Recovery – nutrition essentials for better performance

August 16, 2013March 1, 2014Leave a comment

Between each workout, game or race the body needs to adapt to the physiological stress that has just been applied, so that it can recover and become fitter, stronger and faster. This can be challenging when an athlete has two or more session each day, for prolonged training periods and for multiple event sports.

What’s happening during recovery?

refuelling of muscle and carbohydrate stores
replacing fluids and electrolytes lost in sweat
manufacturing new muscle protein and blood cells
allowing immune system to manage damage caused by exercise

Nutritional management of recovery:

Replace muscle carbohydrate (glycogen) – with in 1 hour of exercise: 1-2g/kg – this is when carbs are most efficiently utilised by the muscles. This is especially important if the next training session is within 8 hours.
Rehydrate – dehydration negatively impacts on performance during subsequent sessions. Aim to replace fluids lost with 120% fluids with electrolytes. Sodium reduces urine losses and induces thirst, therefore encouraging increased fluid intake.
Build and repair muscle – High intensity exercise leads to breakdown of the muscle. The recovery phase is an opportunity for building muscle. 15-25g high quality protein within 1 hour increases muscle building. Adding carbohydrate enhances recovery of muscle by reducing muscle breakdown.
Protect immunity – immunity is suppressed by intense training, making athletes more susceptible to infectious illnesses. Carbohydrate is an immune protector as it reduces the stress hormone response to exercise. Carbohydrate also fuels the activity of the immune system’s white cells.

Supplements for recovery

Many athletes rely on sports supplements during and immediately post exercise, then double up with a meal soon after. This is fine if there are very large calorie needs, however, for moderate to low energy needs this is excessive. Food provides the same plus additional benefits to supplements eg. iron, calcium, fibre, antioxidants etc.

Good foods for recovery – providing carbohydrate & protein:

Rice pudding, milkshake, breakfast cereal with milk, beans on toast, cheese roll, jacket potato with cottage cheese, tuna wrap. Any balanced meal with protein, carbs and veg.

Next blog post: Recovery shakes – when to take, a comparison of the most popular, and making your own in one minute.

Pre season – even more food, and first game at Nottingham

August 12, 2013Leave a comment

Pre season training has always been pretty full on. In the Rugby Union calendar, June to August is a time for pushing fitness, strength and skills to prepare for the playing season ahead. With the first warm up game next week against Nottingham, there has been more emphasis on ‘contact’ sessions in preparation for actual games, rather than a focus on fitness eg. running hills. Dec likens it to getting beaten up on a daily basis.

Day off lunch at GBK 800kcal – stopped the chips, fried onion rings and milkshake this year.

At 33, retirement is on the horizon, and the cross over to life beyond playing is taking root. Dec is is embarking on a coaching career, so after his own day of training, he’s passing on what he has learnt over the past fourteen years to the academy lads at London Irish. It’s a long day, and hard work both physically and mentally. But like anything, if you do something you love it is a pleasure and a privilege rather than a chore.

Oddly, for an old guy (33), Dec is feeling pretty good. Apart from the usual longterm niggles originating from two ACL repairs in two consecutive years, he feels that he is in the shape of his life. It’s always tricky to put this down to any one reason. One of the main factors is that after 14 years of messing around with various diets and supplements, he is taking the sensible, and, sorry folks, ‘boring’ avenue of eating healthy balanced meals. Don’t get me wrong, diets or lifestyles such as low carbing or the Paleo diet have their merits, and can work for many, however, for most athletes in hard training they won’t enable optimal performance and can even impact on susceptibility to illness.. As well as the good food, and obviously the daily training, rest is another important aspect. So no late nights, and as much of a lie in as possible!

As he is still trying to gain weight, total daily intake now needs to be in excess of 4200kcal. That’s a lot of food! This is where sports supplements would come in very useful, but Dec is reluctant to rely on these, preferring to reap the benefits of real food, benefits that a powder mixed with water simply cannot replicate. Practically, this can be tough, requiring careful planning of what and when he is going to eat.

