Sports Nutrition By Tilly, Tara, Chrysoula, Sarah and

Sophie Booth

Introduction – Eating Before Sport

Food consumed before exercise is only useful once it has been digested and absorbed. These meals leading up to exercise should contain carbohydrates, energy and should include protein, vitamins and minerals. Foods higher in fat, protein and fibre tend to take longer to digest than other foods, and may increase the risk of stomach discomfort during exercise, and should therefore not be consumed before exercise.

What to eat 3-4 hours before sport

The following foods are suitable to eat 3-4 hours before exercise:• crumpets with jam or honey + flavoured milk• baked potato + cottage cheese filling + glass of milk• baked beans on toast• breakfast cereal with milk• bread roll with cheese/meat filling + banana• fruit salad with fruit-flavoured yoghurt• pasta or rice with a sauce based on low-fat

ingredients (e.g. tomato, vegetables, lean meat)

What type of food to eat 1-2 hours before exercise

The following snacks are suitable to eat 1-2 hours before exercise:• liquid meal supplement• milk shake or fruit smoothie• sports bars (check labels for carbohydrate and

protein content)• breakfast cereal with milk• cereal bars• fruit-flavoured yoghurt• fruit

What to eat 1 hour before exercise

The following foods are suitable to eat if there is less than 1 hour before exercise:• sports drink• carbohydrate gel• cordial• sports bars• jelly lollies

General Information

Recovery is a challenge for athletes

Muscle glycogen is the main fuel used by the body during moderate and high intensity exercise.

Recovery encompasses a complex range of processes that include;• refueling the muscle and liver glycogen

(carbohydrate) stores

Introduction – Post sport

• replacing the fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat

• manufacturing new muscle protein, red blood cells and other cellular components as part of the repair and adaptation process

• allowing the immune system to handle the damage and challenges caused by the exercise bout

Carbohydrates

• In the immediate post exercise period, athletes are encouraged to consume a carbohydrate rich snack or meal that provides 1-1.2 g of carbohydrate per kg body weight within the first hour of finishing, as this is when rates of glycogen synthesis are greatest.– To fuel up for a race, 350-840 g per day for a 70kg

athlete of carbohydrates is ideal to ensure adequate glycogen stores.

Fluids

• Research suggests that many athletes fail to adequately drink sufficient volumes of fluid to restore fluid balance.

• Athletes should aim to consume 125-150% of their estimated fluid losses in the 4-6 hours after exercise

• Fluid replacement alone will not guarantee re-hydration after exercise.

Immunity and General Health

• In general, the immune system is suppressed by intensive training

• Ensuring adequate carbohydrate stores before exercise and consuming carbohydrate during and/or after a prolonged or high-intensity work-out has been shown to reduce the disturbance to immune system markers

Food Supplements

• Many athletes fall into the trap of becoming reliant on sports food supplements, believing this to be the only and/or best way to meet their recovery goals.

• Unless constrained by poor availability or lack of time, athletes are best advised to favour real food/fluid options that allow them to meet recovery and other dietary goals simultaneously.