Whether you’re coaching high school, college, elite, or professional athletes, the year generally has three parts — the preseason, the competition season, and the off-season. This article focuses on preseason training and how nutrition can make a difference in how your athletes survive, or better yet thrive, during the preseason.
The preseason marks the time when athletes are gearing up to compete — it typically lasts anywhere from four weeks to four months. Nutritional approaches to preseason training vary based on what you’re trying to accomplish with your athletes, but often it involves helping athletes lose weight, build muscle, or develop their endurance, speed, strength, and/or skill.
Weight loss comes first
For returning athletes who were mostly inactive during the off-season, and possibly undisciplined when it came to eating, unwanted weight gain may be a problem. If reducing body weight is on the preseason agenda, consider that some weight loss often will naturally occur as the demands of preseason training intensify and attention to dietary intake is reestablished. But if a more concerted approach is needed, make it the first agenda item of the preseason, before training gets really intense. Timing is important because long and demanding workouts and cutting calories don’t make for a good mix.
Successful weight loss requires that your athletes achieve a deficit of about 500 calories every day. For example, an athlete whose weight is stable at 3,250 calories will need to cut back to about 2,750 calories per day. A 500-calorie daily deficit will allow that individual to lose about 1 lb (0.45 kg) per week. The advantage of this approach is that the calorie shortfall is enough to produce weight loss, and the overall regimen is not so extreme that your athletes are forgoing a healthy balanced diet with adequate nutrients.
While calories get squeezed in order to lose weight, carbohydrate intake shouldn’t. Carbs are the base of a healthy diet and are needed in order to keep up with the muscle fueling demands of early preseason training. Carb consumption during the weight-loss phase should be about 2.7 grams per lb (6 grams per kg) daily, or about 405 grams per day for a 150-lb (68-kg) athlete.
As your athletes lose weight, they’ll lose fat, which is the goal. But they will inevitably lose some muscle mass as well. Consuming a little extra protein can help reduce the loss of muscle mass and can help athletes feel more satisfied while consuming fewer calories. So when your athletes are cutting calories, have them boost their protein intake a bit to 0.82 grams per lb (1.8 grams per kg) daily, or about 123 grams daily for a 150-lb (68-kg) athlete. Including regular strength training sessions that work all the major muscle groups during the early preseason will also help minimize loss of muscle mass as body fat is trimmed.
Building muscle mass
You may have athletes who need to build muscle mass to improve their competitiveness. Or maybe they’ve reduced their body fat during the off-season or early preseason and now want to focus on building muscle mass and strength. To accomplish this task, a daily surplus of 500 calories in combination with regular strength training is needed. For example, an athlete who requires 3,250 calories per day in season would need to bump daily intake to about 3,750 in order to successfully build muscle. Here again, carbs and protein are important.
Carbohydrate intake during muscle building should be increased to about 4.1 grams per lb (9 grams per kg) daily, or about 615 grams for a 150-lb (68-kg) athlete.
Protein intake when bulking up should be 0.64 grams per lb (1.4 grams per kg) daily, or about 96 grams daily for a 150-lb (68-kg) athlete. There is a tendency for athletes interested in building muscle to focus too much on protein. The fact is that most athletes, males in particular, easily consume the protein they need. Consuming more protein than is needed won’t result in more muscle mass, but timing of protein intake in relation to workouts may make a difference. Strength training boosts the rate at which muscle tissue proteins are made both during and after lifting. Consuming 10–20 grams of protein as part of a carbohydrate/protein snack about an hour before training sessions and as soon as possible afterwards helps ensure that amino acid building blocks are on hand to support the making of new muscle proteins. And emerging research suggests that the amino acid leucine may be particularly effective at helping to promote muscle protein synthesis. PowerBar ProteinPlus
® 30g protein bar takes advantage of this cutting-edge research by providing 30 grams of muscle-building protein, 33 grams of carbs, and 3.5 grams of leucine per serving. Consuming half of a bar before and half after strength training is ideal for athletes interested in supporting the muscle-building process.
Some athletes train hard and eat adequately for a few days and then slack off. Muscle development takes time, so encourage your athletes to stick with their program. Consistency is the key to good results. It’s also important to have realistic goals. Everyone has a different genetic potential to develop muscle mass.
Endurance, Speed, and Skills Training
Many of your athletes come into the preseason at an appropriate weight. Their training sessions may involve a mixture of endurance, speed, and strength training, as well as workouts to develop technique. For these athletes, the preseason can be like jumping on a speeding train — they just try to hold on. Long, strenuous workouts, sometimes twice daily and in the heat and/or humidity, are typical challenges. The nutrition goals for this type of training are to keep up with the hydration and fueling demands of each practice or workout, and to promote full recovery between training sessions. Take the time early in the preseason to talk to your athletes about the basics of sports nutrition.
Goal #1: Start workouts fully hydrated
If your athletes go into training sessions fully hydrated, chances are they’ll be able to train harder and achieve more during workouts. Emphasize the following to them:
- Make up for any fluid deficits from prior workouts by consuming 14–20 fl oz (400–600 ml) of water, electrolyte drink, or sports drink 2–3 hours before a training session.
