Baker JS, Baily DM, Hullin D, et al. Metabolic implications of resistive force selection for oxidative stress and markers of muscle damage during 30šs of high intensity exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol April 2004.

Brooks, G., Gillam, I. et al. Proceedings of the panel discussion: Antioxidants and the Elite Athlete. 1992 LaGrange, Henkel fine Chemicals, pp1-21.

Foster-Powell K., Holt SHA, Brand-miller JC. International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002. AM J Clin Nutr. 2002 76;5-56.

Manore, M. andJ. Thompson (2000). Sports Nutrition for Health and Performance. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Coleman, E and SN Steen (2000). Ultimate Sports Nutrition. 2n ed. Palo Alto, Ca: Bull Publishing Co.

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• Smart Menus for the Golden Years
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• Childhood Overweight & Obesity
• Men & Nutrition
• Trans Fats
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• Going For The Gold
• Balancing the High Demand for Low Carb
• Cut Stress With Knife & Fork
• America's Obesity Epidemic
• One Billion Meals Per Week
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• Obesity & Children/Adults
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In honor of the summer Olympics, here are some recipes of Greek and Mediterranean heritage. We predict they will be winners on your menu. Spicy Olive and Seafood Spaghetti Olive and Leek Prassopitta Saganaki Salad Roasted Red Pepper and Olive Scacciata Turkish Sea Bass Provencal Olive and Tomato Tart Golden Tuscan Chicken Olympic Souvlaki Sandwich

Going For The Gold

by Connie Guttersen, RD PhD,
author of the Sonoma Diet

	Food As Fuel
	Food & Antioxidants
	Food Group Balance
	Understanding Carbs
	Carbs and Performance

This summer's Olympic games will provide lots of opportunity to see the amazing feats of well-trained athletes. We'll hear all the stats on speed, distance and hours trained as we cheer them on to victory.

But for those of us in the food business, a glimpse at the training table may be just as awe-inspiring. And, while it is unlikely that your customers are Olympic-material, we bet any number of them have athletic regimens and goals for "personal bests".

So, here's a bit of insight into the latest on nutrition for athletes. Maybe it'll lead you to offering some Olympic dinner specials--or at least give you some ideas to help the performance of your existing menus.

Food As Fuel
Athletes are always looking for the edge. And it's no news that food and nutrition can make a difference in their performance and endurance. The first thing is to make sure that calories count: power and taste-wise. Making calories count is a two phase approach. The first is to emphasize the overall quality of the foods by using those that are nutrient dense. The second phase is to achieve a healthy balance among the major substrates of fuel: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and total calories.

It is well known that athletes require more calories on a daily basis due to the increased energy expenditure of exercise. But focusing on calories alone, is not the answer. Instead, prioritize foods within each food group according to their nutrient package in order to maximize the quality of the calories. The terms nutrient dense or nutrient rich refer to the entire nutrient package a food naturally contains in relation to the amount of calories. This was illustrated recently in the Washington Post as a pyramid referring to Power Calories. In essence, chefs and health professionals can promote this positive message of "smart eating" by focusing on nutrient rich or dense foods from each of the food groups illustrated in the pyramid.   TOP

Food & Antioxidants
Emphasizing nutrient density is especially important for athletes since the top priority nutrients consist of antioxidants (ie. C, E, beta carotene, and selenium, B vitamins such as folate and B6), as well as high quality protein. The following table illustrates the food groups that provide these specific nutrients important for training athletes. The topic of antioxidants continues to gain interest. Athletes may require greater amounts of dietary antioxidants since extensive physical training creates a greater need for them.

