Leslie Bonci Nutrition Information-Cross Country

PERFORMANCE EATING FOR XC

Leslie Bonci, MPH,RDN,CSSD,LDN

Email: [email protected]

www.activeeatingadvice.com

Cell: 412-559-5974

IG @boncilj

Twitter @lesliebonci

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1. DRINK ENOUGH

MINIMUM NUMBER OF OUNCES PER DAY = F:70 oz/M 90 oz

ALL FLUIDS COUNT ( EXCEPT ALCOHOL!)

20 oz 1 hr before exercise

14-40 OUNCES Fluid per hour of exercise

Drink 3 cups of fluid for every pound lost

Sports drinks over water during exercise

All energy drinks are not created equally!

Larger gulps over sips

Swallow fluids

Drink, don’t pour on your head

No reason to overdrink

2. ADD SALT IF NECESSARY

If you are a salt loser, you need to use more!

Salty sweat or Salty residue on skin or uniform/clothes

Eat salty foods such as pickles, pretzels

Use salt, Soy or Worcestershire sauce

3. EMPHASIZE CARBOHYDRATES ON THE PLATE

Carbohydrates are not BAD foods!

3-4 grams/pound body weight/day

2/3 of the plate as rice, pasta, potato, bread, cereal, fruit, vegetables

Fuel for muscles during activity

Fuel for the brain during exercise

4. EAT ENOUGH PROTEIN FOR MUSCLE GROWTH AND A HEALTHY IMMUNE SYSTEM

0.5 x body weight (pounds) is the MINIMUM number of grams of protein a day

1 x body weight(pounds) is the MAXIMUM number of grams of protein a day

1/3 of the plate as chicken, fish, meat, eggs, cheese, soy foods nuts, seeds, beans

Body doesn’t really care what type of protein as long as you eat enough!

Body needs carbohydrate and protein to build new muscle

Too MUCH protein usually means Too LITTLE carbohydrate!

5. FAT IS AN ESSENTIAL FUEL FOR EXERCISE

Add some as part of every meal as a spread, peanut butter, salad dressing, or in a food such as cheese, meat, or even a fried food

There is no need to cut fat out of the diet

Limit BEFORE exercise as they can upset your gut!

6. TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Try to eat every 3-4 hours to give your body maximal energy over the day

Eat something within 15 minutes of exercise such as sports drink, cereal bar, trail mix to help your body recover

Try for 12-15 grams of protein with 35 grams of carbohydrate before resistance training to optimize muscle growth and repair

Protein sources (g) Carbohydrate sources (g)

2 TBSP peanut butter- 14 ½ of a bagel- 25 grams

8 oz yogurt- 10 8 oz yogurt- 40 grams carbohydrate

12 oz low-fat chocolate milk- 12 12 oz low-fat chocolate milk- 30 grams

¼ cup nuts- 10 grams 1 cup cereal- 30 grams

2 hard cooked eggs- 14 grams 2 slices of toast- 30 grams

7. HANDLING GUT ISSUES

To prevent upset stomach, diarrhea, heartburn before competition:

TRY TO WATCH

Fatty foods: bacon, sausage, pepperoni, fried chicken, French fries, chips

Caffeine Chocolate

Spicy foods

Lactose containing foods

Lot of fiber Fructose in fruits/fruit juices

LAST SOLID MEAL 3 hours before competition

To HELP with diarrhea

Oatmeal Bananas

Tea Rice

Liquids between, not with meals

Include sports drinks to replace what the body loses

8. FOODS TO INCLUDE RIGHT BEFORE AND DURING MEETS

Honey sticks Jello Sugar cubes Dry cereal Chex mix

Mini pretzels Sports drinks Honey packet Crackers

Gels Individual gel shots

Leslie Bonci Nutrition Information-Track and Field

WHAT TO EAT TO COMPETE- TRACK AND FIELD

Leslie Bonci, MPH,RDN,CSSD,LDN

www.activeeatingadvice.com

412-559-5974 email: [email protected]

IG @boncilj Twitter @lesliebonci

PRE-RACE EATING GAME PLAN

When you wake up- 12-20 ounces of fluid- water, juice, milk

Fuel within the first hour of waking:

