Carnegie Mellon

Nutrition & Sports

Eating well can help you perform your best whether you're a varsity athlete, an intramural champ, a fitness fanatic, or a casual exerciser. Here are some simple tips to give you the competitive edge...

Eat a small meal or snack every 3 - 4 hours

Don't skip meals and snacks and expect to perform your best. Meeting your carbohydrate, protein, fat, and calorie needs will keep your muscles fueled and ready to perform their best.

Stay hydrated!

Make a conscious effort to drink fluids (water, juice, decaffeinated beverages, and soups) throughout the day. A simple way to gauge fluid needs is to weigh nude before and after a workout. A minimal weight loss indicates effective fluid-replacement intake. Weight loss of more that 2 pounds indicates dehydration, inadequate fluid intake, and you need to drink more during your next exercise session. Gaining weight during exercise is a sure sign of excessive drinking or over-hydration, so you should reduce the amount you are drinking during you next exercise session. Below are general fluid recommendations:

• 2 hours before you exercise:
Drink 16 ounces of fluid (450ml)
• 10 to 15 minutes before you exercise:
Drink another 8-16 ounces of fluid (225-450 ml)
• During exercise:
Drink 4-8 ounces (6-8 gulps) of fluid every 15-20 minutes
• After exercise:
Drink 16-24 ounces (450-675 ml) for every pound of weight lost during that workout

If your activity lasts less than 60 minutes, stick to water. In prolonged exercise, sports drinks help maintain salt, sugar and potassium levels in your body and enhance performance. Cool beverages are better absorbed than warm ones.

Eat to compete!

Fuel your body with food and fluid before, during, and after your sports event or workout.

Before the event

Eat your pre-event meal 1 - 4 hours before your event. The closer in time the meal is to the event, the lighter it should be. Your pre-event meal should be high in complex carbohydrates and fluid, and low in fat, fiber, concentrated sugars and gas-producing foods. A pre-event meal could be:

• Cranberry juice, cereal, a banana, skim milk, and toast, bagel or English muffin with jelly
• Chicken noodle soup, crackers or bread, a baked potato, and tomato juice
• Vegetable stir fry with chicken, shrimp, or tofu over rice, and a fruit salad
• Hummus and pita bread with a Greek salad topped with feta cheese
• Lentils or chickpeas in a tomato sauce over pasta, parmesan cheese, and a glass of skim milk

During the event

Drink fluids (6-8 gulps) every 15 - 20 minutes. For events lasting longer than 60 minutes, a sports drink or juice diluted to half strength are good options. Choose sports drinks with 6 to 10% carbohydrate (sucrose, glucose, maltodextrin). Beverages with more that 10% sugar (Kool Aid, soft drinks and fruit juice) can slow absorption and cause cramps, diarrhea and nausea.

After the event

Eat carbohydrates and protein within 30 minutes after exercising, followed by a full meal 1 - 4 hours after the event to replenish your muscle glycogen stores. Bagels, crackers, yogurt, bananas, and frozen fruit bars are good choices. Don't forget to drink plenty of fluids. After heavy and strenuous workouts (last 4 hours or longer) it is important to replace the salt and potassium lost during the training. Eat some salty foods such as pretzels, and potassium rich foods such as fruits and vegetables.

Protein and amino acid supplements are unnecessary!

Not only are protein and amino acid supplements costly, for the most part they are unnecessary. Although athletes need slightly more protein than non-athletes, protein and amino acid requirements can be met through your increased calorie needs. Good dietary sources of protein include lean meat and poultry; fish and seafood; low-fat cheese; low and non-fat dairy products; eggs; dried beans, peas, and lentils, cooked; tofu; and peanut butter.

Remember that muscle strength, shape, and size come from athletic training, not from protein supplements. In fact, too much protein or too many amino acids can cause kidney strain, nutrient imbalance, dehydration, and increased fat storage.

Vitamin and mineral supplements

Although scientists are still studying vitamin and mineral requirements of active people, they appear to be similar to the general requirements for healthy Americans. When a person is active, he or she usually eats a larger amount of food to meet increased energy requirements. So it is important to eat nutritious foods from all food groups because they will supply not only the extra energy but the extra vitamins and minerals too. Athletes should pay attention to eating iron and calcium rich foods, which many collage students do not consume in adequate amounts. In general, if you eat a wide variety of foods from all food groups, vitamin and mineral supplementation is unnecessary. However, if you choose to take supplements, select a multivitamin and mineral supplement [containing about 100% of the Recommended Daily Value], rather than individual vitamins or minerals.

Be aware of nutrition misinformation!

Nutrition misinformation abounds when it comes to athletic prowess. Be cautious and avoid spending money on magic potions and pills that claim they will make you a superstar. Nothing but hard work, sound nutrition, and some good old fashion luck will do that. Schedule an appointment with the Student Health Nutritionist to discuss your concerns about exercise and nutrition by calling 8-2157.