Post-game nutrition recovery for late night games

One of the most frequent questions I get asked by athletes is whether or not it’s ok to eat after a game that finishes late at night.  The common misconception is that dinner should not be eaten after a certain time in the evening.  This does not apply for athletes! If you are on the couch for the night, then yes, eating dinner earlier may be a good choice.  However if you have just finished a tough away game at 10pm it doesn’t matter what time it is, you should be eating after! Sports nutrition recovery principles apply regardless of the time.

Recovery Nutrition

Getting your recovery right helps to set yourself up for the next training session or game, which for most junior basketballers is likely the following day (for example, a late Friday night game, into school basketball the next morning and/or a domestic game in the afternoon).  Friday night recovery food is important!

Priorities:

Refuel carbohydrate stores for energy for the next day

Repair muscle damage to reduce soreness and promote muscle growth

Rehydrate by replacing fluid and electrolyte losses

Revitalise by choosing anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense foods

Key Nutrition Elements:

CARBOHYDRATE - FUEL Rice, quinoa, noodles, potato, sweet potato, pasta, bread

PROTEIN - MUSCLE Meat, fish, chicken, eggs, milk, cheese, yoghurt

HEALTHY FATS - INFLAMMATION Avocado, nuts, fish, olive oil

SODIUM - HYDRATION

ANTIOXIDANTS, VITAMINS, MINERALS Vegetables, fruit, herbs, wholegrains, nuts, seeds

How do we achieve these recovery goals with food? Unfortunately it’s pretty difficult to achieve with the typical take-away options on offer on the drive home.

OPTIONS:

• BYO from home - you’ll need a food thermos and a good cooler bag, but with some planning and organisation it can be done!

• OR bring some nutrient-dense snacks for immediately post-game then have leftovers ready to heat when you get home.

• OR be selective with the type of take-away purchased

The following snack options work well and can be a good start to the recovery process if it’s more than an hour or so before you can get home to eat.

• Chicken and salad wrap

• Sushi rolls

• Pasta or rice dish with chicken or meat and vegetables

• Soup and a cheese roll

• High-protein yoghurt with handful of almonds or cashew nuts, plus berries

• Vegetable frittata

• Home-made sausage rolls

• Up’n’Go or Rokeby Farms smoothie and a piece of fruit

  Even though some of these need be kept hot or cold, there are lots of storage options out there that will keep food at the right temperature for a few hours. The biggest challenge is being organised and thinking ahead of time.  Some options are easier than others!                        

If you get a good snack in during the car ride, then aim for another small meal or snack once you get home. This should be pre-prepared so it can easily be re-heated quickly. I would recommend to eat straight away on arrival home before a shower, as this allow a little bit of time for digestion before heading to bed.

Example leftovers for recovery:

·        Beef and vegetable stir-fry with rice or noodles

·        Pasta or lasagne with chicken or lean meat tomato sauce, add vegetables

·        Home-made souvlaki or burritos or hamburgers

·        Chicken and vegetable curry with rice

        Soup with pasta/noodles/rice and meat/chicken/legumes

Even a toasted sandwich with some fruit, or a fruit smoothie can be a great recovery choice for when you haven’t had time to pre-prepare food and everyone is tired. Kids’ appetites can drop as it gets later and they are more fatigued, so it’s important to make sure they do have something to eat and drink before they fall into bed. 

Yes, the golden arches do tend to call us when it’s a long drive home from a late rep game, and sometimes (or often) that’s where you end up.  However with a little forward planning you can put in place some strategies that become habit for post-game nutrition to help improve energy levels and performance for the rest of the weekend.

Lisa has worked with NBL teams Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix over 10 years and currently works with Basketball Victoria junior high performance programs. She also has two very active children who play a lot of sport, including basketball.

Fluids for junior basketball – why, what, when and how much?

Anyone else’s kids get home at the end of the school day with a water bottle that has barely left the school bag?  The same child who then only has about an hour at home before heading off to training?  Starting training or games dehydrated puts you well behind before you even step on the court.  On the other hand, starting hydrated provides an advantage that many other kids in junior sport won’t have.  

Here’s why it pays to get through the drink bottle (with maybe even a top up from the tap!) during the school day:

Why hydration helps?

Starting training hydrated means setting yourself up for: 

- better passing and shooting accuracy

- improved concentration and judgement

- improve co-ordination and speed

- ability to keep running hard, right up until the last minute of the last quarter

- makes training feel easier, so you feel better and can work harder

You are always going to sweat and become more dehydrated once exercise starts, so arriving  hydrated and continuing to drink while training are going to help you perform at your best – and win games. 

Best fluids for training

For most junior sports, including basketball, water is the drink of choice and totally adequate.  For a typical junior game, kids don’t need sports drinks or electrolytes.  The only time I’d say you might potentially need a sports drink is during prolonged training beyond 2 hours, or in hot and humid conditions and maybe during tournaments.  These are times where carbohydrate as fuel and electrolytes for hydration can be useful and a sports drink provides an easily consumed form. There’s also the question of whether sports drinks or electrolytes are more important – you can find more info on this here Hydration is important but what is the role of sports drinks and electrolytes and who needs them?