A yogurt and a granola bar

A peanut butter sandwich

A glass of chocolate milk and a handful of dry cereal

A bowl of cereal and milk

A ham and cheese wrap

Scrambled eggs (2) with toast

2 waffles with syrup and a glass of low fat milk or soy milk

If you don’t have much appetite –pick from these:

A few graham crackers

A 4 ounce container of gelatin

A few crackers

A handful of trail mix

And something to drink- 20 ounces

If you are too tired to chew first thing in the morning:

Sports drink

A yogurt smoothie

A glass of chocolate milk

LUNCH

A wrap

A turkey or ham or tuna sub

A salad with protein of some kind: chicken, tuna, egg, ham, cheese and a roll or crackers with it

Pasta with sauce

Chinese- stir fry meat and veggies over steamed rice

If you don’t have much appetite

A yogurt smoothie and 1/2 bagel

2 handfuls of trail mix and a sports drink

Peanut butter crackers, fruit and something to drink ( not soda)

AND WITH LUNCH- 20 ounces of fluid

POST PM PRACTICE

Again- the 15 minute rule: something to eat AS SOON AS you are done with practice- BEFORE you shower or go to dinner

A handful of cereal

½ of a bagel

Sports drink

A piece of fruit and lemonade

A small box or raisins and a granola bar or some pretzels

DINNER MEAL

1/3 of the plate as some kind of protein: eggs, beans, chicken, fish, meat, turkey, cheese, cottage cheese, veggie burger

1/3 of the plate as the pasta, rice, potato, a tortilla, bread, crackers

1/3 of the plate as fruit/vegetables as salad, cooked vegetables, soup, fruit

And

20 ounces of something to drink

EVENING SNACK

Something light such as

A bowl of cereal Packet of oatmeal

Yogurt Popcorn

Soft pretzel Fruit

Graham crackers Animal crackers

And 20 ounces of something to drink

EATING FOR RACES

I would like you to think about eating in the days leading up to the games.

Capitalize on getting more food into you on NON game days

A little more cereal, bread, pasta, fruit, rice on those days to ensure you have enough fuel in your muscles

2 DAYS BEFORE:

At each meal: Add one of the following:

A piece of fruit

A small glass of juice

An additional handful of cereal

A slice of bread

An additional spoonful of rice/pasta/potato

ON RACE DAYS

I want you to start out with more in the morning

A larger bowl of cereal

Or 1 extra granola bar

Or 1 more pancake

And a larger glass of fluid

For the meal 3 hours before games:

A little more food- an extra 1/3-1/2 of a sandwich

Or an extra spoonful of pasta and a larger glass of fluid

And before meets:

30 minutes before

4-5 sugar cubes

2 honey sticks

10 oz of Gatorade or Powerade

Gatorade Prime

A Gel/Gu/Shot/Bloks

4 ounces gelatin-jello

And for salty sweaters

More salt as part of every meal 2-3 days before

Or add Soy sauce, soup, chicken bouillon added to rice, or pickles

Nutrition Information

Created by Coach Joella, PR High School Cross Country Coach

Nutrition for teenage boys

• Teenage athletes burn calories incredibly quickly. This is because their bodies are still rapidly growing while expending extra energy through sports activities. If a teenage athlete doesn’t eat enough or doesn’t eat the right types of nutrients, he risks decreased athletic performance and possible growth problems. Healthy eating allows a teen athlete to achieve his peak performance without compromising overall health.

• Calories: teenage boys require between 2,000 to 5,000 calories each day just to maintain their body weight and energy needs. If a teen boy doesn’t take in enough calories, he will lose weight and his energy levels will decrease. Frequent snacking is an important way that teenage boy athletes can eat healthy, because it allows them to get in the extra calories they require.

• Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are very important for teenage athletes because they are the main source of fuel for the body. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat bread and oatmeal, are healthy choices of carbohydrates because they are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Karen Bergs, a Registered Dietitian with Utah State University, recommends that teenage athletes get 60 to 65 percent of their calories from carbohydrates. For example, if they eat 2,200 calories in a day, they should eat at least 330 grams of carbohydrates.

• Protein: A teenage athlete needs protein because it helps strengthen the muscles. Utah State University recommends that teenage athletes consume 12 to 15 percent of their calories from protein, but they should not overdo the protein as eating too much protein may have harmful side effects like liver problems. Good sources of protein include fish, poultry, dairy products, nuts, eggs, soy products and tofu.

