Nutrition for Training and Competition – Designing your Powerfuel™ Eating Plan
The overall goal of your daily diet is to optimize the adaptations you have trained so hard to achieve while ensuring that the recovery process between workouts is the best it can be.
Last month we covered the three step process for determining the energy requirements to support your training program. This month we will determine the key macro- nutrient requirements (carbohydrate, protein and fat) to enhance adaptation and recovery.
Nutrient |
Role |
Target % of daily calories |
Carbohydrate |
Restores muscle and liver glycogen (the storage form of carbohydrate in the body). |
55 |
Protein |
Optimizes the rebuilding and recovery process. |
25 |
Fat |
Source of fat-soluble vitamins and provide an energy dense source of nutrition while delivering a dose of essential fatty acids. |
20 |
Once you have determined your overall energy budget (see last month’s article) you can then use the Table: Translating Energy Requirements into Food to design your daily eating plans. Each of the plans in the table is designed to give you adequate carbohydrate (55%), protein (25%) and fat (20%) to fuel your training. And the good news is that beyond the number of servings from each category, you can make your food choices based on the foods that you like!
Note: If your energy needs vary greatly from one day to the next [ ± 500 kcal] then you will need to modify your eating habits on a daily basis. Foods and fluids that are part of your pre, during, or post-workout routine can help make up any energy deficit on those heavier training days.
Once you have determined your energy budgets for different training days, track your progress by comparing your daily intake with the sample energy budgets below. There are many online tools that can help you to do this (e.g. www.myfitnesspal.com; www.eatracker.ca; www.livestrong.com; www.fitday.com).
Translating Energy Requirements into Food
Food Group | Serving Size (svg)
125 mL = ½ cup 250 mL = 1 cup 5 mL = 1 Tsp 15 mL = 1 Tbsp 30 g = 1 oz |
Recommended number of servings per day | |||||||
1500 kcal | 1800 kcal | 2000 kcal | 2200 kcal | 2500 kcal | 2800 kcal | 3000 kcal | 3200 kcal | ||
Vegetables
~5 g carb ~2 g protein ~total kcal = 25+ |
1 small veg (tomato, pepper, onion);125 mL fresh, frozen, cooked, canned;½ large veg (sweet pepper),75 mL tomato sauce or sweet veg (squash, carrots, beets, sweet peas);7 baby carrots;
5 Brussels sprouts; 8 asparagus; 125 mL veg juice; 500 mL (leafy green) |
5 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
Fruits
~15 g carb total kcal = 60-250 |
2 small fruits; 1 medium; ½ large (banana);125 mL fruit juice;125 mL fresh, frozen, cooked or canned fruit;
250 mL berries; 2 tbsp dried fruit; 2 dates, apricots, figs, or prunes |
2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Starches
~15 g carb ~2 g protein ~total kcal = 70+ |
1 slice thin bread; ½ bagel; ½ English muffin; ½ small pita; 2 rice cakes; 2 small tea biscuits;125 mL potatoes or pasta;80 mL cooked rice, tabouleh, quinoa, millet
30g cold cereal; 175 mL hot cereal; 125 mL cooked pasta 3c plain popcorn; 6 saltine crackers; 2 plain thin cookies +1 protein: 125 mL legumes; 90 mL hummus (+2 fat) +1 sugar: 40 g cereal bar; 125 mL rice pudding; 125 mL granola + 2 fat; 1 pk flavoured instant oatmeal; 150 mL raisin bran; 175 mL mini-wheats; 1 small muffin (+ 1 fat); 1 donut (jelly +3 fat, glazed + 4 fats) |
6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Milk and Alternatives
~12-15 g carb ~8 g protein ~0 to 9g fat total kcal =80-150 |
250 mL milk or unsweetened soy beverage;175 mL plain yogurt/ kefir;+1 sugar: 175 mL fruit yogurt or flavoured yogurt;
250 mL chocolate milk or sweetened soy milk; 250 mL fruit flavoured kefir |
3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Low Fat Meat and Alternatives
~8 g ptn ~0 to 15 g fat ~total kcal=60+ |
0-3 g fat: 30 g lean meat/poultry/ fish/skim milk cheese; 1 large egg; 75 mL cottage cheese; 2 slices skimmed processed cheese or fat free soy cheese; 7 g soy, whey, casein protein isolate; 125 mL legumes (+ 1 starch)5g fat: 30 g ≤ 15% MF cheese; 45 mL parmesan; 1 large egg; 50 g tofu (firm); 100 g tofu (regular or soft); nuts and seeds (10 g): 8 almonds; 20 peanuts; 10 cashews; 5 walnut halves; 5 pecans halves; 20 pistachios; 15 mL (10 g) sunflower/sesame seeds; ground flax seeds | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
High Fat Meat and Alternatives
~8 g ptn ~0 to 15 g fat ~total kcal = 60+ |
8g fat: ≥ 20% MF 30 g cheese or regular soy cheese; 75 mL ricotta or feta; 2 slices processed cheese; 60 mL cheese spread; 90 mL hummus (+ 1 starch)15g fat: 60 g bologna, pork sausage, processed meat, salami, smoked sausage; 30 mL peanut butter or other nut butter (almond, cashew, etc) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Fats & Oils
~5 g fat ~total kcal=45 |
5 mL oil/butter/marg/lard/shortening 10 mL peanut butter, almond nut butter, etc*10 mL oil based salad dressing;15 mL regular cream cheese; liver pâté;15 mL dried, unsweetened coconut; 30 mL low fat salad dressing, regular sour cream; 30 mL light cream cheese; 10 small olives; 5 medium olives; 2 small strips bacon | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Sugar-Added Foods
~15 g carb ~total kcal = 60 *Variable amounts of fat, protein and calories. |
15 mL sugar; honey; jam; syrup; molasses15 mL caramel spread; iced tea mix 30 g chocolate75 mL frozen yogurt;ice milk 125 mL ice cream (+ 1 fat); fat free jello pudding
125 mL fruit drink; hot chocolate 250 mL sports drink; ½ sport gel 1-3 cookies; 3 hard candies; 1 pack instant breakfast; 1 fruit roll-up; |
1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Fluids | 250 mL | 8+ | 8+ | 10+ | 10+ | 10+ | 12+ | 14+ | 16+ |
Approx. Carbohydrates (gm) (55% energy)
Approximate Protein (gm) (25% energy) Approximate Fat (gm) (20% energy) |
205
98 33 |
245
114 43 |
280
124 46 |
305
128 51 |
345
158 58 |
375
174 64 |
410
186 70 |
425
202 76 |
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TIPS:
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About Beth Mansfield and Peak Performance
Dr. Elizabeth (Beth) Mansfield, PhD, RD is a Registered Dietitian, Sport Nutrition Specialist, and Certified Exercise Physiologist with Peak Performance in Ottawa. Beth educates Canadian athletes on sport nutrition for health and performance.
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