Author: Maryann Karinch
Diets Designed for Athletes
Maryann Karinch
Human Kinetics Publishers
"A good diet cannot make an average athlete great; but a poor diet can make a great athlete average." - David Costill, Ball State University, Indiana
The preceding quote highlights the importance nutrition plays in the life of an athlete. There are many potential consequences of a poor diet. For a runner, the pre-workout diet may affect the duration of the training run. In the case of a power-speed athlete, the intensity of the workout may be diminished with inadequate or improper nutrition. In addition, the post-workout diet may affect how well their muscles recover for the next day's workout both in terms of the replenishment of glycogen and the repair of muscle tissue stressed by the training. The cost of these day-to-day decrements in training can be enormous over the course of days, weeks and months. Pre-competition nutrition is also very important. Months of preparation for a race may be ruined by poor choices in the hours prior to the start.
Diets Designed for Athletes, by Maryann Karinch, is an easy-to-understand source of nutrition information. The first section is devoted to a description of how the energy system fuels activity and how proper nutrition acts to restore the energy system before and after exercise. Basic information is also provided concerning the role of protein, carbohydrate and fat in the maintenance of a healthy body. Proper nutrition is often about planning the consumption of the appropriate nutrients depending on whether the body is at rest or in motion. It is clearly evident how protein, carbohydrate and can positively or negatively affect performance depending on the timing of their intake. For example, intake of a product containing simple carbohydrates (sugar) such as a soft drink or candy bar prior to exercise will cause a massive release of insulin. The insulin release results in the update of glucose (blood sugar) into the cells leaving the athlete tired and lethargic. However, intake of these products during exercise will not create the same response.
There are very good suggestions provided in a handy guide as to the type and timing of nutrition to be considered before strength or endurance exercise. At the same time, the book acknowledges that athletes are individuals and may respond differently to the published routine of champion athletes. Some experimentation is advised but always with the basic knowledge required to make informed decisions.
Several sections of the book are devoted to the examination of how nutrition can affect recovery so that subsequent workouts can be performed more effectively. As the saying goes, "timing is everything". For example, athletes can take advantage of the fact that the enzymes responsible for the restoration of glycogen are most active in the 30 minutes immediately following exercise. However, the composition of the nutritional intake differs for an endurance athlete and a strength-power athlete immediately post-exercise and it important to distinguish between the two to gain the maximum effect.
Although the Canada Food Guide provides a good outline as to what an individual should consume to remain healthy, it does not address the specific needs of an athlete in hard training. In a perfect world, we would all have the time to eat properly. For those who cannot, the book also covers the role of minerals and supplements in an athlete's diet. Attention is also given to the difference in nutritional needs for the male and female athlete, especially with regard to mineral supplementation.
Special sections also discuss such concerns as increasing or reducing weight safely, nutrition for extreme climatic conditions (such as hot, dry conditions) and the correct way to re-fuel in the middle of a competition.
The role of nutrition is often under-estimated in the overall scheme of an athlete's preparation. However, it can and should play a major part in their training routine.