row2k Features
The Masters of Chow
Eating like a seasoned champion
August 7, 2006
Janit Stahl

Paul Arciero

First of a 3-part series on training for masters rowers

At regattas you are often find a smattering of masters athletes that have it all figured out: they have a healthy body weight, adequate strength for the 1000-meter task at hand, and endurance to hop in boat after boat and recover.

There's always several factors that goes with physique and race-day success-technique, genetics, experience-but there is also one strategy that may help all masters athletes achieve more on race day: good nutrition.

Research suggests that masters do not have significantly different nutritional requirements as a more youthful participant, but little tweaks can help an athlete get the most from their body for fitness or competition. Here are a few guidelines:

Macronutrients
The balance and delivery of carbohydrates, protein and fats in a well-planned diet can maximize athletic performance. The timing is as important as the content, and that is where the wisdom of age can put you ahead. Eat smart, eat on time, race fast.

Protein
Protein is responsible for muscle growth, so it makes sense that masters athletes, who are experiencing sarcopenia (loss of muscle with age), up the ante a bit. There is not a different category for aging athletes in the grand scheme of food recommendations, but attention to protein consumption is key. "Research supports an increase in protein consumption from 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram bodyweight for athletes," says Paul Arciero, professor of Exercise Physiology at Skidmore College who specializes in nutrition for athletic performance. In the position statement of the American Dietetic Association on Nutrition and Athletic Performance (2000), protein recommendations for endurance athletes is 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg body weight, and as high as 1.6 to 1.7 g/kg body weight for resistance and strength-trained athletes. For masters who race shorter distances, classification falls in between endurance and strength athletes. More protein does not mean more muscle, stresses Arciero; upping protein consumption (at a loss of other macro-and micro-nutrients) as suggested by some popular diets will not build legs of steel. Check out good sources of protein in sidebar, Paul's Picks.

Paul's Picks
Foods and supplements for optimal performance
(Please note that these are guidelines-check with a nutrition specialist or your doctor about amounts of supplements before adding to your diet. More on dietary supplementation in master column to come!)

Protein
-Egg whites
-Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese
-Turkey or chicken breast
-Fish (salmon, haddock, tuna, orange roughy)
-Lean ground beef
-Buffalo
-Venison
-Tofu
-Legumes
-Nuts and seeds (walnuts, almonds, peanuts, milled/ground flaxseeds, sunflower, pumpkin)

Carbohydrates
-Oats (steel cut Irish oats)
-Whole grains in unrefined form (brown rice, barley, spelt, triticale, buckwheat, quinoa, whole wheat, millet, wild rice, etc)
-Legumes
-Yams, sweet potatoes
-Whole-wheat pasta
-Squash
-Pumpkin
-Fat-free/low-fat plain yogurt
-Melon, apples, banana, berries (all, but blueberries especially)
-Dried fruits
-All types green leafy vegetables (spinach, collard/beet greens. escarole, kale)

Oils/Fats
-Olive Oil
-Flaxseed Oil
-Walnut Oil
-Fish Oil
-Canola Oil

Vital Supplements/Enhancers During Intense Training
-Gels-Clif Shot, Hammer, PowerGel
-Whey Protein
-Creatine
-Glutamine
-Branched Chain Amino Acids (leucine, valine, iso-leucine)
-Anti-oxidants vitamin C and E
-Potassium
-Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc (often in blend)

Paul Arciero, PhD is a professor in the Department of Exercise Science, Skidmore College. He specializes in nutrition for optimal health and athletic performance. When not in the Human Performance Laboratory in the college in Saratoga Springs, NY, he is participating in ice hockey, tennis, speed skating and cycling.
Carbohydrates
Does anyone miss the carbo-loading days of the 80's, where a weekend regatta meant feasting on pasta for a week? For master's rowers who were in college during those days, they are but (happy) memories. Any time you pile up on one macronutrient (like the tide shift from carbs to protein), there is a chance for missing out in other areas. The idea is to balance intake.