The marketing and accessibility has us fooled - most of the time sports drinks are a waste of money for juniors.  The sugar combined with acidity is also not great for kids’ teeth.

Even during the day at school, water should be the main drink.   Milk-based options are also a terrific option for children, and research shows that as children and teenagers get older, milk intake drops.  Plain milk or milk-based fruit smoothies are perhaps the best options for a nutrient-dense, calcium-rich option.  The chocolate milk thing is still doing the rounds as a recovery option, however a smoothie type drink would actually be much better - providing good quality protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals from the milk but also added anti-inflammatory and recovery nutrients from the fruit.

How much do I need to drink?

You have probably heard that you need ~2 litres of water per day to stay hydrated. This may be a reasonable estimate of total fluid needs for the average adult, however kids’ needs can vary significantly. This relates mostly to growth and development.  Younger children don’t sweat as much, and due to their smaller body size won’t need as much fluid as a larger teenager who is well-progressed through puberty.  This however also makes young children more susceptible to heat illness – sweating is a cooling mechanism, so great care should be taken with kids training and competing in the heat and appropriate policies and cooling strategies applied.

Other factors in addition to growth, development and body size that will impact fluid needs include weather (temperature, humidity) and the amount of training on any given day.  Sweat rates differ between individuals also.

Often we talk about using thirst as a guide to needs, however kids and teenagers often need some planning and prompting to ensure they drink enough.

How do you know if you are drinking enough?

Try the pee test. Pale yellow to clear is a good indicator that you are hydrated.  No need for it to be crystal clear but you don’t want it to look orange either. (the urine colour test doesn’t work if you take vitamin/mineral supplements because these often cause urine to be darker in colour).  Look out for other symptoms of dehydration also, such as fatigue, headache, light-headedness, and  infrequent toilet stops.

In professional sport we have equipment that can measure the concentration of urine to determine hydration, however the pee test is still a pretty good indicator! Professional athletes may also check fluid loss by measuring weight before and after training or games, however this is usually not necessary for junior athletes participating in a single training session or game (and unless under the guidance of an accredited sports dietitian as junior athletes should not be subjected to weight measurement in their sporting setting for any reason).

Individual fluid needs vary significantly due to a number of factors.  Work out how much you need and the best fluids for you for different scenarios, and ask an accredited sports dietitian if you need some help working it all out. The average body is made up of over 60% water and your body doesn’t function at its best without it.

Lisa has worked with NBL teams Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix over 10 years and currently works with Basketball Victoria junior high performance programs. She also has two very active children who play a lot of sport, including basketball.

Dahl

Dahl     

Serves 6

A popular vegetarian soup option, dahl is also one of the easiest and quickest soups to prepare. Red lentils don’t require soaking so you just rinse them and add to your soup. This meal freezes beautifully too, so feel free to make double and keep individual serves in the freezer for easy winter lunches.       

*Recipe from Super Food for Performance in Work, Sport and Life                                              

Ingredients:                                  

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tsp cumin, ground

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

½ cup red lentils, rinsed

400g tinned diced tomato

1½ cups vegetable stock

2 tsp lemon juice

Chopped coriander and Greek yoghurt to serve (optional)

Method:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or non-stick pan. Cook the onion for 2-3 minutes until soft, add the cumin, garlic, ginger and lentils and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stock, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes until soft (you may need to add more water/stock, especially if you like a thinner-style soup).

Add the lemon juice and process in a food processor if desired. Serve with finely chopped fresh coriander and natural Greek yoghurt.

Fibre-rich, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free (if gluten-free stock is used)

Is soft drink the new sports drink for junior sport?

I usually don’t feel alarmed too often when it comes to food, but a recent observation at a children’s sports camp left me certainly shocked, and genuinely disappointed.

As you may have guessed, this disappointment relates to soft drink, and children.  I know there is an entire aisle in the supermarket dedicated to sugary, bubbly drinks but I never really thought about who actually buys and drinks this stuff….until I saw it with my own eyes – and I didn’t like it.

When I was a child, the only time we ever had a bottle of soft drink in the fridge was for someone's birthday or Christmas!  It was a special occasion drink, and contributed to the excitement associated with kids’ parties and resultant sugar highs!  I'm just not quite sure when carbonated water with sugar and additives became an everyday drink? 

Research shows that a large proportion of the population’s sugar intake comes from sweetened beverages.  This includes children, but I naively have never really taken much notice of what kids drink.  I am pretty aware of the amount of sugar that my own children consume from foods and drinks, but I am not over-the-top when it comes to avoidance.  I think that being a dietitian the assumption is that kids’ lunchboxes will be filled with only organic beans and kale crisps – so far from the truth!  They eat what I would consider pretty standard school-age fare, including whatever they want when they are at a party (I don’t send them with a personalized bag of chopped vegetables!).  But one food habit I am particularly solid on with my own children is the sugar-rich drinks, and I have now discovered this does make me a bit of an outlier when it comes to family fluid habits.  