Here are the current dietary regimen principles:

regular meals – roughly every 3 hours, that’s 6 meals to spread the food throughout the day and timed around training sessions
at least 700kcal per meal
not excluding any food group eg. carbohydrate
adding extra calories using nutrient dense foods eg. olive oil (100kcal per tablespoon), extra nuts & seeds added to recipes, lashings of peanut butter on bagels, avocados, grated cheese on top of meals
using supplements when necessary – a carb/protein recovery drink during weight training when eating is not possible, followed by a meal asap after the session

Here’s what he had yesterday (all meals, one serving with no seconds!):

7am: large bowl porridge, 1/2 bagel with butter, jam, peanut butter

10am: meal at work – pork, mashed potatoes, vegetables

Yoghurt, nus and apple

1pm – meal at work – beef fajitas

4pm: yoghurt, nuts, apple, supplement bar

7pm: meal at home – chicken, spinach, cherry tomatoes and puy lentils with brown basmati rice

Tuna mayo wrap

10pm: tuna mayo in a wrap with pepper and spring onions

So it’s just a few days until the first warm up game oop north (that’s anywhere past the M25 for Dec). For me, every game is a nerve racking experience. The phone call that comes about 30 minutes after the final whistle is always eagerly anticipated, so that I can breathe a sigh of relief that he has come through relatively unscathed (black eyes and wounds that can be sewn up pitch side don’t count as proper injuries!)

The F word

August 11, 2013November 14, 20152 Comments

My gut reaction when my 3 year old used the F word was one of horror. I couldn’t believe my ears, but I guess this sort of thing is inevitable when they start going to nursery school.

“I was playing mummies and babies with x and y in the home corner, and x was making lunch, and we couldn’t have too much or it would make us FAT!”

My first response: my Mummy Poker Face. In my head I was tearing my hair out shouting “nooooooooo!”. Second response: a light and breezy 1 minute chat about food making you strong.

My second reason for the horror was the thought that the teacher may assume that, as a dietitian, I was teaching my children this nonsense. Following 12 years as a dietitian, I have seen hundreds of people (children and adults) for advice on obesity. Issues around food commonly appear to come from childhood experiences, a parent’s relationship with food and how they relate this to their children. During my time as a paediatric dietitian in the NHS, one particular little girl sticks in my mind. She was about 5 years old and referred to me as she was overweight. The first thing she did when she came in to the clinic room, was to show me her Barbie. She asked if she would ever look like her. I told her nobody looks like Barbie.

Of course, every parent wants their child to eat well, have a diet of good nutritious foods, and be healthy in the long term. We come in all shapes and sizes, skinny does not necessarily mean healthy. Feeding yourself and your child wholesome food, not using food as an emotional crutch, and not feeling GUILTY about nourishing yourself are all crucial in achieving a balanced state of mind. But how do we convey this to our children, particularly our daughters? Is it appropriate to use the F word? Here is what I have learnt from my time practising as a paediatric dietitian, and as a mum to 3 children:

Do not discuss your weight or ‘going on a diet’ within earshot of your children. Do not discuss any body part that you dislike. Keep any food, body and weight insecurities to yourself.
Do not discuss their weight, shape or size in a negative way, even if you are trying to turn it in to a positive eg. “it’s ok if you’re chunky/have baby fat”.
Don’t ban any food. It’s ok to have crisps, chocolate, cake etc. as an occasional addition to a regular intake of the ‘healthier’ foods
Do not discuss calories, and burning off with exercise. This leads to negative associations between the two. Food should be enjoyed. And exercise should be enjoyed, not a chore or a punishment to ‘work off’ a ‘bad’ food choice.

What should you say?

Food provides nutrition to make our bodies strong, fit and healthy
Some foods have much more vitamins and minerals than others, it is important that we eat lots of these to give our bodies energy and to keep us well.
Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta give us lots of energy for running around, climbing, bouncing, having fun!
Veggies and fruit help us to stop getting sick, give us sparkly eyes, shiny hair, and help cuts and grazes to get better
Fat is not ‘bad’, some fat is important for our bodies to use the vitamins properly and to help our brains to work
Eating a mixture of food gives all the different things our body needs

Tell your children that our bodies are amazing………..talk about all the awesome things that they can do if they want to: climb a mountain, run a race, do a cartwheel, touch the sky with their feet on a swing. Help them to love moving, because that is what we are designed for. “We’ve got to go for a walk because we’ve eaten to much chocolate” is in no way healthy, helpful or positive.

Teach your child how to love fresh air

Teach your child to love movement and exploring new things

Teach your child how to bake a cake using butter, sugar and flour

Teach your child how to chop and cook veggies.

Tell them they are strong, tell them they look happy, tell them they are GLOWING!

