Day 232 - Strategize Your Diet Part 3

The last couple of blogs have been about eating carbohydrates and proteins at correct times. Today's blog will be a couple of last tips for other ideas on how to strategize your diet!

Stay Hydrated - Athletes and non-athletes alike should drink more fluids, especially if you are exercising. One of the first signs of fatigue is due to dehydration. A simple rule is if you are not going to the bathroom at least every 3 hours, then you are probably not drinking enough. That means that you should also increase your fluid intake on hotter days and days of intense exercise. Stay away from sugary and caffeinated beverages though as they act as diuretics, stick to just plain ol' water! It is tough to judge exactly how much you should be drinking sometimes based on weather, exercise intensity, etc. so try this: Weigh yourself before and after an exercise session. The weight you lost will be almost entirely water through sweating and respiration. For every pound of weight lost, drink 3 cups of water (750ml) to re-hydrate your body. You should not always wait until you are thirsty because thirst indicates you are already well on your way to being completely dehydrated!

Don't Be Afraid of Salt - If you exercise intensely, you need salt in your diet as well. Your body keeps a fine balance between water and salt content, so if you are trying to maintain a low-salt diet, your body will just be expelling more and more water to counteract this. Now I am not saying that you need to go overboard and eat a bag of pretzels before a workout, but sports drinks usually do the trick of replenishing your "electrolytes" (salts). Just don't guzzle down a sports drink and then go sit and be an armchair quarterback...that gets us back to "Strategize Your Diet - Part 1" taking in useless carbs!

Get Outside - Many old-school bodybuilders were onto something when they would leave the gym and go soak up some rays. Yes, they were probably just trying to get a nice bronzed look, but research has now shown that some unprotected sun exposure, allowing your body to create Vitamin D the natural way, has many benefits to muscular (and other body parts) health and well-being. If you don't get enough sun, like many northern-climate countries, then taking a supplement will help as well!

Use these, as well as the tips discussed in the previous two posts to help maximize your diet and allow you to reap the most benefits from your exercise program possible! There is a saying in the fitness industry, "You can't out-train a bad diet" so if you are putting in the time in the gym to get fit, why squander those results by not cleaning up your diet too?

Quote of the day:

"Fear is what stops you... courages is what keeps you going."

~ Unknown


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Day 29 - Water Myth

Drinking Water Flushes Out Fat – MYTH.

I have to laugh at this one. Have you ever mixed water and oil together? What happens to that oil? It pools on top of the water in little droplets. When was the last time you went pee and noticed little oil slicks in the toilet?

Water does a lot of good for the body, but flushing out fat it does not. Often times, we confuse hunger for thirst, so if you are ever feeling hungry, try a glass of water first.

Secondly, a dehydrated person will notice a substantial energy drop which makes your workouts suffer. Some studies have even shown a boost in your metabolism if you start your day with a cold glass of water. Whether that works or not, it certainly doesn't hurt!

Quote of the day:

"It doesn’t matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going."
-Brian Tracy

Day 26 - Water is a "First World Problem"

For those of you who have never seen an example of the popular "First World Problem" meme (as seen above), let me explain. These "memes" are used to display a 'problem' that faces individuals in first-world nations.

There seems to be a limitless supply of these memes (pronounced meems) that you can easily find with a simple search engine, but I seem to find this one as striking as any other because of the real-world examples I have witnessed with this one.

I can't even count on both hands and feet, the number of times I have heard a friend, family member, or coworker use the phrase, "Well I can't just drink water!"...

My response to that is, "Why the %^*& not?" Unfortunately, we live in a society that truly cherishes beverages of all types. Why is this unfortunate that we have so much choice? Because for a majority of our beverage choices, the sugar and/or fat content in these drinks are through the roof!

I don't really want to turn this into a discussion about world politics and infrastructure, but I want you to sit back and really think about this number for a second:

"According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP), 37% per cent of the developing world’s population – 2.5 billion people – lack improved sanitation facilities, and over 780 million people still use unsafe drinking water sources."

780 million is well over twice the popluation of the United States, and roughly 23 times the population of Canada!

So a better comment that one should make, rather than "Well I can't just drink water!" should be, "I don't want to drink water." Instead, I am going to make a less-healthy choice for something that has some flavor to it.

The unfortunate part about flavored beverages, is that the body does not satisfy its satiety (hunger pangs) through liquids, so all of those extra calories that you drink in essentially go unnoticed and only add an extra notch to your pant size.

The truth of the matter is that water is the perfect beverage for human beings. It has zero calories, it satisfies thirst, it is delicious, and most importantly, your body needs it to survive.

How can it be delicious? If you spend some time cutting out all of those other junky, calorie-laden drinks from your diet, you will soon begin to appreciate the simplicity beauty of a cold glass of water. If you really can't get your mind around drinking that stuff, then find a (healthy) way to spruce it up a bit for yourself such as adding lemon or cucumber. Please stay away from artificial sweeteners, however, as that can lead you down another road that can be just as bad...