I am usually not one to bother too much about what other people are eating or drinking - adults can make their own food choices and we all have different needs at different times so I am certainly not one to judge.  But I couldn’t look away, and to be honest felt really sad, when I saw the drinks popping out of the childrens’ lunchboxes at the junior camp.  I just happened to be in attendance over the lunch break and noticed a group of girls  who each had a can of soft drink in hand.  I was then compelled to look around me a little bit more and honestly, I was truly shocked at the number of soft drink cans I saw.  There was no canteen at the venue, so all of these primary school-age children had been sent to a sports camp, where they were going to be active all day, with soft drink packed in their bag?!  I don’t understand.....

I am not sure whether the perception is that these kids will be active all day so a bit of sugar won’t hurt for energy, or that they need extra fluid for hydration so throw a can in?   I totally get it that packing super-nutritious lunches everyday for kids is a challenge with busy lifestyles, but I don't understand the need to add a can of drink – especially for kids doing sport.  Even traditional sports drinks aren't necessary most of the time for active kids (see my article Hydration is important, but what is the role of sports drinks and electrolytes and who needs them?)

The obvious downside of sweetened beverages is the sugar content, but we also need to consider the additives and acidity - the combination of sugar, acidity and reduced saliva production with exercise leaves young teeth exposed and particularly vulnerable to decay.  

Water, milk and dairy-based fruit smoothies are all great options to hydrate and fuel young athletes.   

Active kids don’t need sugar in a can for energy to run and play. 

Keep an eye out for my next Thoughts post about infused water and making water more appetising if you don't love plain water. 

For more nutrition updates I would love you to send you my free newsletter every month or two, please leave your details on my website Thoughts page.  I am now on Instagram and you can follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Brain food for work and study - how to prevent the mid-afternoon brain fade

Do you sometimes find yourself sitting in front of your computer in the middle of the afternoon, staring into space and unable to focus on the task at hand? This happens in workplaces and schools all around the world every day at around 3pm. Think about what you eat for lunch. Does it include foods that will boost your brainpower or more likely to leave you feeling drained? The foods you eat at work or school can make a big difference to concentration, focus, productivity and learning later in the day. Not to mention the positive effect on mood and stress levels. Here are some nutrition tips to help keep you thinking clearly and on top of your game all day. 

Eat foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids

You may have heard before that eating fish is good for your brain. Omega-3 fatty acids are a prominent component of neuronal membranes – and fish are our best dietary source of these fats. The best way to increase your omega-3 intake is to eat more fish and seafood. Research has also shown that EPA predominant fish oil supplements may have benefits for individuals with diagnosed depression (however please see your qualified health professional to discuss your individual needs when it comes to nutrition supplements).

 Choose Low Glycemic Index

Stable blood glucose levels help to the brain continuously fuelled. High glycemic index foods which are quickly absorbed into the blood stream may cause erratic blood sugar levels which can effect energy levels and mood. If you choose wholegrain over high-sugar you can help to keep blood glucose stable and this means consistent brain fuel. Protein and healthy fats can also reduce the glycemic impact of a meal or snack.

Don’t go hungry

‘Hungry grumpy’ really is a thing! If you haven’t eaten enough you feel hungry and blood glucose levels can get quite low, leaving it hard to concentrate and having an impact on brain function. Keep your brain well-fuelled to improve your mood.

Drink enough fluid

Numerous studies have shown the benefits to athletic performance from being well-hydrated, from concentration to co-ordination to judgement. These same performance principles can apply to work and school scenarios, so keep up fluid intake in the morning and as the day progresses.

Drink tea

Sometimes we use caffeine as a pick-me-up, but this doesn’t address the real reason why you need that extra boost. By eating more wholefoods and less processed, you may not need the coffee. Nothing wrong with a daily coffee, but tea is a great option for your brain. Tea contains theanine, a compound which can have a direct impact on the brain to keep you alert but relaxed at the same time.

Mix up your fruits and vegetables

Several studies have shown a link between fruit and vegetable intake and improved mood and feelings of depression. It is difficult to determine which particular nutrients or antioxidants are of most benefit, but just another reason to include a wide variety of different fruit and vegetables every day.

Add probiotics

More and more research is showing links between the health of the gut and other body organs. A healthy gut may reduce inflammation throughout the body, and can impact on your brain and mood. More research is required, but by including probiotics from yoghurt, fermented foods and drinks we can help to keep our mind and body healthy.

If you are interested in more updates about the links between the food we eat and performance at work and sport, I would love to send you my free newsletter, just leave your details here. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more regular nutrition updates, recipes and food ideas.

