Putting Principles Into Practice
We are at our best if we eat smaller more frequent meals that are matched to our level of activity.
Many athletes still eat three square meals a day, which is not the best schedule; three squares is the result of industrialisation not biological imperative. We are at our best if we eat smaller more frequent meals that are matched to our level of activity. For the athlete this means, eating less carbohydrate when they are inactive, and more around their training, to facilitate performance and recovery. Many athletes find the best way to eat around the demands of sport and life is to have three larger meals and three snack-sized meals, as opposed to six equally sized ones, which is an effective strategy.
A sample day:
This example is based on a cyclist who normally consumes around 600g grams of carbohydrate a day, and is maintaining weight; on a training day they have a 3-hour ride.
Breakfast:
Porridge cooked in skimmed milk
Scrambled eggs
Mid-morning:
Small chicken breast sandwich on granary bread
Green banana, apple
Lunch:
Performance Meal
Yoghurt (low fat, low sugar pro/pre biotic variety)
Peach
Mid-afternoon:
Cottage cheese and pineapple in pitta bread
Pre-training:
50g chicken breast and basmati rice or a Performance Meal
Directly after training:
25g whey isolate and 50g of glucose in water
Final meal:
Performance Meal
Fruit
Based on a maintenance level of 600g of carbohydrate this plan would provide 500, without any other manipulation the cyclist is consuming 400 calories less, but is optimising their training performance and recovery.
This type of plan where carbohydrate consumption is focused optimises fat loss while maintaining lean mass and optimum performance. AN ATHLETE DOES NOT REQUIRE A RADICAL REDUCTION; IN THIS CASE 16% OF CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE, PROTEIN AND FAT INTAKE HAS BEEN LEFT UNTOUCHED IN TERMS OF TOTALS. HOWEVER, THE DIET DOES FOCUS ON PROVIDING THE NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT THAT HARD TRAINING DEMANDS AND SUPPORTING THE GENERAL HEALTH AND WELL BEING OF THE ATHLETE.
An athlete’s diet does not need to be restrictive, instead it should have a variety of foods, rich in vegetables and fruits, utilising lean protein sources and fish at least twice a week. The main difference between the athlete and the sedentary individual is their total calorie intake, which is significantly higher. Hard training and recovery from it requires both fuel and raw materials to keep the athlete performing at their best. Therefore, an athlete’s diet needs to incorporate a wide range of foods.
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