Many of my readers out there have access, right now, to clean, delicious, FREE water. No, you most certainly do not need to buy it in bottles with a ridiculous markup either! If you don't believe me, watch this great video:

Quote of the day:

"There's no such things as coulda, shoulda, or woulda. If you shoulda and coulda, you woulda done it."
-Pat Riley

Day 25 - Meal Timing

A while back I discussed different ways to strategize your diet (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). The reason why I mention these blogs is because of a topic that I see discussed all the time. I recently saw mention of it just yesterday:

What would you recommend eating-wise on the day of a competition?

This topic can actually be broken down into two main categories. Although related, some folks like to prepare themselves for training and competition differently, so I will discuss both scenarios below.

Pre-Workout

I see this question asked all the time, and honestly, it is entirely dependent on the individual. First of all, different people like to workout at different times of the day. Some people even workout at different times from day to day.

I like to train first thing in the morning before I start the rest of my day. So, because of this, I generally exercise on an empty stomach (minus a cup of coffee). Your body keeps energy stores for all sorts of situations.

Adipose tissue (body fat) is stored for times when aerobic energy sources are sufficient to meet your required needs. This is when you are performing tasks when you can meet your energy demands mainly through breathing and circulation alone. An example of this is either walking or jogging.

On the other hand, when you perform fast, powerful actions, such as required during resistance training, your body dips into its stored anaerobic energy stores known as glycogen. Glycogen is stored in the muscles and liver of the body.

This is where situations vary from person to person. Some people have a good storage and utilization system of their glycogen stores and can "get up and go" on an empty stomach. Others, need a bit of sugar to help them through a workout.

If I am doing a cardio-based workout, or lighter resistance training (endurance training, total-body work, etc.) I like to workout on an empty stomach, but again, that is me. If, on the other hand, I am going to be doing some heavy resistance training, I like to have a bit of chocolate milk (250ml) prior to my workout to not only give me a bit of a sugar boost, but to also have some protein flowing through the veins.

Pre-Competition

I find, similar to the "to eat or not to eat before a morning workout" topic, you do what works for you! For any endurance or performance event, it never hurts to do a bit of carb loading for a few days leading up to an event, but as for your 'last meal' (for lack of a better term) some people like to eat 2 mins before competition, while others (myself included) like to eat quite a few hours beforehand, if not on an empty stomach altogether.

Keep in mind that your body obviously stores adipose (body fat) for times of starvation or as an aerobic energy source, but it also stores glycogen in the muscles and liver for those times when you need explosive power (same as discussed above). As long as your diet is pretty well-rounded leading up to an event, your body's energy sources should be nice and "topped up".

Again, this can vary from person to person, but the general recommended guideline is to eat a well-rounded meal 3 to 4 hours prior to competition.

I know that growing up, I used to get a serious case of "nervous gut" before competition. This applied to virtually any competition I participated in. Unfortunately, because of this, I could hardly eat a thing the day of, and even the day prior to competing. My parents used to always try and get me to eat something, which is smart, but my stomach would always be in knots, so do what works for you!

Hydration

One thing I will definitely promote is proper hydration. Often times, when an athlete is beginning to show signs of fatigue, it is because they are dehydrated. It is recommended that you consume 500ml of beverage (preferably water) 2 hours prior to training or competition. This ensures that your body has sufficient hydration, but also allows enough time for digestion so you do not have water sloshing around in your belly.

During competition or training, you should aim to consume anywhere from 150-250ml of water every 15-20mins. Due to the nature of sport, this is not always realistic, but you should make the best effort possible to remain hydrated.

Following competition or training, hydration is also important. Official recommendations suggest that an individual should consume 500ml of fluids for every pound of body weight lost, although this is just a general guideline as many of us do not weigh ourselves before and after training/competition. 

The key thing is to remember that thirst is not a good indicator of proper fluid levels. Your body will give you that 'thirst' sensation when you have reached a low level of hydration, although it will not indicate to you when you are at optimal levels. Drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day, especially for those that are very active is the best-case scenario!

Quote of the day:

"The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less."
-Socrates

Hydration and Nutritional Fueling

I am always amazed at the amount of advertising and promotional work done towards children, teens, and "weekend warriors" in regards to proper hydration and nutrition. As with any health and fitness craze out there, we are constantly bombarded with slogans and creative advertisements to try and get you to buy a specific supplement or sports drink. There is even more emphasis placed on buzz words such as "electrolytes" to try and convince individuals that the product that a company is selling is the one you need to take your performance to the next level.

I am going to try and enlighten some of you here with some definitions and explanations into what exactly is needed when it comes to proper nutrition, hydration, and of course performance 'enhancers'.

Water

Let's start off with the most important - water! Believe it or not, but water affects athletic performance more than any other nutrient. It plays a crucial role in exercise, especially when the body is sweating. Electrolytes and water have a close relationship because they regulate each other and determine the concentrations each one maintains within the body. Dehydration is a serious matter and can cause not only decreases in performance, but also unconsciousness and even death if not treated properly. Sure, we have a thirst mechanism that tells us when we are thirsty to try and maintain proper levels, but when fluid levels drop as quickly as they do during exercise, our thirst mechanism is unreliable.