Best fluids to hydrate at work (including coffee!) and why you don't need 2 litres of water per day

 Are you someone who carries a water bottle with you everywhere you go?  Or do you struggle to gulp down a few mouthfuls of water in between coffees? If you are not hydrating well it can impact on your concentration at work, energy levels, motivation, general well-being and the results you achieve through training. It’s not just all about water though!

How much do I need to drink?

You have probably heard that you need 2 litres of water per day to stay hydrated. This may be a reasonable estimate for some people, however individual fluid needs vary quite a bit. A petite female is unlikely to need as much water as a 100kg+ active rugby player.   If you are not drinking a 2 litre jug of water every day don’t despair, you may not need that much (or you may actually need much more).

Is water the best drink for hydration?

Although water should make up a fair volume of your daily fluid intake, it’s not the only drink that will hydrate well. Other nutritious fluids such as milk, tea, coffee, blended fruit smoothies and soup all help (for more about the hydrating qualities of soup and smoothies check out my posts Best Fluids For Hydration - Look No Further Than Soup and Why Juice is Not as Bad as You Might Think - Tips For Making a Top Choice). 

Tea vs coffee

Yes, even coffee can help with hydration!  If you work in an office, it’s pretty common to be drinking several cups of tea or coffee per day. Coffee CAN have a diuretic effect, so it’s not as effective in helping your body to hold onto your daily cup full as some other fluids, but it doesn’t make it all go straight through either!  It all comes down to how much you drink. Black tea has far less caffeine (<20mg per cup) vs coffee (>80mg per cup, depending how it is made), so if you like both, tea may be better for helping hydration. 

‘I don’t like water’

If you don’t love plain water, try adding ice, sliced lemon and lime, frozen berries, fresh chopped fruit or herbs and spices to give water a fresh flavour, or choose bubbly plain mineral water for a taste and texture change. 

How do you know if you are drinking enough?

Try the pee test. Pale yellow to clear is what you are looking for. No need for it to be crystal clear but you don’t want it to look like the colour of beer either. (the urine colour test doesn’t work if you take vitamin/mineral supplements because these often cause urine to be darker in colour).

So drink up, and remember that the average body is made up of over 60% water and your body doesn’t function at its best without it.

If you are active, you might also be interested in the best fluids for training in my recent post Hydration is Important, But What is the Role of Sports Drinks and Electrolytes and Who Needs Them.

If you would like me to send you nutrition updates and recipes direct to your inbox (I won't bombard you, only once a month or so!), please leave your details on my Thoughts page and check out some of my other blog posts while you are there.  You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

Hydration is important, but what is the role of sports drinks and electrolytes and who needs them?

Image courtesy of Melbourne United Basketball Club

Summer in Australia can get hot!  Daily fluid intake is essential, but how much, and what type, do you really need for optimal energy levels, performance and health?  If you train regularly you need to drink regularly, but it’s not just about drinking as much water as you can.  Working out your individual needs can help you hydrate to train and perform at your best.

Why hydrate?

When we exercise we sweat, leading to higher fluid losses and increased fluid needs.  Starting training hydrated means setting yourself up to: 

- improve concentration and judgement

- improve co-ordination

- improve energy levels and delay fatigue

- make exercise feel easier, so you feel better and can work harder

Best fluids for training

For most exercise and sport, water is the drink of choice and totally adequate.  However many active people are turning to the wide range of sports and electrolyte drinks to help power their performance.  But are all the fancy formulations worth the effort and investment? 

Sports drinks vs electrolyte drinks

The key question to ask is whether you need fuel, fluid and/or electrolyte replacement.  Commercial sports drinks generally contain both carbohydrate and electrolytes and can be useful during prolonged training, hot and humid conditions and any time that sweat rates are high and when additional fuel in an easily consumed form is required. 

If your main priority is hydration, there are a number of pill and powder options that provide electrolytes without the carbohydrate and sugars.  The main electrolyte that drives hydration is sodium, so in essence you are purchasing a high salt solution to aid in fluid absorption and retention. 

If you don't do large amounts of prolonged training, enough sodium will likely be consumed through foods, and additional electrolytes may not be required.  However if you participate in long-duration exercise or have a high sweat rate with the potential to lose significant fluid and sodium, an electrolyte supplement could be pretty useful.  Salty carbohydrate-rich snacks can be handy too for those longer pursuits as a fuel and electrolyte source – just add water!  But if the event makes eating difficult, a sports and electrolyte drink or combination might work well (worth practicing in training to see what works, but for most shorter training sessions water may be fine).  Sports drink swishing is another strategy if you want the effects but not the fuel and carbs, might need to write a post on this down the track. 

When you are not exercising, other nutritious fluids such as milk, soup, blended fruit smoothies, juice, tea and coffee all help you to hydrate.  In fact milk can have a higher electrolyte content than many sports drinks!  Coffee can have a diuretic effect, so is not as effective in helping your body to hold onto the fluid you drink, but can still contribute to hydration goals. *For more hydration info, see my previous blog post Best Fluids for Hydration - Look No Further Than Soup.