Nutrition for Young Athletes

July 28, 2013April 3, 2014Leave a comment

Why a nutritious diet is needed:

Normal growth and development
Healthy, strong body
Energy for everyday activities – school, gymnastics training
Repair of muscles following demands and stresses of training and competition

Main components of the diet:

Hydration:

as important as food
Overheating and dehydration can be dangerous (heat stroke)
Low levels of dehydration: reduced strength, stamina, concentration

Carbohydrate:

Supply energy for muscles
Immunity
Growth
Focus on wholegrain bread, pasta, rice, fruit, veg
Especially important before and after exercise for muscle energy

Protein:

For muscular strength & power, muscle repair & maintenance
Focus on lean protein: chicken, fish, eggs,
dairy, beans, seeds, nuts

Healthy Fats:

Important for healthy heart, nervous system, hormones etc.
Focus on healthier fats from olive oil, oily fish eg. Salmon, avocado, peanut butter etc.

Vitamins & Minerals:

Calcium – strong bones
Iron – needed for blood cells to transport oxygen to muscles
Vitamin D – bone development, also implicated in long term health issues
B vitamins – energy production & protein metabolism
Omega 3 fats – oily fish, for brain development, heart health, vision etc.
Generally, supplements not needed if child has varied diet
Consider fish oil supplement (omega 3 fats) if intake of oily fish is less than once per week
Consider Vitamin D supplement if always wears sunscreen in summer

Pre – exercise fuelling:

Aim to have a meal or a substantial snack a few hours before:
- Pitta/crumpets/toast with jam/honey/peanut butter + milk
- Jacket potato + tuna/baked beans
- Baked beans on toast
- Boiled egg and toast
- Porridge, milk and raisins/berries
- Breakfast cereal with milk
- Bread roll with cheese/meat filling + banana
- Pasta, rice or noodles with tomato sauce, lean meat eg. chicken, vegetables

Up to 1 hour before
- Fluid for hydration: 200mls fruit juice/water/skimmed milk

Early morning sessions: If training or competition is first thing in the morning, it is probably not possible to have a meal 3-4 hours before. In these circumstances, have a good meal the night before, then a snack and fluid 1-2 hours pre exercise eg. breakfast cereal and milk, fruit and yoghurt, smoothie or milkshake.

After exercise:

Ensure your child has a snack, or a meal following training. Carbohydrates replenish the muscles with glycogen for energy, while protein repairs and rebuilds muscle tissue. Sports protein shakes or supplements are unnecessary and not advised.

Post-exercise snack ideas (follow within a few hours with a meal):

Homemade shake – blend 200ml milk, tablespoon yoghurt, banana, tablespoon honey
Low fibre breakfast cereal eg. Cornflakes/Rice Krispies and milk
banana and yoghurt/milk
Bread roll or sandwich with cheese/meat/fish filling

Rehydration

It is highly likely that your child will finish training with some degree of dehydration, therefore it is important to replace these fluids as soon as possible after the session. Aim for 200ml fluid with an hour of finishing.

Body image and Disordered Eating

In some sports there is pressure to ‘not get fat’/stay lean or to bulk up to enhance performance Eg. Gymnastics or rugby.

Any such pressure can have the opposite effect – unhealthy eating patterns, restrictive eating (anorexia), or bingeing (bulimia).

Poor nutrition, resulting in weight loss, can cause anaemia, reduction in muscle power and performance, weak bones, poor concentration and increased injury risk

Tips for parents:

Do not weigh your child (unless specifically asked to do so for medical reasons)
Do not discuss calories or fat, unless raised by your child. Approach in a positive manner e.g. food gives us energy for exercising and being strong. Healthy fats are important for us to be healthy.
Talk about food being nutritious, for making us strong, repairing cuts in our skin, building our muscles, giving energy for running fast etc.

Written by Sarah Danaher, Registered Dietitian, Accredited Sports Dietitian

Registered Dietitians are the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat diet and nutrition problems.

If you have any concerns regarding your child’s or family’s diet, then please don’t hesitate to contact me:

danahersarah@yahoo.co.uk

www.sarahnutrition.com

07758 100727

Coconut Water – worth the hype?

July 27, 2013December 27, 2014Leave a comment

Since the introduction of coconut water to the UK market, sales have sky rocketed, helped by its rapid take-up among celebrities and high-profile investments from beverage companies. The UK coconut water industry was be worth £100m in 2014.

Vita Coco coconut water

Vita Coco accounts for 94% of UK coconut water sales in the UK, and is available everywhere from Selfridges to Tesco’s. So what do Vivia Coco say about their product, and does it live up to these claims?

all natural – true, taken from young coconuts, some added vitamin C
super hydrating – true, water and other sports drinks also super hydrating
fat free – true, water and sports drinks also fat free
cholesterol free – true, all fruit & vegetables are cholesterol free
potassium packed – true, same amount as 2-3 bananas
nutrient stacked – not really – has great amounts of vitamin C, very little of any other nutrients.

