use then
they will lose weight
INGREDIENTS FOR ENERGY
There are six key nutrient classes. These are:
 carbohydrates
 fats
 proteins
 vitamins
 minerals
 water
Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates(mono or disaccharides )
found in sugary foods such as fruit, fruit juices, sugar
and honey and generally provide a quick but short-
lasting source of energy.
Complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides)
found in starchy foods such as pasta, rice, potatoes,
bread, vegetables,beans and pulses and provide a
stable supply of longer-term energy.
For the healthy population, carbohydrates should
contribute approximately 50–60%
60–70% in an athletic population.
Protein
complete proteins
Those that do contain all the essential amino acids are termed
complete proteins, which can be found in animal products such
as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and yogurt.
Incomplete protein
one or more of the essential amino acids
missing. These are usually found in plant foods such as beans,
pulses, vegetables and rice.
Athletes should eat complete proteins Proteins are also
the building blocks for increasing muscle size and are
therefore essential dietary components for those athletes
wishing to gain muscle bulk or strength from weight
training or resistance exercise.
The recommended intake of protein 15% of the diet
Protein
Exercise recovery – as with carbohydrates, there is
also a window of opportunity after exercise when the
muscles are receptive to absorbing protein.

Muscle breakdown – if the level of muscle

carbohydrate is low, then the muscles will use protein as
an energy source resulting in muscle wasting. This may
happen even if the protein content in the diet is good. It is
important, therefore, to maintain a good carbohydrate
intake to ‘protect’ the muscle mass and protein level
Fat
These are essential as a fuel for endurance
training, and consist of fatty acids and
vitamins A, D, E and K.
It is important not to avoid all fats, as the
body will use other sources as an energy
source
Fats are divided into saturated and
unsaturated (mono-unsaturated and poly-
unsaturated) fats. It is important to avoid
saturated fats and enhance the unsaturated
ones as these reduce the total cholesterol and
LDL-cholesterol levels
Fats are also a source of essential fatty acids
in the form of omega-3 and omega-6
Omega-3 food sources are also the most
‘protective’ against heart disease
Vitamins
water-soluble or fat-soluble.
Water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C and
the B-complex.
Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E,
and K.
Minerals
Major minerals
Some minerals occur in the body in relatively
large amounts, include: calcium, phosphorus
sulphur, potassium, chlorine, sodium,
magnesium, zinc and iron.
Trace minerals
Other minerals occur in minute quantities.
chromium, cobalt, copper, fluorine, iodine,
manganese
Two of the most important minerals for
athletes are iron and calcium
Iron is an essential element, which is
required for oxygen transport
Haem iron is generally found in animal food
Non-haem iron, generally found in plant
foods
Excessive intakes of iron are associated with
gastrointestinal disorders including
constipation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea
Water
Water is by far the most important nutrient.
It accounts for 50–75% of body weight.
As we exercise, our muscles heat up and
sweating via water evaporation is an
important method of losing heat.
With sweating we lose water and salt
(sodium) from the body we should aim to lose
only 1–2% of body weight of fluid. Anything
greater than that results in dehydration,
reduced performance and heat stroke.
How much is enough fluid?
One of the simplest ways is to weigh yourself before
and after training (but before passing urine). A weight
loss of 1 kg equates to a 1.2 L loss of fluid.
If you cannot weigh yourself, then another method is to
observe the colour of your urine throughout the day – this
should remain a light yellow colour and not turn dark
yellow at any stage, which would mean you are relatively
dehydrated.
What type of drink
With low to moderate exercise, water or squash is
adequate.
During exercise of more than 1 hour a fluid with added
carbohydrate such as a sports drink has the added value
of reducing fatigue from low energy levels.
After exercise, aim again for a sports drink to replace the
fluid and carbohydrates as well as the salt loss in
sweating.
Alcohol
Alcohol is a non-essential nutrient that has a range of
negative effects for athletes. It causes intoxication,
affects skill and co-ordination, leads to dehydration, de-
motivates, inhibits recovery. provides an energy source
(7kcal/gram) that can only be utilised once
Overall alcohol is highly detrimental to sporting
performance, significantly reducing aerobic performance
capacity for several hours after consumption ,also acts as
a diuretic and therefore may result in dehydration.
Timing of carbohydrate intake
Before training
Take a large meal of high carbohydrate content 2–4 h before training,
topped up by a high GI carbohydrate load 30–60 min before. Some
athletes do experience gastrointestinal upset with some high GI loads,
so do experiment with these, e.g. chicken in pasta , 30 min
During training
Training of more than 1 h duration – take 600–1000 mL of a moderately
high GI sports drink that provides fluid as well as carbohydrate loading.
After training
there is a 1–2 h ‘window of opportunity’ after intensive training
when the muscles are particularly receptive to replenishing their
stores of glycogen. It is useful to use this time to take in high
carbohydrates foods to maximize muscle re-fuelling. The post-
exercise meal should be based around complex carbohydrates such
as pasta, rice or potatoes.
Hitting the wall’
 This term is often used in endurance events when, for no
apparent reason, the athlete slows down, loses coordination
and balance, becomes lightheaded and fatigued and has poor
concentration. It may be due to some form of dehydration but it
is thought to be due to a sudden depletion of carbohydrate
stores and the athlete is therefore ‘running on empty.

 In endurance training, the body adapts by getting its energy from fat
sources rather than carbohydrate sources, thereby conserving the
glycogen for the later parts of the race. If there has been inadequate
training or the muscle stores of carbohydrate are inadequate at the
start of the race due to poor dietary intake during the preceding
weeks, then the athlete becomes glycogen depleted and ‘hits the
wall’.
MAXIMISING PERFORMANCE
Pre-match meal
Three hours before the event, eat a high carbohydrate
meal .
If the event is early in the morning you will not have time
to have a meal 3 hours before, so snacks of high
carbohydrate supplemented with sports drinks may be
required
4 slices of bread with jam or honey and a
sports drink
or
plate of pasta and tomato sauce
or
 bananas
or
baked potato with baked beans.
During exercise
Aim to top up with 300–500 mL of a sports drink 15 min
before a 1 hour event.
Work out which you prefer to ‘sample’ frequently during
an event – either water or sports drink – the sports drink
has the added advantage of carbohydrate and sodium
but is not suitable for some. High GI foods/snacks are
also preferable.
Recovery

Re-fuel fluids, then carbohydrate and protein sources

within 1–2 hours of exercise.