Individual fluid needs vary significantly due to a number of factors.  Work out how much you need and the best fluids for you for different scenarios, and ask an accredited sports dietitian if you need some help working it all out.

For more nutrition updates I would love you to send you my free newsletter every month or two, please leave your details on my website Thoughts page.  I am now on Instagram too, and you can follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Why juice is not as bad as you might think - tips for making a top choice

I am the first to admit that I am one of those dietitians who was never a big fan of juice.  My standard line was always to ditch the juice and eat a piece of fruit with a glass of water instead.  You have probably heard that one before!  Over time my views on juice have changed.  This is because juice has changed.  No longer is juice just the bottled reconstituted supermarket variety, or the sugary juice box that would be a school lunch order ‘treat’.  Today more and more juice is fresh.  Juice bars provide a range of juiced and blended options, which contain a whole lot more than just the liquid extracted from fruit.   With the variety of juice options out there, it’s possible to make fresh, smart choices that can help you meet your nutritional needs.  

Many dietitians are likely to recommend you keep juice intake to a minimum.  The Australian Dietary Guidelines suggest a maximum of 125ml of 100% juice as an occasional substitute for a piece of fruit.  This is based on the fact that many juices (sugar-added or not) contain over 10% sugar, just like soft drink.  It’s easy to drink that sugar and just a 300ml glass can give you over 6 teaspoons.  With obesity being a national health concern, public health messages to reduce sugar intake are warranted.  Many people consume too much from drinks that are loaded with sugar but low in important nutrients - these don't fill you up at all, making it easy to drink and drink and drink.

But with the age of the whizz-bang super blenders and superfood smoothies, a new variety of fruit and vegetable-based drinks has emerged.  Unlike old-school bottled juice, the new-age juices are more than simply sugar, water and a sprinkle of vitamin C.

Blended fruit drinks, with the inclusion of whole fruits and vegetables, herbs, spices, milks, nuts and seeds have seen traditional juice turned on it’s head.  Coconut water is now apopular base for fruit and veg drinks, along with dairy, soy, rice and almond milks.  Juice is often not ‘juice’ at all.

Nutrients such as protein, healthy fats and fibre are becoming more prominent in blended juice drinks as a result, providing health benefits and fullness.  A blended fruit drink can really become more of a meal or snack rather than just something to drink.

One criticism of regular juice is that the fibre and pulp are removed during the juicing process.  Many of the nutrients in fruit are found near the skin.  When whole fruit is blended, the skin is included, boosting fibre and nutrients.  Blending is best! 

Yes, there is still sugar in blended fruit drinks or smoothies.  But when the sugar comes from fresh fruit or milks, it brings with it other beneficial nutrients, an important point of difference compared to soft drink and other high sugar, empty-calorie beverages.  The presence of a wider range of nutrients replaces some of the sugar, which ends up reducing the overall sugar content of the drink (especially if vegetables are incorporated).  If you know your vegetable intake needs a boost, a blended fruit and vegetable smoothie is a great way to sneak a in a few extra serves to help you reach your 5 per day.

A recent study by the University of New South Wales* compared a range of on-the-go drinks for their overall nutrition quality and found the drinks that contained blended whole vegetables or fruits to be the most beneficial for nutrients overall.  It's important to consider the overall nutrition value of a drink rather than just focusing on one nutrient or the kilojoules.  By keeping informed about the nutrient balance of on-the-go drinks, you can make an appropriate choice of drink, serving size, frequency and timing of intake to meet your individual needs and preferences.

For example, someone looking for a lower-kiojoule but nutrient-dense refreshing drink may choose a green smoothie with plenty of blended vegetables and a coconut water base.  Someone who is super-active and trying to gain some muscle mass may benefit from a dairy based smoothie higher in protein with some fruit, nuts and seeds providingextra nutrition and energy.  Everybody's needs are different.

One concern about juice is that it can be acidic, creating an environment for potential damage to teeth. A number of factors contribute to your likelihood of dental issues, including the acidity, sugar content, 'stickiness' and frequency that foods and drinks are consumed.  You can reduce your risk by drinking fruit/vegetable based drinks through a straw to reduce contact with teeth, and make sure to always rinse and swish with water after drinking higher acidity drinks.  Incorporating dairy with whole fruit to make a smoothie can be protective for teeth compared to drinking juice on its own.  

Water is important for daily fluid needs (tea is right up there for hydration too), but if you are looking for a nutritious and tasty choice, a blended fruit and vegetable drink can provide a range of important nutrients, keep you full and put a smile on your face!

For more nutrition info, recipes and tips, sign up to my free newsletter below or check out my other blog posts on my Thoughts page.

* Reynolds, R & Lin, S. (2016) Nutritional analysis of a selection of on-the-go drinks, Full Analytical Report, UNSW Australia.

