Some food for thought......
The nature of the fat depends on the type of fatty acids which make up the
triglycerides. All fats contain both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids
but are usually described as 'saturated' or 'unsaturated' according to the
proportion of fatty acids present. As a rough guide saturated fats are generally
solid at room temperature and tend to be animal fats. Unsaturated fats are
liquid at room temperature and are usually vegetable fats - there are exceptions
e.g. palm oil, a vegetable oil which contains a high percentage of saturated
fatty acids.
- Unsaturated
- Saturated
- Sunflower oil
- Beef
- Olive Oil
- Bacon
- Rice Oil
- Cheese
- Nuts
- Butter
- Rapeseed Oil
- Biscuits
- Oily fish - Sardines
- Crisps
What types of carbohydrates
are there?
There are two types of carbohydrates - starchy (complex) carbohydrates and
simple sugars. The simple sugar's are found in confectionery, muesli bars,
cakes and biscuits, cereals, puddings, soft drinks and juices and jam and
honey but these food stuffs also contain fat. Starchy carbohydrates are found
in potatoes, rice, bread, wholegrain cereals, semi skimmed milk, yoghurt,
fruit, vegetables, beans and pulses.
Both types effectively
replace muscle glycogen. The starchy carbohydrates are the ones that have
all the vitamins and minerals in them as well as protein. They are also low
in fat as long as you do not slap on loads of butter and fatty sauces. The
starchy foods are much more bulky so there can be a problem in actually eating
that amount of food so supplementing with simple sugar alternatives is necessary.
Your digestive system
converts the carbohydrates in food into glucose, a form of sugar carried in
the blood and transported to cells for energy. The glucose, in turn, is broken
down into carbon dioxide and water. Any glucose not used by the cells is converted
into glycogen - another form of carbohydrate that is stored in the muscles
and liver. However, the body's glycogen capacity is limited to about 350 grams;
once this maximum has been reached, any excess glucose is quickly converted
into fat. Base your main meal with the bulk on the your plate filled with
carbohydrates and small amounts of protein such as meat, poultry and fish.
The extra protein &
vitamins you need will be in the starchy carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates for Performance
Following training & competition an athlete's glycogen stores are depleted.
In order to replenish them the athlete needs to consider the speed at which
carbohydrate is converted into blood glucose and transported to the muscles.
The rapid replenishment of glycogen stores is important for the track athlete
who has a number of races in a meeting. The rise in blood glucose levels is
indicated by a foods Glycaemic Index (GI) and the faster and higher the blood
glucose rises the higher the GI. Studies have shown that consuming high GI
carbohydrates (approximately 1grm per kg body) within 2 hours after exercise
speeds up the replenishment of glycogen stores and therefore speeds up recovery
time. There are times when it is beneficial to consume lower GI carbohydrates
which are absorbed slowly over a longer period of time (2-4 hours before exercise).
Eating 5-6 meals or snacks a day will help maximise glycogen stores and energy
levels, minimise fat storage and stabilise blood glucose and insulin levels.
Eating and Competition
What you eat on a day-to-day basis is extremely important for training. Your
diet will affect how fast and how well you progress, and how soon you reach
competitive standard. Once you are ready to compete, you will have a new concern:
your competition diet. Is it important? What should you eat before your
competition?When is the best time to eat? How much should you eat? Should
you be eating during the event? And what can you eat between heats or matches?
A lot of research has
been done in this area, and it is clear that certain dietary approaches can
enhance competition performance.
What do I need to do?
Calculate your daily basic and extra requirements, monitor your daily intake
(especially your carbohydrates) and then adjust your diet to meet your daily
requirements. A good balanced diet should provide you with the required nutrients
but does needs to be monitored. The simplest way to monitor the 'energy balance'
is to keep a regular check of your weight.
