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One of the most confusing issues facing both athletes and non-athletes is nutrition.  The nutrition business is a multi-billion dollar industry, and much of the information you see is confusing, i.e. weight loss, high carbohydrate, high protein, supplementation with performance enhancers, creatine, vitamins, powders, etc.

In order to help you with this extremely important, yet confusing, aspect of your training and conditioning, I have whittled down some of the information to a practical approach utilizing common sense and using your body to help you determine your nutritional requirements.

Weight Loss and Weight Gain

 Weight loss and weight gain (fat – not muscle) is a simple equation:

                     1 lb. of fat = ~3500 calories

                     350 excess calories/day x 10 days = 1 lb. weight gain

                     350 calories expended/day x 10 days = 1lb. weight loss

                     Calories consumed – calories expended = weight gain or loss

 How many calories do I need?

 For individuals who are not currently following an exercise routine, an average daily intake of calories should be:

                          Female – 1200 calories

                          Male – 1500 calories

 Based on individual needs (height, weight, body type), these numbers may be higher for some people.  If you are a person who eats well and does not gain weight, these numbers are likely right for you, and you should consume no less than posted.  If you are an individual who is always thin and cannot put on weight regardless of what you do, these needs may be too low for you, you may need to eat a few more calories to meet your daily caloric needs.

Dieting to Lose Weight

 Every individual requires a standard amount of calories to function correctly.  You MUST maintain this minimum number of calories to maintain your health.  If an individuals caloric intake is less than this amount, his/her body will enter a ‘starvation’ mode and their metabolism will slow down, and the body will actually work hard to ‘hold on’ to fat stores to maintain a healthy amount of energy based on the caloric restriction.  This is the basic premise discounting ‘starvation’ diets as an effective weight loss technique. 

 Water

 It is imperative for all individuals to maintain a proper level of hydration to keep the body’s many systems healthy.  Dehydration can result in many side effects including fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and can lead to various levels of heat illness.  Most importantly, the first sign of dehydration is generally fatigue.  Because of this, it is recommended that a person reach for a glass of water or other clear, non-sugared or caffeinated beverage, before reaching for a soda or coffee when fatigue strikes. 

 A general rule of hydration is that individuals should consume 1 quart of WATER per day for each 50 pounds of weight:

                                     150 lb individual = 3 quarts Water per day

 This amount does not take into account physical activity and sweat rate.  If an individual sweats throughout the day, the appropriate amount of fluids to replace sweat loss should be consumed.

 Tip:  Carry a gallon jug of water, if possible, to monitor your daily intake.

 Protein vs. Carbohydrates vs. Fat

 Athletes have a higher requirement for calories based on their individual energy use as well as their training.  A general rule is that a person’s diet should be comprised mainly of Carbohydrates, with Less Protein and Fat:

                         Average Person

                                    Carbohydrates 50-60%

                                     Protein            25-30%

                                     Fats                 20-25%

                        Endurance Athlete

                                     Carbohydrates 65%

                                     Protein             25%

                                     Fats                 10%

                        Strength/Power Athlete

                                     Carbohydrates 40-50%

                                     Protein                 40-50%

                                     Fats                        10-20%

 A more sophisticated method of calculating is to use grams of protein and grams of carbohydrates in specific foods to determine the recommended amount to consume on a daily basis based on your training.

                         Endurance Athlete

                                     Carbohydrates 6-11gm/kg bw/day

                                     Protein             1.2-2.2 gm/kg/day

                           Strength/Power Athlete

                                     Carbohydrates 6-11 gm/kg/day

                                     Protein             3.5-4.0 gm/kg/day

  Using this calculation, a 68 kg. individual (150 lbs.) would require:

                           Endurance Athlete

                                     Carbohydrates 578 gm/day

                                     Protein             136 gm/day

                          Strength/Power Athlete

                                     Carbohydrates 578 gm/day

                                     Protein             255 gm/day

 Use the attached sheets or   www.ntwrks.com/~mikev/chart1a.htm    to determine the nutritional facts for 1000 different foods.

 Sample Eating Plan Based on 68 kg. Strength and Power Athlete exercising daily

Breakfast                                Calories                       Protein (gms)                          CHO (gms)

 2 eggs                                          150                                      12                                            2 

 2 pieces Toast (Whole Wheat)    130                                      6                                              24

 Banana                                         105                                      2                                              27

 Meal Replacement                 330                                      21                                            38

      (Mass Maker)

 Day Total:                                  1195                                     41                                            91

 Snack

 Low fat yogurt with Fruit      230                                      20                                            86

 Apple                                           125                                        0                                            32

 Day Total:                                  1550                                      561                                          209

 Lunch

 PBJ on Wheat                            430                                       16                                            44

 Orange                                                   85                                         0                                               21

 Low Fat Milk (1%) 16oz           200                                     16                                              24

 Choc Chip Cookies (4)           185                                         2                                              26

 Snack (after workout)

 Meal Replacement                      330                                      21                                            38

      (Mass Maker)

 Day Total:                                 2780                                      116                                           362

 Dinner                                               Calories                        Protein (gms)                          CHO (gms)

 Chicken Breast 5oz (baked)     231                                    43                                           0

 Broccoli (1 cup)                          90                                    10                                         18

 Baked Potato                            220                                       5                                         51

 Butter (1 Tb)                             200                                      0                                          0

 Low Fat Milk (1%) 16oz           200                                   16                                          24

 Day Total:                                 3721                                   190                                      455

 Snack

 Potato Chips (20)                      210                                      2                                           20

 Cheese Pizza (2 slices)             580                                      30                                          78

 Day Total:                                 4511                                   222                                      553

 Conclusion

 As can be seen, a balanced diet will generally give you correct proportions of proteins to carbohydrates.  What is most important is to split your daily eating into 6 meals, with a healthy breakfast and a healthy dinner.  In addition, I did not analyze fat content in this sample eating plan because the choices of food are healthy already, meaning only a small percentage of the calories are from fat.  Choices of healthy foods are most important in planning your daily meals.

 In order to increase protein you can eat meats or beans for lunch and you can add pasta with meat sauce to increase both carbohydrates and proteins.

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