So as you can see, most of the claims are true. However, water and other sports drinks also carry the same benefits. The extra potassium could be of benefit for people who have a poor intake of fruit, vegetables and dairy.

Staying hydrated is one of the most important things for recreational and professional athletes. If you are exercising for under an hour, and if the taste of coconut water helps you drink plenty of fluids, it is a fine choice for most people, but water is just as good.

For those exercising strenuously and for longer than an hour, especially in hot conditions where perspiration is high, you need easily absorbed carbohydrate for quick energy and to replace lost electrolytes like sodium and potassium. Coconut water doesn’t have the ideal levels of carbs or sodium. For post exercise, it has neither the calories, carbohydrate or protein required for optimal recovery.

My advice?

It’s a healthy replacement for sugary fizzy drinks or fruit juice, as with 90kcal per 500ml carton, it has half the calories. However, it provides no extra hydration benefits over water for the average recreational exerciser. For strenuous and prolonged exercise it is fine, but would need to be taken with a snack for extra sodium and carbohydrate.

Boosting immunity to stop getting sick

July 26, 2013June 28, 20151 Comment

It’s an unfortunate inevitability that at some time or another, illness will descend upon any work place.

Gastroenteritis can be difficult to avoid and in environments where there is close contact, it can spread like wild fire. Washing hands is vital to avoid infection, alcohol gel can also be used, but is not as effective as thorough hand washing. Here’s what the NHS says on medical treatment.

From a food point of view, it is especially vital for athletes to try to maintain nutritional intake to prevent muscle wastage and maintain energy levels. Easier said than done when you can’t keep anything down! If possible, and even if there is no appetite, small amounts of plain food and higher calorie fluids eg. toast, fruit juice, breakfast cereal, plain biscuits, or any food that you feel you can tolerate should be eaten.

It is possible that following recovery from gastroenteritis, the gut may have become intolerant to lactose (milk sugar), causing continued diarrhoea, and possibly abdominal pain and bloating. This is because the enzyme, lactase, which breaks down the lactose has been affected. Normal milk can be replaced with Lactofree Milk, tolerance to other dairy products varies. A dietitian can advise further on lactose avoidance.

In a previous post, I discussed the numerous reasons for lowered immunity during training for athletes:

repeated cycles of heavy exertion
exposure to germs and bugs
mental stress
lack of sleep
poor nutrition
weight loss

The first two points, repeated cycles of heavy exertion, and exposure to bugs certainly apply to the London Irish squad in pre season training, hopefully less so the mental stress, lack of sleep, poor nutrition and weight loss.

So what can be done to reduce the possibility of becoming ill?

Nutritional immunology is a rapidly growing area, and four key principles have emerged:

1. Almost all nutrients in the diet play a crucial role in immunity. A varied, healthy diet provides all these nutrients in most healthy adults, and mega doses of vitamin/mineral supplements do not “boost” immunity above normal levels.

2. Poor energy and nutrient intake can reduce the immunity and susceptibility to germs and bugs. Poor protein intake reduces immune function and strongly increases risk of various types of infections.

3. Some nutrients (glutamine, arginine, fatty acids, vitamin E) provide additional benefits to immunocompromised persons (e.g. the frail elderly) or patients who suffer from various infections. Currently there is a lack of evidence to support the use of these in preventing exercise-induced immune suppression and protection from infection.

4. Some supplements may prove useful in countering immune suppression for healthy adults during unusual mental and physical stress e.g. omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils reduce inflammatory responses.

CARBOHYDRATES

Of the various nutritional countermeasures that have been evaluated so far, carbohydrates before, during, and after prolonged or intense exertion has emerged as the most effective way to ensure less of a negative effect on the immune system. Athletes intent on reducing body fat by avoiding carbohydrates should be aware that this may impact on their immunity.

Strategies to ensure good carbohydrate stores to optimise immunity:

Have a carbohydrate-based snack before you start high intensity training, particularly hard morning training. If you are unable to tolerate something before you start exercise, have a source of carbohydrate during the session such as a sports drink (6-8% carbohydrate)
Have a carbohydrate-based snack shortly after training to start the recovery process. This is of particular importance for athletes training more than once a day with limited time to recover for the next session.
Base meals around nutrient-rich carbohydrate-containing foods and fluids. Rice, pasta, bread, cereals, fruit, starchy vegetables and low-fat milk and yoghurt are nutrient-packed carbohydrate-containing
Balanced meals with carbs, protein & veg

choices. The aim is to match daily carbohydrate needs with an appropriate amount of carbohydrate-containing foods and fluids throughout the day.