Researchers in the 80's identified the energy delivery from carbohydrates; however progress in that area has balanced the scales on macronutrients. Protein requirements gobble up to 30% of daily calories, which leaves approximately 50% for carbohydrates. (In the 'old days' it was common to see 60% of calories go to carbohydrates) The remaining 20% plus of calories go to fats, more later. Quality carbohydrates are essential: oats, whole grains and fruit provide nutrients the body needs. (More on specific foods in Paul's Picks, sidebar.) Carbohydrates are important to maintain blood-glucose levels and replace muscle glycogen, lost during bouts of exercise. Types of carbohydrates is also an important factor-the glycemic index of the carbohydrate plays a roll in blood glucose levels, insulin levels and the chemical responses to these in the body. (For more on glycemic index-GI for short--go to www.glycemicindex.com, but remember that recommendations for sedentary people and competitive athletes will be different, use the tables as a guideline).

The American Dietetic Association notes that using proportions (percentages) to make dietary recommendations is just a guideline. It is important to develop a strategy for your own body size, gender and total caloric intake.

Fats
"Fats are essential to optimal health and athletic performance," says Paul Arciero. "In fact, daily intake should be 20-30% of your daily caloric intake." To maximize health, Arciero recommends staying away from saturated and hydrogenated fats, and using olive oil, flaxseed oil, walnut oil and fish oils-ideally through eating the whole food sources of these food.


Timing and Effectiveness
Timing is everything-just ask a crew coach. So when you consider your food choices, factor in the 'when' as well. Training days and race days present different challenges-the following that will make your workouts more effective and productive.

Training Day
When you wake for an early morning row-avoid just donning the Lycra and sprinting out the door. Take a detour through the kitchen. "The optimal food is a high GI carbohydrate and protein at a 4:1 ratio about 30 minutes before your workout," says Arciero. (High glycemic index foods include bagels, oat cereal like Cheerios, Total cereal, baked potatoes, rice cakes) Even a 125-calorie snack before exercise enhances the experience and effectiveness. (Think rice cake with small amount of peanut butter) If you normally drink coffee or tea (with caffeine), go for it, it will give you a boost-and potentially stave off a headache. Just bring along some water to avoid dehydration during a tough session.

After your workout, direct yourself right back to the kitchen-where a meal will deliver serious results as long as you get to it soon. High-GI carbohydrates, although not usually considered the best choice for a sedentary person, play a huge part in recovery after exercise. "I cannot stress enough the importance of consuming a high-GI carbohydrate and protein within 45-minute window. This is perhaps the greatest single mistake competitive athletes make with their training and nutrition," asserts Arciero.

Race Day
Heats, semis and finals throughout the day presents a new quandary-when is it before an exercise bout, when is it after? The best approach is a quick infusion of carbs and protein (4:1) right after you place your boat in slings (15-45 minutes is best). "Protein consumed after exercise with high GI foods helps promote muscle growth and repair, replenishes energy stores and bolsters the immune system." For individuals who have a difficult time eating after exertion, products like Endurox offer the appropriate blend of nutrients in a powder-easy to mix with water, easy to tolerate. If you have several races at close intervals, it is best to keep portions small with a 4:1 ratio.

Three phases of nutrient consumption:

Energy phase: (preparing to perform), 5 grams of protein with 20-25 grams of carbohydrates, about 125 calories

Anabolic/Recovery Phase: immediately after exercise, 15 grams of protein, 40 grams of carbohydrates (high GI, sports drinks OK) up to 45 minutes after exercise

Growth Phase: protein, 15 grams, 4-18 hours after workout. (Note that insulin is a player in the growth phase. It suppresses cortisol, which suppresses protein synthesis and immune response. "The presence of insulin in the growth phase will result in an increase in protein synthesis, enhance immune function and increase blood flow," notes Arciero.

Delivering the Good Stuff/Food culture rebuff
The culture of haste had created legions of quick grabs for the hungry; all, ostensibly, offered up as quality chow for the masses. Does this trend in packaging and preparing in advance serve athletes? Definitively: No.

When choosing foods to fuel your success, consider how much processing was involved to bring it to the shelf. Was it milled or ground, made richer with hydrogenated fats, stabilized with additives, enhanced with sodium? Nutrition information aside, just check out the ingredient list. You will know. "Given our culture of food supply-it is very highly refined-you really have to work at a good diet to achieve," says Arciero. "Our bodies are more apt to absorb nutrients from natural sources in its most simple form," he adds.

Just think
After you hit it hard for 10k on an erg, hit it hard in the kitchen. Give your workout some value by following up with equally diligent eating. Very few will succeed without good fuel, why not see how you can enhance your performance?

Nutrition and athletic performance--Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine, Journal of American Dietetic Association, 2000
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