Antioxidants are important for muscle recovery and soreness, physical performance, and immune function. Minerals such as selenium, copper, zinc, and manganese are also essential for producing the body's own antioxidant enzymes, which also diminish oxidative damage. Scientific studies also comment on the importance of choosing healthy fats and oils in the diet. Monounsaturated fats, those found in olives, nuts, olive oil, and avocado, can help diminish the effects of oxidative damage as compared to polyunsaturated oils such as corn oil.   TOP

Food Group Balance
While nutrient density pertains to the quality of the foods chosen within each food group, it does not emphasize the balance to be achieved among the different food groups. The ideal balanced caloric ratio would be 55% carbohydrate, 15% protein and 30% fat. The popular low carbohydrate diets contraindicate this balance. A low carbohydrate diet is detrimental to exercise performance and recovery since it does not provide the key sources of energy during exercise as well as afterwards. Carbohydrates provide fuel in the form of glucose, which is used by the muscles, brain, liver, and nerves. Depending on the type of carbohydrate consumed, the body may react in different ways, thus creating a response that can either diminish or enhance exercise performance. Carbohydrates serve two purposes. The first is to maintain blood glucose levels and prevent premature fatigue during prolonged exercise. When high intensity events are longer than 90 minutes, blood glucose levels can be maintained for longer periods by consuming particular types and amounts of sport drinks and bars, which are easily digested and rapidly absorbed into the blood stream.

It is essential to maintain blood glucose levels stable. The body may reach a state where it is burning primarily fat, but there is always a small amount of carbohydrate (glucose) burning at the same time. It is from this state that the phrase: "Body fat burns in the flame of carbohydrate." was derived. The moment carbohydrate stores are depleted in the body and carbohydrate is not available, fat can no longer continue to burn, and fatigue sets in. Carbohydrates are important after exercise as well. They replenish muscle and liver glycogen stores. Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrate and is important for an athlete's capacity to train and compete at higher intensity levels. Eating a carbohydrate rich source within the first half hour after high intensity exercise increases the body's ability to replenish those glycogen stores.   TOP

Understanding Carbs
But what should food professionals know when designing a cutting edge diet for an athlete? First you should understand the science behind the most important nutrient group: carbohydrates. Carbohydrate foods can be classified as producing either a high, moderate, or low glycemic response. The glycemic response of a food is a measure of the foods ability to raise blood glucose.

The charts below provide information that identify the impact of certain foods and food combinations. The greater the glycemic index, the greater the change in blood glucose. If an athlete eats only a small amount of a high glycemic index food, there will only be a small rise in blood sugar because the amount of food is low. The best way to use the information below is to realize that when the individual foods listed are combined with other types of foods, especially lean meats and healthy fats, the overall effect on the blood glucose can also diminish or change. These foods are not typically consumed alone but in healthy and balanced combinations with others.

Chefs can increase the nutrient availability and density of an athlete's diet by smart combinations. These combinations can also have a positive effect of maintaining blood glucose levels during exercise and properly replenishing glycogen stores. To help get you in the game, consider these recipes: Lemon Salmon Linguini, Grilled Chicken Penne, California-style Grilled Pizzetta or Firecracker Fanfare Orzo Salad.   TOP

Carbs and Performance
There is some confusion as to which carbohydrates should be eaten to achieve maximum performance benefit. The increase in blood glucose, which occurs after combinations of food are consumed, can vary greatly; thus it's important to understand and identify foods that have high, moderate, or low glycemic responses. During intense long periods of exercise or after strenuous exercise, high glycemic index carbohydrates produce rapid increases in blood glucose and greater increases in muscle glycogen replacement. This was demonstrated in a study that shows glycogen replacement is 30% higher in well trained cyclists who are fed high versus low glycemic index foods for 24 hours after two hours of high intensity exercise. However, these high glycemic response foods may be more of an option during and after intense training and are not ideal for everyday nutrition while the body is not engaged in strenuous training. Conversely, the scientific literature is showing that athletes who are engaged in endurance exercise may want to consume more of the moderate to low glycemic index meals before exercise to promote sustained carbohydrate availability during exercise. The scientific thinking behind exercise performance and glycemic index is still evolving and future research will refine the practical applications for athletes.   TOP