Marathon running nutrition - with Rio-bound Olympian Lisa Weightman

Lisa and her family training for Run for the Kids earlier this year. Image courtesy of Herald-Sun article.

Lisa Weightman is one of Australia's best runners - an Olympic and Commonwealth Games marathon runner.  Lisa has been training hard over recent months in preparation for the Rio 2016 Olympics, after a break following Peter's birth.  You can learn more about Lisa at www.lisaweightman.com.

I first met Lisa when I was working at the VIS a number of years ago, when marathon training was relatively new for Lisa after much success at shorter distances.  I have loved hearing of Lisa's marathon achievements since, and her efforts to get back into training and competing at the elite level. 

I ran in the Run for the Kids this year with Lisa.  Well maybe not with her, she didn't actually know I was there, but I cheered her on as she was passing the other way towards the finish line as I was pretty much just starting (she did get a head start though as she would have had pole position while I started a little further back in the field)!

Lisa has been generous enough to take the time to share with us some of insights into nutrition and hydration for long-distance running:

What are your three top priorities when it comes to nutrition?

1. Balance.  I don't believe in fad diets or new products on the market that claim to be the fix for everything!  I believe that if we have a range of healthy food in our diet then we have a better chance of covering all the bases for great performance, recovery and general good health.

2. Chocolate isn't all bad.  A piece of chocolate or a slice of birthday cake because you are celebrating a milestone shouldn't be feared.  Keep the healthy balance going and don't sweat a small treat occasionally.

3. Don't forget to drink.  Hydrating is just as important and requires constant attention as the weather changes and your training loads and locations vary.  I don't use sports drinks on a regular basis now that I know what works for me in a marathon.  Water, some electrolytes and a good cup of tea works well for me.

How does your day-to-day nutrition vary compared to the days leading up to a marathon?

It varies a great deal.  Day to day I eat a balanced diet that is pretty consistent.  Cereal, fruit, meat, lots of green vegies.  When I move into the final week before a marathon I change the amount of protein and carbohydrates I eat that week with the final 3 days leaning to almost a full carbohydrate intake.  This is necessary to ensure the muscles have enough glycogen to get me to the finish line.

What is your favourite recovery meal and why?

Post marathon it’s always a lean meat beef burger and hand cut chunky potato chips.  I assume that is because the body has seen enough energy gels and sports drink to last a lifetime and all it wants is a big chunk of protein and to replace the salt that is missing! 

Post training recovery I love my mum's salmon pattie recipe with a big plate of seasonal vegies (recipe to be posted on Thoughts page in the near future!).  The salmon patties contain rice, so they are a good combination of protein-carb-fats and the vegies fill you up ready for a good night sleep post session.

Do you have any special strategies to stay hydrated with your large volume of training?  Different from summer to winter?

I don't always get this right as I am a busy mum, working part time and training like an elite athlete (you ARE an elite athlete Lisa!).  At times I struggle to remember to drink I must be honest.  But it doesn't take much to spring me into action if I do get it wrong as your sessions give it away pretty quickly.

I think winter is harder than summer as you don’t have the same trigger of heat to remind you to drink.  So I try to have the same big favourite glass on my desk all the time to remind me to drink.  Water bottles go everywhere with me now.  My bright "Girl that runs" bottle and my little Pete's "Paw Patrol flask"!  Pick a good bottle that you want to take with you, an accessory! That will help!

Any final tips for distance runners?

You need to have a bit of an obsessive nature to be a distance runner, but don't let that take over your common sense.  It is ok to have a treat and it is also ok to have a rest day when you need it. 

Best wishes for a great run in Rio Lisa!!  Follow Lisa on Twitter for training and Olympic preparation updates.

Energy For the Mountains - Tour de France Nutrition

If you love sport, then July is possibly your favourite month of the year.  In Australia we are in the middle of our busy winter sports seasons, but we are also spoilt for choice with international events, meaning lots of late nights and bleary-eyed mornings for armchair spectators! 

I have developed an interest in the Tour de France over the years, although I must admit I haven’t seen too many live stages this time around.  As I get older the timezones don’t seem to work so well for me!  I do love watching the amazing TV coverage of this gruelling endurance feat, and being a sports dietitian I take great interest in what the cyclists eat and drink, as well as when and how.  Juggling food and fluids on two wheels is a skill in itself! 

Getting the food and fluid right on multi-stage events like the 21-day Tour de France can impact on how the athletes feel on the bike, how they recover and how they perform.  Extreme sporting events present a number of challenges, with fuelling and hydration being critical for overall success. 

I had initially planned to write a detailed piece about nutrition for the Tour de France, however over the recent two weeks I have seen plenty of great content already published on other sites.  So rather than re-writing,  I will highlight the nutrition priorities below and provide either my own thoughts or link back to other experts. 

