​​​

Some keys to understand about nutrition as an athlete:

  • AS AN ATHLETE YOU NEED TO EAT AT LEAST AS MUCH AS YOU BURN
  • YOU NEED TO EAT A BALANCED DIET OF CARBS, PROTEINS, AND FATS
  • A TYPICAL RUNNERS RATIO: 55%CARBS, 25% PROTEINS, 20% FATS


yOU KNOW YOU SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM LOTS OF SUGARS AND JUNK FOODS BUT WHY?

  • FOOD CAN STAY IN YOUR SYSTEM FOR DAYS CAUSING FATIGUE
  • YOU CAN HAVE QUICK, NEGATIVE REACTIONS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE
  • YOU MIGHT GET A QUICK BURST OF ENERGY FOLLOWED BY A CRASH
  • LOSE FOCUS IN SCHOOL AND YOU DON'T SLEEP WELL


SUPPLEMENTS ARE THE FINAL POINT OF DISCUSSION.  WE DISCUSSED WHY SUPPLEMENTS ARE IMPORTANT: PRIMARILY BECAUSE FOOD IN GENERAL IS MISSING THE NUTRIENTS THAT ONCE WERE VERY STRONG.  

THE GOOD THE BAD AND UGLY ABOUT THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY:​

THE GOOD:

  • SUPPLEMENTS SHOULD PROVIDE YOU WITH A NUTRITIONAL BOOST
  • THERE ARE 100% NATURAL COMPANIES OUT THERE
  • WHEN TAKEN APPROPRIATELY, YOU WILL ENJOY MORE CONSISTENT TRAINING AND HEALTH

THE BAD:

  • ​THE INDUSTRY ISN'T RELATED AND IS PRIMARILY RUN BY MONEY
  • MOST SUPPLEMENTS ARE SYNTHETIC AND FOUND TO CONTAIN TOXIC LEVELS OF THE CHEMICALS THEY ADVERTISE WILL HELP YOU
  • WHEN TESTED, MOST DON'T CONTAIN THE LEVELS THEY ADVERTISE

THE UGLY:

  • MANY SUPPLEMENT COMPANIES ARE FOUND TO CONTAIN BANNED SUBSTANCES ULTIMATELY DISQUALIFYING PROFESSIONAL AND OLYMPIC ATHLETES!

youth and high school distance coaching © 2020 | All Rights Reserved

nutrition part 1

 

think about a ferrari for a minute.  it is an italian thoroughbred!  they have engines that roar with power and are beautifully tuned to race at maximum output.  

when you are an athlete desiring to do big things, you have to think of yourself in the same way.


So what is the purpose of nutrition?  it produces energy, helps you grow, heals your body, and ultimately gives you life!


there are different types of nutrition: fats, carbs (both simple and complex), protein, veggies, and fiber.  


what type of nutrition benefits runners to provide fuel for your body?  Carbs for sure.  a combination of simple (sugars) which give you quick boosts of energy, and complex which provide longer lasting nutrition.


what type of nutrition provides repair and recovery for your muscles?  Protein for sure such as high quality protein shakes, and foods such as chicken, pork, veggies like broccoli, potatoes (which are more carb related but still good), and DON'T FORGET TO DRINK water.


​We discussed the food you eat from breakfast, lunch, after school snack, and dinner to estimate and understand how many calories you should be eating.  as distance runners we don't count calories to watch our weight, we count them to ensure we are eating enough!  Just being alive bantams burn: 950-1100 calories, midgets burn 1100-1300 calories, and youth burn 1400-1600 calories in a SINGLE day.  IF YOU INCLUDE practice those numbers go to: bantams 1100-1300, midgets 1300-1600, and youth 1700-2050.