Fitness Article:
Eating for Optimal Performance
By Tracy Morgan, Director of the Cybex Institute
Most athletes know that getting enough water, vitamins and minerals along with carbohydrates and protein is essential for performing your best. Strength and speed gains, improved skills and the ability to perform over a long period of time is not possible if your body is not properly fueled. It has been suggested that athletes should make carbohydrates about 60-70% of their total diet, protein about 20-30% and fat about 10-20%. We know that protein helps build muscles and helps the body to recover. We know that fat gives the body energy and protects vital organs against injury. And we know that carbohydrate provides the fuel for the body for all it's functions. As a result, most athletes are sure to get enough carbohydrates by eating pasta, breads, and cereals as much as possible. There are many different forms of carbohydrate available and knowing which type of carbohydrate to eat, and when to eat it can make a big difference in how you perform.
Carbohydrates
When you eat carbohydrates (breads, cereals, rice, fruit, pasta, cakes,) they are converted into glucose or fructose so that the body can use them as energy. These sugars enter the bloodstream and trigger the release of insulin. Insulin regulates the amount of glucose and fructose that go into the cells so that they can fuel the working muscles. The amount of insulin that is released will have different effects on the body and your performance. The amount that is released depends on what the carbohydrate is made of. So lets take a look at what happens with lots or little amounts of insulin release.
Lots of Insulin
The Glycemic Index is a ranking of foods based on the amount of insulin that they release. If a carbohydrate triggers a great amount of insulin release, we say that this is HIGH on the GI (Glycemic Index.) With this type of carbohydrate, insulin is released very rapidly and it's levels in the blood increases greatly. With this big increase, there is a drop in the amount of sugar (carbohydrate) in the blood. That is, insulin is keeping the sugar out of the blood, and also keeping it out of your muscles!
When this happens, you may feel tired, dizzy, hungry and cranky, and you may even crave more food! Also, your body can't burn as many calories or use fat as a fuel source. Your performance on the court/field suffers because of this. Sometimes the reason for being unable to shed those few extra pounds is because of over-reliance on these types of food.
Low Levels of Insulin
When you eat a food that doesn't trigger as much insulin, that food is broken down slower and glucose and fructose (carbohydrates) are allowed to go into the blood slowly, and for a long period of time. This means that your body has fuel to draw from for activity longer. You don't feel tired, or hungry but full and satisfied, and you can work out for longer periods of time.
What does this mean?
Both types of carbohydrates are very helpful for the athletes who are concerned with fine tuning their performance. Low GI foods are best consumed before practice or games because they give the body a long-term supply of energy with no ill effects. High GI foods are great immediately after a game or practice because they get into the blood so rapidly and help to restore the fuel that was lost.
What are they?
Remember that the Glycemic Index ranks foods according to the subsequent insulin response. High GI foods are and Low GI foods are...
| High GI Foods White bread Corn Bread/muffins Sugary Cereals Rice cakes Watermelon Banana Chips Waffles Frozen yogurt Carrots Jelly Beans Syrup, chocolate/maple Baked potato Pop |
Low GI Foods Rye/Pumpernickel/Wheat Breads Yogurt "All Bran" Cereal Grapes Orange juice Cooked Oatmeal (not instant) Kidney Beans Ice Cream Skim Milk Apple Dried Fruit Peanuts Yams Broccoli |
What about combining foods?
Rarely do you eat carbohydrates alone. That is, during a meal or snack there are other foods that you eat as well. In general, fat and protein taken with a carbohydrate tend to lower the insulin response. So, if you eat a high GI food with protein and fat, the meal GI will be lower than the GI of that carbohydrate alone.
Example Pre-Game/Practice Meal
- Cooked Oatmeal
- Orange Juice
- Cottage Cheese
- Yogurt
Example Post-Game/Practice Meal
- Cooked Pasta with Sauce
- Skinned Chicken
- Baked Potato
- Frozen Yogurt
Keep in Mind
An athlete's body can be compared to a race car. Only the best care will keep it running fast
and strong. Diet, training and recovery are components of performance that must be addressed
in order to achieve your sport goals. Be aware of what goes into your body and how it will affect
your performance