So much food, so little time:

When you are on the bike for a fair chunk of the day, plus all of the travel, preparation and commitments, it can be difficult to find time to eat enough.  A recent post from Asker Jeukendrup, exercise physiologist and sports nutritionist,  highlighted some of the research on multi-stage cycling and predicted energy requirements. The amount of energy expended per day for the major cycling tours is estimated to average 6,000 calories.  On the big hill stages, expect up towards 9,000 calories per day.  There are a number of factors that contribute to energy expenditure and there will be wide individual variation, however these figures are a good indicator of how hard to body is working during these events.  The calorie requirement can be 2-3 times what the average male needs to eat in a day! When you consider that 5-6 hours of the 15 or so awake hours is on the bike it doesn’t leave a lot of time to consume that amount of energy.  Particularly when you think that riding up a mountain at altitude (sometimes in the wind and rain) does not make eating an easy task.

For a short but detailed read on how much energy is needed to fuel an elite professional cyclist go to Asker Jeukendrup’s blog, which also provides a visual comparison of what 9,000 calories looks like in burgers!  Can you guess how many?

Food on the bike:

As mentioned, eating while riding is a practiced skill in itself.  Different types of foods and fluids suit different individuals.  Professional teams these days have support staff including dietitians, sports scientists and chefs who help the athletes to achieve optimal performance nutrition during tours.  For more information about the carbohydrate requirements of cyclists during stage events, go to the Premax blog 'Sugar for Cycling Performance. Part 1: How Much is Enough?'.  I have recently started writing for the Premax blog as a guest nutrition contributor, excited to be involved!.

For some practical ideas for home-made snacks on the bike, The Feed Zone website is a great resource, plus they do some great recipe books about the food the pros eat that you can also do yourself at home.  I have the Feed Zone Portables book at home and it’s great.

Food off the bike:

After a day’s racing is when nutrition really needs to step up.  Recovery goals are similar to other sports, with a focus on protein, carbohydrate, electrolytes and fluid.  Elite cyclists working at such high intensities burn a lot of carbohydrate, particularly during hill stages.  Although carbohydrate and protein are essential, it’s important to also think about overall nutrition and incorporating vegetables – not just endless bowls of spaghetti bolognaise.  If you want an insight into see what professional cyclists REALLY eat, follow Orica-Greenedge’s chef Nicki Strobel on Twitter……definitely not just endless bowls of pasta!

 Hydration:

If you have been watching the Tour this year, you would have noticed that some days are raced in the heat of the day with the European sun beating down on sweat-soaked jerseys, while other days jerseys are drenched by the soaking rain, wind and cold.  Hydration is important in all conditions, but fluid losses are likely to be higher in the heat.  The big challenge for multi-stage events is that you only have overnight to recover before you do it all again, so rehydrating strategies are essential to ensure athletes are hydrated on the starting line the next morning.  Sweat means fluid loss, but also potential salt, or electrolyte, losses.  No room for low-salt diets on the Tour trail, with savoury snacks on the bike also being important rather than predominantly sweet options which seem to be popular with cyclists.

Immune system:

Fuelling and recovery are priorities, but with the stress on light and lean bodies at their physical peak, there is also the risk of illness during an unpredictable event such as the Tour de France.  Food options shouldn’t just focus on protein, carbohydrate and fluid, but also the overall nutrient density of foods.  Intake in the lead up to multi-stage events is also important for preparing the body to be in the best condition prior.

This is just the base of the mountain when it comes to Tour de France and endurance nutrition.  Each team and individual athlete will have their own specific nutrition strategies.  Even with the best support team and planning, endurance events are unpredictable, so nutrition plans need to be flexible, and a plan B is always handy.  By the end of the Tour, cyclists will be physically and psychologically exhausted and often a bit lighter on the scales.  Sports nutrition strategies can help throughout a Tour, but are also important in transition periods between events in preparation for the next physical challenge.  

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Best fluids for hydration - look no further than soup

Image courtesy of Bec Doyle Photography

There is nothing better than a piping hot bowl of soup to warm you up on a cold winter's day.   If you are an athlete, that delicious bowl of goodness can be functional too.  Soup is one of the most hydrating fluids you will find and with the right mix of ingredients can tick all the boxes for recovery.  Different types of soup can provide different benefits, and you can create your own soup to match your specific recovery needs.  Did I mention soup can be a great option for weight loss too?

Soup for Hydration

The best way for our body to cool down during exercise is to sweat.  Some people sweat more than others.  Hydration is important for performance, however in winter we may not sweat quite as much and tend to neglect our fluid intake in comparison to the thirsty summer months.  What do athletes usually drink to hydrate?  Water, sports drinks and electrolyte replacement supplements immediately come to mind.  These provide fluid as a priority, but also contain various amounts of carbohydrate for fuel and electrolytes for hydration.  Sports drinks are often designed to provide both carbohydrates and electrolytes, while electrolyte replacement supplements focus more on electrolytes and less on carbohydrate.  Both sports drinks and electrolyte supplements can be beneficial under certain exercise conditions, and can be particularly useful for during training and competition of long duration.  But if you are looking for a pre- or post-exercise option for hydration you really can't go past soup. 

