A couple of years ago, I had the great opportunity to attend SPORTS NUTRITION CLASSES as part of a rehab program in the rehabilitation center I spent a dozen weeks in, after a knee injury.
The CERS is a promised land for injured high level athletes who come from all around Europe to be brought back to the top in the hands of very professional medical teams, being provided with rehabilitation, workout, weight lifting, cardio, proprioception, reathletisation sessions and programs at a sustained pace with a heavy schedule of 5 1/2 days a week, and 8 hours a day...
All of this in a breathtaking setting: the center was built on the ocean side (the rehabilitation hall has a bay window - or rather a glass wall, onto the Atlantic ocean).
The CERS is a promised land for injured high level athletes who come from all around Europe to be brought back to the top in the hands of very professional medical teams, being provided with rehabilitation, workout, weight lifting, cardio, proprioception, reathletisation sessions and programs at a sustained pace with a heavy schedule of 5 1/2 days a week, and 8 hours a day...
All of this in a breathtaking setting: the center was built on the ocean side (the rehabilitation hall has a bay window - or rather a glass wall, onto the Atlantic ocean).
I did three stays of 4 weeks each in 2012 and learnt a great deal of things on various levels there, practically, physically, psychologically and socially speaking... (a little overview here)
We also had classes on sports nutrition, on which I had written an article during my first stay but I had mistaken a few notions so that the reasoning is simplistic and ERRONEOUS. However, THE MEAL SUGGESTIONS listed in there are correct, but not always for the stated reasons.
Here is a correction as well as a further look into NUTRITION ADAPTED TO THE NEEDS OF SPORTSPEOPLE, based on the powerpoint presentation I made during the Team France Training of last Fall.
Focus: Optimizing your effort conditions with good energy supply before, during and after effort. How? In understanding the absorption processes according to the types of food.
You can also refer to my notes on SPORTS HYDRATION with several useful tips and recaps related to sports nutrition!
Daily Food Intake .1
Carbs Absorption .2
Fat Absorption .3
Proteins Absorption .4
Pre-Effort Food Intake .6
Energy Supply During Effort .7
1. DAILY FOOD INTAKE
DIGESTION
The digestion process for a normal meal takes 3 HOURS.
► Avoid physical activity immediately after eating: doing effort while digesting can lead to bloating, fake feeling of hunger, cramps and soreness.
► Refuel every 3 hours.
FOOD INTAKES AT REGULAR HOURS
Refueling every 3 hours leads to a simple calculation: you need 3 MEALS + 1 or 2 SNACKS / DAY (at regular hours).
► DO NOT SKIP MEALS: Skipping breakfast will result in a general tiredness, and skipping any other meal will lead your organism to limit its energy consumption and stock up in reprisal at the next meal.
FOOD PYRAMID AND DIVERSITY
NEVER SUPPRESS 1 CATEGORY
even to 'rebalance' if you overdosed at the previous meal/day
this will only lead you to a NEW DISEQUILIBRIUM
(Note: There are quantity variations according to sources but you get the idea)
HYDRATION (Read MORE)
► WATER is the only ESSENTIAL DRINK.
► Drink IN-BETWEEN food intakes, little portions but often, so that you don't drown your digestive tract and help the food assimilation: one or two mouthful every 5 to 10 minutes during effort.► DURING meals don't drink more than one glass: too much liquid will doubly extend your digestion in 1) drowning your stomach and 2) diluting your gastric juice making its action less efficient.► DON'T wait to be thirsty to drink, it's the sign that it's already too late. A bad hydration is a source of muscle and tendon problems (tendinitis...)► WHAT to drink for a GOOD hydration: STILL WATER (TAP OR SPRING) at ambiant temperature. Avoid mineral water on a daily basis as too much minerals will only have a disturbing effect on a balanced organism. Avoid the bloating effect of sparkling water before/during effort. However, it is a good idea to drink specific mineral (often sparkling) waters rich in sodium, magnesium and bicarbonates in the 4 to 6 hours after effort to optimize your recovery.
► Alcohol has a very strong power of dehydratation. To be avoided during the preparation and recovery phases (and during effort - do I really have to mention it?)
Now that we have established WHEN to eat,
let's talk about WHAT to eat according to your needs.
But in order to know what,
you should understand HOW the food you ingest is going to be treated by your organism
in order to make the right choices by yourself.
2. CARBS ABSORPTION
FAST AND SLOW CARBS: ERRONEOUS NOTIONS
This is a theoretical reflexion based on the assumption that complex carbs take more time to be digested (and thus to be available in the organism) than simple carbs, because they need more work of breaking down.
