Congratulations on continuing with the Six Week Speed, Agility, and Conditioning training! Today we will be tackling nutrition, which can sometimes seem like a daunting topic. But what is most important is being deliberate about your choices, even if you cannot incorporate everything. The best advice is simple. Increase your awareness of what you're already eating. Experiment with modifications and see what works. Repeat.
How many calories do I need? Should I focus on diets high in protein? What about low fat or low carb? Unfortunately, there is no one right answer to these questions. Visiting a nutritionist and/or experimenting with your own diet are the only ways to figure out what is best for you. But in this section, we'll be talking about the macronutrients protein, carbohydrate, and fats and how to incorporate them into your diet.
The macronutrient breakdown of your diet has to start with your protein consideration. For the general population the RDA for protein intake is only 0.8 g per kg body mass. This is a relatively easy amount to obtain if you are eating protein at every meal. But athletes need more protein than this in order to maintain optimal health and performance. As an athlete, you need protein excess when you are building muscle and strength in the off season. You need protein pre season and in season to maintain your muscles and help with recovery after hard workouts or tournaments. Instead of thinking of protein intake as a percentage of your caloric needs, think of it as a solid number you should try to reach every day.
Carbohydrates provide the primary source of fuel for your muscles. Muscle recovery is inhibited by low carbohydrate diets. You need carbohydrates to replenish the glycogen (fuel stores) in your muscles especially after a hard training session. In fact, during high intensity bouts of exercise, glycogen is the only fuel that the muscles can use. Your carbohydrate intake should vary depending on your activity level. In phases when most of your training is strength training, you don't need as much. But for preseason workouts or long practice sessions, you will need more. I have met many athletes who have tried low carbohydrate or Paleo diets and loved them - until they completely bonked at tournament time.
Carbohydrates ingested in liquids like Gatorade will be taken up by the body faster than solid carbohydrate. However, the process is not instantaneous. It is better to plan ahead by eating a mix of solid and liquid carbohydrates throughout the day. It will take about four hours for the bagel you eat in the morning to end up in your muscles in the afternoon. If you wait until you're really hungry for that bagel, chances are it is too late to do you any good. I believe most athletes eat less than they should during tournament days and then overeat at dinner. Certainly replenishing your body after a day of playing is important. But why not eat most of your calories when they can do you the most good?
The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids has gotten out of balance in the modern Western diet. For this reason, it is recommended that North American athletes take fish oil supplements and as much as possible, avoid processed foods. (See Page 6 for more)
Start simple. Try 1-2 servings of protein rich foods per meal, 1 cup veggies, and anywhere from 1/2 cup - 1 1/2 cup of carb dense foods per meal depending on your activity level. You likely will not have to work too hard at getting enough fat. Try instead to improve upon the quality of your fat intake. It may be helpful to keep a food diary for a few days before you start to improve your diet. Look for ways you can make minor modifications to what you are already doing.
Nutrition resources for the general population usually focus on weight loss and aesthetics. It has been difficult for me to locate a philosophy of nutrition that is geared towards athletes, jives with common sense, and is practical/easily applicable. What follows below has been heavily influenced by John Berardi of Precision Nutrition and his philosophy of “Fixing a Broken Diet” Significant improvement in your health can be made simply by getting rid of deficiencies in your diet. Here's a checklist of common deficiencies Berardi looks at with his clients in order of importance:
If you are not getting enough water, it won't matter what kind of fancy "perfect" diet you are on. A simple fix is to keep water nearby and close at hand so that you naturally drink more of it. The 64 oz/day rule is one of those urban legends with no actual science behind it. However, many athletes do not drink enough and when it only takes a 5% deficit in hydration status to impede performance, why not take some extra precautions? I find that the "Nalgene by noon" method works well for me. It is easy to keep track of and I find that my afternoon workouts are better when well hydrated by this habit.