What is so magical about soup??  The main electrolyte in sports drinks and electrolyte replacement powders/tablets/drinks is sodium.  If you look at the nutrition composition of soup it is clear that most soups contains significantly greater amounts of sodium compared to electrolyte replacement supplements.  Why?  Because soup is often high in salt, which is high in sodium.  So unless you are following a low-salt diet for health reasons* and making home-made low-salt soups, you will find that most soups are high in sodium (although it does vary between styles of soup and the exact amount of salt added).  Soup might not always be the first choice of fluid to drink DURING exercise, however it can be well suited to many types of training and competition.  For example, ultra-endurance pursuits where exercise intensity is lower and there may be more opportunity to consume a wider variety of foods/fluids.  Intake during exercise doesn't always have to be sweet!  If soup is not your thing during exercise, it could be worth trying pre- or post-training or an event.  

Check out these figures for sodium and other nutrients, per 100ml of fluid:

Nutrient information per 100ml of fluid.

Ranges provided take into account different brands and preparation techniques, and are estimates only.  Exact composition of specific soups will vary accordingly. For more detailed nutrition composition data for soups in Australia, have a look at the product comparison chart by Dietitian Connection.

* Some people need to reduce salt intake for health reasons, however I find that athletes often restrict sodium believing it is good for them, when in fact many athletes require additional sodium to address their losses via sweat.  If you have a health condition that requires a reduced salt intake then it is important to follow guidelines provided by your health practitioner, but if you are unsure of your individual salt and sodium requirements speak to an Accredited Practicing Dietitian, in conjunction with your GP.

Some soups are extremely high in sodium.  I am not advocating for excessively high salt intakes.  The salt content is high in many processed foods, as you have probably noted from the table above.  Many people get more than enough sodium through food and drinks.  However if you are eating mostly fresh and minimally processed foods, and you lose sodium via sweating during exercise, you may need to consider strategies for adequate sodium intake, particularly around exercise.  It can be difficult to work out exactly how much sodium you need to consume to account for sodium losses, if you unsure about your individual needs have a chat with a Sports Dietitian to help you plan your intake safely and effectively. 

Soup for Pre-exercise

Soup provides fluid, fuel and electrolytes as a perfect pre-exercise package.  Soup can be easy to digest and terrific for stomachs that feel the effects of nerves.  Some people find a solid meal prior to exercise a little hard to manage, so a liquid option can solve the problem.  Smoothies are great too, but if hydration is a priority and heavy sweating is on horizon, then the additional sodium can be useful.  Milk contains sodium too, around the same amount as many sports drinks, but soup tops smoothies for electrolytes. The great thing about soup is that you can tailor it to exercise needs.  Add in some barley or noodles for carbohydrate if fuel requirements are high and try using low GI ingredients such as sweet potato and quinoa if you are looking for sustaining carbohydrates.  Or use rice if you want something quickly digested.  You can also adjust the salt to your taste and hydration needs.  If your training or competition is demanding or lengthy, add extra protein or carbohydrate for a more sustaining chunky style soup.  Or keep it light for before easier sessions where fuel needs are not as high.

Great soups for pre-exercise:

Sweet potato soup, Quinoa and vegetable, Chicken and Sweetcorn, Won Ton soup with noodles

Soup for Recovery

Time to add the protein and carbohydrate for a soup that will help your body re-hydrate, refuel and repair.  Fluid and salt will help you rehydrate.  Ensure recovery soups also contain a decent amount of high quality protein such as meat, chicken or fish to start the muscle recovery process. You may need some extra carbohydrate too, as most soups contain more water and vegetables than carbohydrate.  Choose a soup with a potato/sweet potato, noodle or quinoa base or a minestrone style with pasta and beans.  You may need some bread or crackers too, depending on your carbohydrate requirements.

Great soups for recovery:

Lamb and barley soup, Minestrone soup with beef, Asian style noodle soup with seafood, Chicken and chickpea soup

Soup for Weight Loss

Talk about multi-talented, soup can not only fuel, hydrate and repair, but can help you lose weight too.  The best type of soups for weight loss incorporate broth style rather than cream or carbohydrate base.  Pack as many vegetables in as you can for filling fibre, plus some lean protein, for a low-kilojoule, satisfying and nutritious meal option.  You don't need to have soup 3 meals per day, but maybe take for lunch or a quick and easy dinner.  Make soup in big batches and freeze in individual portions for fuss-free preparation. 

Great soups for weight loss:

Spring vegetable soup, Broccoli soup, Broth style soup with vegetables, Beef and vegetable soup

Want more good news about soup - it's a great way to use up your leftover vegies and add cheap and cheerful legumes for maximum nutrition at minimal cost.  Pull out your biggest pot and make some soup today!

The recipe for my Pumpkin and Lentil Soup as pictured, is from my book Eat Right for Your Life.