This is FALSE. Two processes are mistaken:
GASTRIC EMPTYING (variable ±3h)Vs.SPEED OF CARB ABSORPTION(time needed for glucose to appear in blood = 25-30 min)
Yet, 80% of carbs and 50% of proteins are absorbed during the first 70 cm of the small intestine... Meaning that half an hour after ingestion, you have already assimilated most of the absorbable energy available in the food!
Thus, even if the complete digestion and gastric emptying takes more time (3h), a good part of the assimilation has been done after only 30 min, whether your food was made of simple or complex carbs.
DIGESTION - ABSORPTION CLOSE-UP
The DIGESTION consists of all the processes that will transform the ingested food into nutrients, likely to be assimilated/absorbed:
- Your food intake makes a first stop into your stomach for a first modification;
- Then follows its way along the small intestine where the digestive enzymes keep on with the transformation work in breaking down the carbohydrates into single glucose molecules, a process called HYDROLISIS;
- The glucose molecules are then ABSORBED into your blood in crossing the intestinal barrier.
GLYCEMIC INDEX (GI): THE SELECTIVE SORTING
► As mentioned above, the digestion enables the transformation of carbs, so that they become suitable for a possible absorption into blood. The GI measures the rate of carbs transformed into glucose which are actually absorbed.
In other words: the GI measures the capacity of a carbohydrate to increase your blood sugar level (the rate of glucose in your blood).
- Indeed all the energy you had in your plate will not cross the intestinal barrier, i.e. will not be absorbed by your organism. That selective sorting depends on several factors varying from the food family and composition to its preparation and cooking as well as its context (the other food it is ingested with).
► A FEW PRACTICAL EXAMPLES:
- The GI of glucose syrup is 100, meaning that its rate of absorption is 100%.
- White bread has a GI of 70, i.e. 70% of its glucose content will cross the intestine barrier after its transformation into glucose, and will be thus available into the organism.
| KCAL in plate for 100g of CARBS | Glycemic Index (GI) | KCAL available in organism after absorption (GLUCOSE) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glucose Syrup | 400 kcal | 100 | 400 kcal |
| French Fries | 400 kcal | 95 | 380 kcal |
| White Bread | 400 kcal | 70 | 280 kcal |
| Lentils | 400 kcal | 30 | 120 kcal |
GI VARIATIONS ACCORDING TO STARCHES FAMILIES
► There are 4 STARCHES FAMILIES:
- CEREALS: Wheat (durum, bread), Rice, Corn, Oat, Barley, Rye...
- TUBERS: Potato, Sweet potato, Manioc, Yam...
- LEGUMES: Beans, Peas, Chick-peas, Broad beans, Lentils...
- FRUITS: Banana, Mango, Apple...
► The GI variations from one family to another is due to the amylose / amylopectin ratio, which are the two molecular components of a starch grain: THE LESS AMYLOSE, THE MORE AVAILABLE ENERGY IN THE END. Thus, cereals (w/ less amylose) will provide more energy than legumes (w/ more amylose)...
GI MODIFICATIONS: STARCH GELATINISATION & RETROGRADATION
There are several factors, other than the mere composition of the food, which make its GI vary: Gelatinisation increases the GI but Pastification slows it down; conversely Retrogradation enables the GI to return to its original rate...
► the GELATINISATION of starch works as following:
low ratio of amylose = strong gelatinisation = more easily hydrolised/transformed = more glucose = more energy!
Here are some situations leading to that gelatinisation process:
► Some other industrial processes such as the PASTIFICATION (or extrusion) of the pasta dough tend to slow down the gelatinisation.
- COOKING w/ HYDRATION + HEAT
e.g. carots: raw (GI 20) < cooked (GI 50)
e.g. pasta cooking time: al dente (5-6 min) < extended (15-20 min)- Some INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES
e.g. flakes of instant mashed potatoes, corn flakes, pop-corn, puffed rice
- SAME dough but DIFFERENT treatment
e.g. spaghetti (GI 40) < ravioles/lasagna (GI 70):
► The reverse effect also exists: the RETROGRADATION is the return (more or less) to the previous molecular structure (i.e. the reduction of the GI).
- COOLING DOWN (e.g. starches in the fridge) and DRYING UP (e.g. bread)
- The same piece of bread made of the same flour will have a different GI according to whether it is freshly baked (hot), cold, toasted, stale...
OTHER GI MODIFICATIONS
►(-) PROTEINS & FIBERS CONTENT
Proteins: may be the source of a lesser hydrolisis/absorption
e.g. Cereals
Fibers: may impeach the action of the amylases and reduce absorption
e.g. Legumes, Brown bread vs. White bread...
►(+) DEGREE OF MATURATION / AGING
e.g. banana: unripe (GI 40) < ripe (GI 65) (just like potatoes...)
►(+) PARTICLE SIZE: GRINDING increases the GI
The thinner the particles, the easier the hydrolisis/absorption
e.g. the wheat flour has a higher GI than the wheat grain it is made of!