• Fat: High-fat foods are often stereotyped as being unhealthy. Teenagers who are watching their weight usually try to avoid fat in their diet, but fat is an important nutrient and should not be skipped out on by the teen athlete. Fats are used for long-lasting energy. They recommend eating healthy fats such as salmon, avocados, olive oil and nuts. Fats should make up 20 to 30 percent of a teenage athlete’s diet.

• Water: Though it’s not thought of as a nutrient, water is actually one of the most important nutrients there is. Teenage athletes are at risk for dehydration if they don’t continually drink water throughout their physical activity. Teenage athletes lose water through sweat, they can become weak and tired. It is recommended to drink water before and after exercise and every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. There is not a specific amount of water that all teenage athletes need to drink as the amount required depends on the duration and intensity of the sport, as well as body weight. The most important thing is to drink water often.

Nutrition for the Female Teen Athlete

Nutrition for athletes has three purposes: 1) maximize initial performance; 2) sustain maximal performance; and 3) rapid recovery. For the female athlete, proper nutrition is also needed to maintain menstrual cycle and bone health.

The menstrual cycle is an additional energy user, so female athletes need to eat both for athletic performance and to maintain a normal menstrual cycle. Adequate nutrition also helps sustain normal levels of estrogen, a hormone needed not only to maintain normal menstrual cycle, but also to stimulate bone growth. Consequently, inadequate nutrition causes problems with athletic performance, the menstrual cycle—e.g., prolonged time between periods or complete cessation of periods—and bone health.

If a female athlete lacks adequate caloric intake, it will impact her athletic performance and her bone development, while also causing abnormal menstruation.

Calorie Guidelines

So, how should a female athlete eat to achieve all these goals? First, she needs to consume enough calories every day. Calories equal energy, not excess weight. This means eating more than 40 calories per kilogram of bodyweight per day, or 20 calories per pound. Thus, a female athlete who weighs 120 pounds needs more than 2,400 calories per day. This is the minimum number of calories she needs to maintain health and good performance.

Because gaining weight is often a concern, the athlete needs first to ensure she is eating more than this amount daily and then watch her weight. If she finds herself gaining a few pounds, she should not worry! This just demonstrates that she was not eating enough previously. The extra calories will actually help to improve her performance, which is her ultimate goal.

To break it down further, all athletes need at least 6g of carbohydrates (sugars and starches) per kilogram per day, or 3 grams per pound, as well as 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram per day, or 0.7 grams per pound. So, a female athlete who weighs 120 pounds—needing more than 2,400 calories per day—should consume 360 grams of carbohydrates and 84 grams of protein per day. Since each gram of carbohydrate and protein delivers four calories, these amounts will actually equal not quite 1,800 calories. The rest can be filled with healthy fats, carbohydrates or protein.

A good example is a nut butter (peanut, soy, sunflower, etc.) and jelly sandwich on whole grain bread. This is an excellent athletic meal because of the carbohydrates—fast-acting sugars in the jelly and long-lasting starches in the bread—and the protein in the nut butter. In addition, the fats in the nut butter are "good" fats, ones the body actually needs to perform well. Meats are excellent sources of protein, and beans are a great source of both carbohydrate and protein. On the other hand, a piece of cake wouldnot be a good choice, because it has calories, carbohydrates and bad fats but virtually no protein.

Two final points: 1) vegetarians and vegans have to be especially careful to make sure they are maintaining an adequate diet and getting the right nutrients with every meal; and 2) post-exercise meals should contain about 6g of carbohydrates/pound and 0.1g of protein/pound.

Many different combinations can be used, and each athlete should experiment with various foods to find the ones that works best. Just remember, you have to eat well to perform well!

Summary

• Eat more than 20 calories per pound per day

• Eat more than 3g of carbohydrates per pound per day

• Eat more than 0.7g of protein per pound per day

• Eat some good fats—between 20 and 30 percent of total calories

• Eat carbohydrates and protein before and after exercising

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (not juices), but do not include their calories in your overall intake. They provide a wealth of micronutrients athletes need but are too low in calories to make a difference

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Leslie Bonci Nutrition Information-Cross Country

1. DRINK ENOUGH

Leslie Bonci Nutrition Information-Track and Field

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