- Monitor hydration status before a workout by checking urine color. A light-yellow color is consistent with adequate hydration. If urine is amber in color, more like that of apple juice, that’s a sign that more fluids are needed before training starts.
Goal #2: Start workouts fully fueled
If muscle fuel (glycogen) reserves aren’t consistently replenished, deficits build and athletes feel increasingly fatigued from one training session to the next. Cover the following with your athletes:
- Top off muscle fuel stores by consuming a meal sometime between 2 and 4 hours before working out if possible. Select foods and beverages that are higher in carbohydrates and avoid slower-to-digest fatty and high-fiber foods before training. Foods that contribute carbohydrates include pasta, rice, bread, cereal, vegetables, fruit, and lower-fat dairy products such as yogurts and plain or flavored milks.
- For early-morning workouts when a meal isn’t realistic, consume a carbohydrate-based snack, ideally 30–60 minutes before training. A fruit smoothie made with lower-fat yogurt or milk, a meal replacement beverage, and a PowerBar® Performance Energy bar are examples of easy-to-digest snacks that provide the carbohydrates that can make a difference in terms of workout quality.
Goal #3: Hydrate to sweat rate and refuel as needed during training
Dehydration impairs exercise performance when athletes lose roughly 2% of body weight due to fluid loss. That’s about 3 lbs (1.4 kg) for a 150-lb (68-kg) athlete. Dehydration allowed to progress can have serious health consequences. Thirst is not a good indicator of fluid needs during exercise. Share these tips with your athletes:
- To stay hydrated when training, consume fluids at a rate that closely matches sweat rate, and take in fluids frequently. This generally requires 13–26 fl oz (400–800 ml) of water or a sports drink for every hour of exercise, preferably in smaller amounts taken frequently, such as 3–6 fl oz (100–200 ml) every 15 minutes.
- Fluid needs vary considerably between athletes. For an easy guide to calculating sweat rate and to get a personalized hydration plan, use the PowerBar Sweat Rate Calculator at PowerBar.com.
- Keep your own personal sports bottle close by when training. Use it frequently and keep track of how much fluid you are consuming.
- A sports drink with carbs and the electrolyte sodium, such as PowerBar® Endurance sports drink, is ideal for hot or humid days when sweat rates may increase, for early-start practices when a meal beforehand isn’t feasible, and for long, strenuous training sessions.
- Refuel as needed during long training sessions. Endurance sports drink, PowerBar® Gel, Performance Energy bars, and PowerBar® Gel Blasts™ energy chews are quick and convenient ways to take in easy-to-digest carbs to keep you fueled and to ward off hunger during training.
Goal #4: Promote full and rapid recovery after training
All that hard work your athletes put in during training can only pay performance dividends if they get the proper nutrition needed to adapt to the training workload and to be ready for the next workout. That means carbohydrates to restore depleted fuel reserves, protein to repair and build muscle tissue, and fluids and sodium to rehydrate. Discuss the following with your athletes:
- Consume carbohydrates along with some protein as soon as possible after training:
- Taking in about 0.5 grams of carbohydrates per lb (1.1 grams per kg) body weight within 30 minutes of finishing a workout, and repeating this within 2 hours or eating a high-carb meal, will boost the rate at which muscle fuel reserves are restored. For a 150-lb (68-kg) athlete, that equates to 75 grams of carbohydrates right after exercise and then again 2 hours later.
- Consuming 10–20 grams of protein immediately after training will provide the amino acids needed for repairing muscle tissue and for making new muscle tissue as an adaptation to training.
- Continuing to consume carbohydrate-based meals and beverages after training will generally promote full reloading of muscle glycogen stores within about 24 hours.
- Weigh yourself before and after working out to gauge net loss of fluids. Replace lost fluids after training by gradually drinking 23 fl oz of a recovery beverage, sports drink, or water for every lb of weight lost (1,500 ml per kg).
- Rehydration will be more effective when sodium is included with the fluid and foods consumed during recovery.
- PowerBar® offers a variety of convenient options for promoting recovery after workouts, including ProteinPlus® 30g protein bar, PowerBar® Recovery bar, PowerBar® Recovery beverage, and PowerBar ProteinPlus® Bites.
References:
1. Bodybuilding at a Glance. In: Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals. 4th ed. Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutritionists Dietetic Practice Group. Dunford M, ed. American Dietetic Association. 2006: 502.
2. Burke L. Strength and Power Sports. In: Practical Sports Nutrition. Human Kinetics, Australia, 2007: 265–287.
3. Tarnopolsky M. Protein and Amino Acid Needs for Training and Bulking Up. In: Burke L, Deakin V. Clinical Sports Nutrition. 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2006: 73–111.
4. American College of Sports Medicine; American Dietetic Association; Dietitians of Canada. Joint Position Statement: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association, and Dietitians of Canada. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000; 32: 2,130–2,145.
5. American College of Sports Medicine, Sawka MN, Burke LM, Eichner ER, Maughan RJ, Montain SJ, Stachenfeld NS. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Exercise and Fluid Replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007; 39: 377–390.
6. Australian Institute of Sport. Increasing Muscle Mass. www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/factsheets/body_size_and_shape2/increasing_muscle_mass.
Topics:
General, Hydration, Recovery, Carbs, Protein, Fat, Stamina, Skills, Speed, Shape, Muscle
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