3. FAT ABSORPTION
USER PREFERENCES ACCORDING TO THE TYPE OF FATTY ACID
There are 3 TYPES of FATTY ACIDS with different metabolic effects although their energetic value is the same. Just like starches, all ingested fatty acid is not necessarily absorbed.
| SATURATED | MONOUNSATURATED | POLYUNSATURATED |
|---|---|---|
| Butter, Beef/Mutton/Porc fat, Palm oil... | Olive oil, Duck/Goose fat... | 'Omega-3' Fish fat, Rapeseed/Linseed oil... |
| STOCKED (not immediately used) | PREFERENTIALLY USED after absorption | SYSTEMATICALLY USED |
 |
...or a more realistic version:CH2-O-CO-R1 | CH-O-CO-R2 | CH2-O-CO-R3 |
MODULATIONS OF ABSORPTION
► The absorption of lipids is modulated by the position of the fatty acids on the GLYCEROL. 95% of the dietary fat is ingested in the form of TRIGLYCERIDES, a glycerol molecule on which are fixed three fatty acids in position 1, 2 and 3.
► Only the fatty acids on P2 are well absorbed. The enzymes work better on some positions.
- e.g. butter: 80% of the (saturated) fatty acids are in P2 and are thus completely absorbable, just like UNFERMENTED milk and dietary products.
- e.g. the fatty acids of FERMENTED and RIPENED cheese are on P1 and P3. Moreover calcium also contributes to lessen the absorption.
4. PROTEIN ABSORPTION
MODULATIONS OF ABSORPTION
► The absorption of proteins is modulated by their ORIGIN. A protein is made of several AMINO ACIDS, the absence of one or of several preventing the good use of the present ones...
- ANIMAL ORIGIN: 100% absorbed and available
- VEGETAL ORIGIN (soy excepted): 70% Chick-peas, 50% Lentils, 36% Wheat...
AS A CONCLUSION
The food you INGEST is not totally ABSORBED
ABSORPTION DEPENDS ON MANY FACTORS LINKED TO:
THE FOOD ITSELF (composition)
ITS CONTEXT (chemical reactions with the rest of your meal)
ITS TREATMENT (preparation process).
Note: that was a non-exhaustive overview on carbs, fat and proteins
but don't forget the rest (vitamins, minerals...)
which also react to similar types of chemical reactions!
Note: that was a non-exhaustive overview on carbs, fat and proteins
but don't forget the rest (vitamins, minerals...)
which also react to similar types of chemical reactions!
5. PRE-EFFORT FOOD INTAKE
NOW let's go back to the subject of energy supply for better effort conditions
with MEAL SUGGESTIONS that should make total sense in the light of the previous paragraphs.
THE LAST MEAL
The ideal last (pre-effort) meal should be both ENERGETIC and DIGEST.
► DIGESTING takes TIME AND ENERGY. Avoid copious meals or meals with food that's hard to digest.
Limit the quantity of 'useful' food and avoid 'useless' food. Don't forget to chew and salivate no matter how unsexy it may be!
► LIMIT THE VOLUME OF LIQUID (see above and HERE)
► Avoid PHYSICAL ACTIVITY immediately after.
BREAKFAST
► If you SKIP BREAKFAST or have it too late, your organism starts the day with a DEFICIENCY that cannot be caught up. Hence the general tiredness.
► Here is a breakfast suggestion:
► Not recommended food:
- PROTEIN: Dairy cheese, ham and/or egg (the protein is in the white, sorry!)
- ENERGY: White bread and/or Cereals and/or Banana... according to your appetite, your digestive capacities and the proximity of your effort.
- DRINK: Tea or Coffee.
- MILK IS NOT DIGEST. (sorry again!)
As you grow up, you have less and less enzymes to digest lactose. It is a kid's drink! Furthermore, these enzymes are inactivated during physical effort, so that milk is particularly not recommended for sportspersons... However, rice and soy and other milks of vegetal origin, not being animal products, do not contain lactose and are suitable in a sports diet.- AVOID TOO MUCH SUGAR i.e. jam, honey, fruit juice... (I'll stop apologizing.)
But FRUIT JUICE remains a good option for a recovery snack for example.
You would be inclined to say that HONEY is better than sugar, nutritively speaking. It is true that honey has minerals, etc. that are not present in sugar. However given that 1 individual portion of honey (20g) is equivalent to 3 of sugar, honey is not the best bet for such a breakfast.As you must have realized, jam and honey are not in favor here. On the other hand, BUTTER and margarine will be well assimilated at the beginning of the day!- LIMIT THE VOLUME OF LIQUID (see above and HERE)
- FIBERS TAKE LONGER TO DIGEST
Avoid all raw fruits (except bananas <3) and brown bread/cereals if you have an imminent training.
