A depressing holiday statistic: the average person gains 6-10 pounds between Halloween and New Year. Here is our tried and true action plan to beat the odds this year!
FUEL YOUR WORKOUTS!!
Did you know that most recreational athletes that sign up for an endurance endeavor with a main goal for weight loss, are in fact flabbergasted that even with the increased physical activity, weight loss does not come easy, in fact many even gain weight. There are a number of reasons for this: 1. the positive reason is because the new athlete may be losing fat, but gaining muscle fiber. Muscle being denser than fat, offsets the scale from budging, but the athlete is getting leaner… HOWEVER, this is not the […]
POWER MUFFINS
Another great muffin recipe from my sports nutrition kitchen: FLOUR, ALL-PURPOSE 1/3 cup WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR 1 cup OATMEAL, DRY regular or instant 1 cup PROTEIN POWDER, VANILLA 3 tbsp SUGAR, BROWN packed 1/2 cup SUGAR, GRANULATED 1/2 cup BAKING POWDER 1 tbsp BAKING SODA 1 tsp CINNAMON, GROUND 1 tsp SALT 1 tsp ALLSPICE, GROUND 1/2 tsp CARROT grated 1 ¼ cups RAISIN, SEEDLESS 1 cup MILK, 1% 3/4 cups BUTTERMILK, LOWFAT ½ cup RICOTTA CHEESE, LIGHT ¼ cup SWEET POTATO, MASHED canned ½ cup CANOLA OIL ¼ […]
Electrolyte Balance for Endurance
Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD INTRODUCTION Sodium is an essential mineral for life. It’s biochemical functions include normal cell function, blood volume regulation, blood pressure/body fluid regulation, pH homeostasis, and heart function. Because sodium in excess can result in increased blood pressure there is a fine line between balancing athletic electrolyte intake to replenish sweat values, and the dietetic recommendations on sodium intake to reduce heart disease. Most medical organizations recommend low or moderate sodium intake for the general population. Above and beyond the general population, are endurance athletes, whose […]
Counteracting Muscle Glycogen Depletion
Because Low carbs is all the rave right now, I felt an article about Carbs for athletes (particularly endurance) is timely. Carbohydrate is typically the limiting energy substrate in exercise, meaning that it will run out before protein or fat runs out. Glycogen depletion is a term used to describe when carbohydrates are used up and no longer exist as a fuel source for working muscles. In other words energy stores are depleted, which can result in cells and muscle tissue being damaged and the immune system being stressed if […]
Tips to avoid gastrointestinal distress for training/racing
Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD If you think you are alone when your first focus for any race is gastrointestinal distress, you are not. Are you always plotting your day based on where the bathrooms are going to be (even the ones along the course), or always having to get to races early knowing that you will be standing in the line multiple times, and do you plan your training days around where the pit stops have to be. Believe it or not, athletic GI distress affects more than 60% […]
Weight Management During Training
“Calories in versus calories expended” is a simple equation to help you to determine ideal nutrition for an ideal weight. In other words, anyone wanting to lose weight, whether it is an athlete or a couch potato, needs to reduce caloric intake and/or increase energy expenditure. However, losing body fat is no easy task. An athlete wanting to lose weight while in training has to be smart about their choices, in order to prevent hunger and fulfill calorie requirements for their particular training intensity. Nutrient density and energy density are […]
IMPORTANCE OF HYDRATION
Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD With the Summer heat and humidity, comes the importance of refreshing hydration knowledge and deployment. Although it is important all year around, physiologically neglecting to keep up good hydration practice can result in more dire consequences in the summer months. Remember that hydration is not simply the intake of water, but strategy should include the optimal balance of electrolytes. This article is a reminder to focus on pre workout daily hydration strategies, as well as replenishing what is lost during a sweat workout, and how […]
Triathlete Nutrition Plan: For Your Skin?
As triathletes we are constantly abusing our skin with hours in chlorine filled pools and hours of sweating in the hot sun. We KNOW you are diligent with the sunscreen but what else can you do to protect and improve your skin?