PROBIOTICS

images-2

Probiotics may benefit athletic performance indirectly by maintaining gut function and health, preventing the immunosuppressive effects of intense exercise, and reducing susceptibility to illness. Substantial evidence exists indicating that probiotics can reduce susceptibility to acute infectious diarrhoea (athletes may be particularly susceptible during foreign travel). Probiotics come in tablet or liquid form eg. Yakult. Tablets tend to be more potent, and are available from health food shops.

A balanced and nutrient rich diet is fundamental to avoiding illness for those undergoing intense physical exercise. Current opinion is that athletes should invest in nutrient-rich foods and fluids that provide sufficient energy and a wide range of vitamins, minerals and other important chemicals, such as phytochemicals, found naturally in foods. When this is not possible the use of supplements such as multi vitamins and omega-3 fish oils.

Pre-season Overload Week – we’re on a high. Why?!

July 24, 2013July 25, 2013Leave a comment

Mid-way through the intense Overload week of pre season rugby training, and Dec’s exhaustion levels don’t seem too extreme.

He was even able to hold a conversation last night, and levels of irritability appear low (at dinner he soldiered on admirably when there was no pesto for the pasta – he rescued it with a dollop of hot pepper sauce).

Possible reasons for being cheerful:

the old body is feeling good: during previous pre seasons he was heavier, weighing in at up to 110kg, making training a bigger effort and therefore more tiring. The attention to diet may be making a difference to fatigue levels…..a balanced intake of real nutritious foods, rather than over emphasis on high protein, low carbohydrate and supplements.
pre season training is going well, with the squad bonding
today was a day off training, just a pilates session and physio
he’s enjoying coaching the boys at Ealing Rugby two nights a week…..a new routine is as good as a holiday!
our two eldest children are in N. Ireland with their Granny and Grandpa for a week. This means a bit of peace (we do like to spend time with our children, it’s just that these two ~~nutters~~ are the antithesis of the ‘children should be seen and not heard’ parenting philosophy)
he’s beside himself with joy at the birth of the nation’s new Prince

So last night’s dinner was rescued with some hot pepper sauce. It had me thinking, what are the food items we always have in the fridge or cupboard? The “Desert Island” products (idea poached from Radio 4 Desert Island Discs, this is my Kirsty Young moment). Obviously we do eat other things, like the staples of meat, fish, vegetables and pasta/rice etc.

Our Desert Island List:

Oats – for the porridge in the morning, essential slow release carbohydrate for the training day ahead. Made with milk for calcium and protein, raisins and some sugar for faster releasing carbs and to make it taste better. Also use oats to make biscuits, flapjacks and in smoothies.
Eggs – powerhouses of nutrition. One of the best sources of protein, containing all the essential amino acids, including leucine (big selling point of many protein supplements). Don’t worry about the cholesterol as it is poorly absorbed by the body. Scrambled, boiled, omelettes, egg fried rice.
Yoghurt – I prefer to buy natural unflavoured yoghurt as it has no added sugar and usually has probiotics (good for gut health and immunity). Any brand will do, but I’m a fan of the massive tubs from Lidl (about £1.50 for 1kg). I can add berries/chopped fruit/put in smoothies etc. Dec likes the new Danone ‘Danio” higher protein yoghurts (13g protein/pot) which are sweetened with fruit and sugar.
Fruit – for snacks, no explanation needed for the benefits of the vitamins, antioxidants, fibre, carbohydrate etc.
Nuts – a handful of almonds as a snack, or peanut butter on toast. Healthy fats (cholesterol lowering), high protein so filling and good for muscle repair/building
Coffee – for a wake up kick, afternoon kick, evening kick. Means we don’t have to physically kick each other to wake up! Contrary to popular belief, it’s not dehydrating and has many health benefits. Also useful to have pre training as caffeine enhances performance (ergonomic)! At London Irish, some of the boys are in their Coffee Club, where they enjoy a swift Nespresso before hitting the training field/weights room.
Hot Pepper Sauce – as previously discussed, this can rescue a meal
Hot Pepper Sauce

that may be lacking in flavour. Used like tomato ketchup. Personally, I think it destroys any hope of actually tasting the food you put it on (mmmm, not saying a lot for my cooking skills, is it?!)
Cherry Diet Coke – this is the Desert Island luxury item, Dec’s ‘treat’. I get a bit twitchy and Food Police when he reaches for the 3rd or 4th can of the day. There’s not much good to say about Diet Coke, it’s nutritionally sparse, and there are question marks over it’s long term health affects.