► Tip to start the day: DRINK A GLASS OF WATER at least 15 min before starting your breakfast, in order to rehydrate yourself and gently wake up your digestive tract. You may add LEMON JUICE (without sugar) to help lymphatic draining.
LUNCH
► Suggestion of lunch preceding physical effort:
- STARTER: cooked vegetables or starches (beetroot, French beans... tabbouleh...)
- MAIN DISH: FISH (the flesh is easier to digest than that of meat) or WHITE MEAT (chicken) and STARCHES (pasta, rice...)
Let's not forget that there is as much, and sometimes more, protein in 100g of fish than in 100g of meat. AVOID RED MEAT as it is very acid and thus bad for your muscles. As for soy steaks, they have more fibers and are consequently less digest.
Try to AVOID SAUCES as they make dishes longer to digest too. You can have a dash of oil instead.- AFTERS: low-fat dairy product and/or cooked fruits. No raw fruits except BANANAS <3
- BREAD: white.
► Optimizing the digestion of your lunch.Take into consideration the 'last meal' tips and add:
- Stop drinking at least 15 min before.
- Wait at least 1 hour before drinking again. The digestion process taking 3 hours, your stomach should be empty by one third after 1 hour, which will leave room for water.
AFTERNOON SNACK
The snack in the mid-afternoon is important as it is the bridge between lunch and dinner. It supplies sufficient but NECESSARY energy in-between two separated food intakes.Note: If needed you can also have a MORNING SNACK although that one is optional.
► Suggestion of snack
- One fruit
- One dairy product
► Recovery snack
Within 30 min after effort
Recovery water rich in recovery minerals (see above and HERE).
DINNER
For DINNER given that this is your last meal before a good night sleep, you don't need much energy or that fast a digestion: the ideal moment to take more fibers with (raw) veg/fruits and brown bread/cereals for example.
Trying to fill up for the next day is a tactical mistake that will prove to be unsuccessful: All the energy absorbed that your organism doesn't need for the night will be stocked. Period.
► Suggestion of dinner:
Note: This also works for normal lunches with no physical effort on the horizon.
- you can have raw vegetables as a starter,
- accompany your fish or your meat with vegetables (a good option being half-starches half-veg)
- and have a raw fruit to finish with for example.
- You may also swap white bread for cereal bread.
► Why you should be CAREFUL WITH CHEESE.
As a proud Frenchie, I love cheese. Unfortunately, and it is no breaking news, cheese is fatty. And this is not (just) a figure problem. FAT MAKES DIGESTION HARDER, not forgetting that it is a source of USELESS ENERGY as it is not directly used as fuel for your body, but stocked most of the time... And that is not all: cheese is the most acidifying food -- even more than red meat. ACID IS PREJUDICIABLE TO MUSCLE ANABOLISM...
Anyway, if you don't have any training planned during the day, you can swap with your cottage cheese at breakfast or with your yoghurt at lunch...
6. ENERGY SUPPLY DURING EFFORT
This is the last point and not the least. How can you get energy during effort? The main problem is that absorption takes time, so that if you take food during effort, the energy will be supplied to your organism a while later, and it will probably be too late.
► PERFORMANCE DRINKI'm talking about sports dietary drinks supplying carbohydrates, not about all those sweetened drinks that took the opportunity of riding the wave of success. HERE for more details.
► ENERGY GELS AND PROTEIN BARS
Sports dietary food will provide the same result of carbs supply. According to the products, they should be taken 30 min before or during effort. See conditions of use.
Just as performance drinks, performance food is subject to lots of quality constraints. Be sure to get products with serious labels on them, such as Wall Protect, Punch Power, Overstim.s...
► Let's not mistake ENERGY BARS and CEREAL BARS!...Just as you should not mistake performance drinks and sweetened drinks and sodas. Cereal bars are very often loaded with too much sugar which can lead to acid waste. Plus, the fat in them is not always of good quality and can lead to inflammations (cf. tendinitis). Bad 'sugar' = bad energy supply.
And don't forget to HYDRATE YOURSELF, one or two mouthfuls every 5 to 10 minutes during effort. It is said that sportsmen should drink 2.5 L and SPORTSWOMEN 1.5 L PER DAY (here again, the info vary according to sources but it gives a general idea).
This article is both far too long and far too short but I hope that it is clear and thourough enough to give you the basic keys to handle your food intakes during periods of intensive sports!
RELATED ARTICLES:
This article is both far too long and far too short but I hope that it is clear and thourough enough to give you the basic keys to handle your food intakes during periods of intensive sports!
RELATED ARTICLES:
Thank you for taking the time to post this article. Very insightful. Definitely will be putting this to use.
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