Adequate water intake for a non-exercising individual is about 2.5-3.5L per day. Once you factor in sweating from exercise, fluid intake can reach as high as 11-15L for individuals sweating for many hours during a day! Below is a quick guideline that you can follow to ensure that you are meeting your hydration needs:

Before an exercise session - 0.5L (16oz), 2 hours before a workout

During exercise - 177-237mL (6-8oz) every 15 minutes.

After exercise - at least 0.5L of fluid for every pound of body weight lost during exercise.

Even with the guidelines above, I still believe that most athletes are fine competing for an hour or two without consuming any beverages - assuming that you are well-hydrated prior to exercise or competition. If you look at ultramarathoners for example, they very rarely hydrate during a race, and certainly do not take in water at the same rate they are sweating it out.

Electrolytes

A buzz word for companies that sell sports drinks, you may be surprised just how easily the average individual can actually maintain healthy electrolyte levels! The electrolytes that play a role in exercise physiology are; sodium (fluid regulation), potassium (muscle contraction), chloride (muscle contraction), and magnesium (muscle contraction). These are the ingredients that are included in any standard sports drink.

Let's first discuss sodium. For extremely intense exercise, an individual may reach a level of around 1.8L of sweat lost within an hour, and that is being generous with the numbers. In that 1.8L of sweat, the concentration of sodium will be anywhere from 0.46-2.3g/L. To do the math for you, that works out to be anywhere from 0.828-4.14g of sodium lost in an hour of intense exercise, and that is based on a very generous 1.8L of sweat loss.

Why is this important? The average person intakes 4-6g of sodium every day. At this rate, the only time an individual would need to 'supplement' with either salty foods or a sports drink would be if they exercised in pretty intense heat for an hour or more.

Let's also look at potassium, as this is really the only other electrolyte lost through sweat. The average diet intakes approximately 2-4g a day, which is already quite adequate in maintaining positive potassium levels. If an individual is more active than not, they can be encouraged to enrich their diet with potassium-rich foods such as citrus fruits, melons, strawberries, tomatoes, bananas, potatoes, meat, and milk.

Keep in mind that the body actually experiences physiological adaptive mechanisms from more training. In other words, the healthier and more active you are, the more diluted your sweat becomes, requiring even less electrolyte replacement!

Pre and Post Exercise Nutrition

The most common recommendation is to eat 3 to 4 hours prior to exercise or competition to ensure sufficient digestion and prevent an upset stomach. I, myself, enjoy eating a carb-rich meal a few hours prior to a competition, but do not feel it is necessary to eat anything prior to my early morning workouts. Since I am exercising first thing in the morning, I will oftentimes consume a carb-rich snack with a bit of protein such as chocolate milk prior to a resistance workout, but find aerobic or intense interval training is best completed on an empty stomach. This is not for everyone, however, as many people simply find that they run out of energy before the end of their workout. In those cases, I recommend something light and carb-rich that will help top-up your glycogen stores such as a half or whole banana.

Following intense exercise or competition, I still stand by the need for nutritional intake within 60-90 minutes. One key thing here though, the exercise must be intense! Also keep in mind that one of the main reasons for post-workout nutrition is to re-fuel your body for your next workout. I like the 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein in a post workout drink or meal. This allows the body to top-up depleted glycogen stores, but also promote muscle fiber growth and repair.

Having said all of that, I find many people vastly overestimate the amount of calories that they actually burn within an hour. For the average person, you are generally looking at anywhere from 400-800 calories burned in an hour of exercise, with numbers reaching the low 1000's on rare occasions. Research has shown that to prevent a decrease in performance from one workout or competition to the next, an individual should not allow their daily caloric deficit to drop below 400 calories per day. So for example, if an individual is looking to lose weight, but they wish to maintain their performance gains, and burn 700 calories in an hour of exercise, then they should consume an additional 300 calories for that day.

Summary

As with any product on the market today, companies will do what they need to do in order for you to consume their product. In many cases, this results in products being marketed towards individuals that do not actually need them. For example, sports drinks are a perfect example of this. They lead you to believe that you need to 'replenish your electrolytes' when in fact, if you lead a healthy lifestyle with a well-rounded diet, you do not need additional supplementation in that regard. In many cases, these various sports drinks offer unneeded calories, especially for individuals looking to lose weight!

When it comes to hydration, the more fit you are, the more well-rounded your diet is, and the more hydrated you stay at times apart from exercise will determine your success. You rarely see serious competitors in endurance events carrying water bottle belts with them. Cyclists will sometimes have a small bottle of water with them, but certainly not intended to replace the amount of fluid loss during competition.

When it comes to sports drinks. You may see a professional athlete enjoying some sugary drink, but that is to help them maintain their anaerobic power for the multiple hour-long game. These beverages really are not needed for the weekend warriors amongst us, despite what companies will have you believe!

I will look into and write a blog in the coming weeks explaining why I feel pre-workout 'energy' drinks are also grouped in this same category of clever marketing. Stay tuned!

Sources:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/20/workouts-may-not-be-the-best-time-for-a-snack/?ref=health
Baechle, Thomas R. and Earle, Roger W. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning Third Edition
Photo: http://www.unchainedfitness.com/tag/hydration