Studies on athletes show that there are a several very common nutrient deficiencies. Unless you have the proper nutrients you need, there is no point in talking about nutrient timing, protein amounts, etc. For optimal athletic performance, you must first make sure nothing is inhibiting your performance. The most common nutrient deficiency among athletes (and the general population) is vitamin D deficiency. I'm not a big proponent of supplements, but this is one worth considering. Vitamin D helps with muscle recovery and not having enough of it will definitely impact both your ability to perform and your ability to adapt to training. If you decide to take vitamin D, take the D3 form of it. Other common deficiencies are vitamin E, Zn (zinc), and Mg (magnesium). Many strength and conditioning coaches choose to have all of their athletes take vitamin E. The minerals Zn and Mg work in concert to aid in muscle recovery. Many bodybuilders take ZMA because they tend to be on high volume lifting programs. ZMA is a mix of Zn, Mg, and vitamin B6. In addition to helping with nutrient deficiencies that inhibit recovery, ZMA may cause people to spend more time in REM sleep. A quick read through bodybuilding forums also shows many people reporting that ZMA inhibits their ability to fall asleep. I am not recommending that you take supplements without knowing whether or not you have nutrient deficiencies. If you have a deficiency, a supplement may help you feel better and recover faster. However, if you do not have a deficiency, taking too much of one supplement may inhibit the uptake of other vitamins and minerals or may have unknown consequences.
How much? Athletes always ask how much protein they really need. The following recommendations are from a book called Nutrient Timing for Athletic Performance. Exactly how much protein you need is highly dependent on your activity level. A normal active adult who is not in training needs about 0.8 g protein per kg body mass per day. Ultimate players in training likely need about 1.5-1.7 g protein per kg body mass per day. For Example: 150 lb athlete = 102-116 g protein /day 200 lb athlete = 136-155 g protein/day Protein consumption is especially important for those of you looking to add muscle mass. Having a positive protein balance over a long period of time is imperative because the protein turnover rate in muscles is about 1% per day. It takes time to build muscle and you need to have the building blocks of muscle growth available in order for it to happen. Protein consumption is also important for those of you trying to lose weight. Protein demands are static (meaning not dependent on your caloric intake). You still need the 1.5-1.7 g protein per kg body mass per day even as you are attempting to reduce overall caloric intake. So if you are restricting calories, but still getting enough protein, it will make up a larger percentage of your meals than you are otherwise used to.
This advice is especially for North American athletes. Short story - start taking fish oil supplements and/or eating more fish in order to boost your intake of Omega-3 fatty acids. A large problem with the North American diet is that we are consuming a disproportionate amount of omega-6 fatty acids vs omega-3 fatty acids. This is in part because of the increased use of vegetable oil in the diet AND because these fats are found in processed foods (the most readily available foods in the US) Too much omega-6 vs omega-3 makes the body susceptible to inflammation. If you are not a North American, if you eat fish regularly, and if you generally cook your own whole foods, you may not need supplements. Do not be afraid of eating healthy fats found in whole food sources like avocados, fish, meat, nuts and dairy sources. Be more cautious about your use of vegetable oils like corn, soy and canola oils.
Because proper nutrition is all about forming good habits, let's get started.
Step 1: Keep a food diary for 3 days. Probably best to do this during the week since those will be your most habitual meals. To keep it super simple, just write down what you eat without worrying too much about the amounts.
Step 2: Look at the foods you typically eat and see how they measure up in terms of the common vitamin and mineral deficiencies above. Are you getting enough D, E, Zn, and Mg?
Step 3: If you have a likely deficiency, can you find a food high in those nutrients to add to your breakfast? Breakfast is a great meal to work on because most people eat the same thing for breakfast every day. Fruits, nuts, and seeds are easy to add to cereal or yogurt based breakfasts. Greens and other vegetables can easily be added to egg/meat based breakfasts.
I hope this short nutrition report helps you to make progress in your diet and in your training. Feel free to pass it along to your friends and teammates! Just do me a favor and tell them where you got it! Please share your love of 6weeksaq.com on your socials!
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