I spend a lot of time surrounded by athletes of all different backgrounds and skill levels. Needless to say, I’ve seen athletes of all levels make some of these mistakes (*including myself).  

 

For the purpose of this article, we’ll use CrossFit’s definition of an athlete as “a person who is trained or skilled in strength, power, balance and agility, flexibility, and endurance”. Thus we’re looking at individuals who regularly engage in cardiovascular exercise (such as running, rowing, skipping, and swimming) and strength training (such as powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and gymnastics).

 

Nutrition Mistake #1 – Not Staying Hydrated

The biggest mistake I see (and am guilty of myself) is not staying adequately hydrated. This is especially true in the hot and humid summer months we get here in Ontario.  In women, water accounts for approximately 45-50% of body weight. In men - approximately 50-60% due to higher amounts of lean mass, in general. 

Not staying adequately hydrated is a significant problem because even a small level of dehydration (1% or the equivalent of 1.5 lb in a 150 lb athlete) is enough to reduce both endurance and strength performance – as well as cognitive performance (i.e. being able to make decisions or count reps ;) ). 

For men, an average of 16 cups of water a day from fluid and non-fluid sources (e.g. fruits and vegetables) is adequate; for women, an average of 11 cups from fluid and non-fluid sources.

Tip

Coffee and tea count towards your total fluid intake! While caffeine is a diuretic (i.e. makes you pee), if you’re used to drinking coffee or tea, your body has actually adapted to retain that fluid. Milk, non-dairy milks and juice are good sources of fluid and simple carbohydrates that are great to have before or after a work-out. 

 

THE FIX

o  Keep track of how much fluid you drink in a day. 

o  Aim to drink at least 8 cups of water (2 litres) on non-training days. 

o  Drink up to 16 cups of water (4 litres) on training days. 

o  For every pound of sweat lost during exercise, rehydrate with 2 cups (500 mL) of fluid.

o  Keep a reusable water bottle with you and flavour water with citrus fruits, frozen berries, fresh herbs such as mint or add a small amount of juice or sports drink.

o  Also keep in mind that on super hot and humid days, plain old water will not be enough. Hydrate with a diluted sports drink or water and juice to replenish those electrolytes. 

 

Nutrition Mistake #2 – Under-Eating

Another common mistake I see athletes make is not matching the energy needs of their sport or training with their intake. Most commonly, I see women under-eating. In fact, during my gym’s recent nutrition challenge, almost all of the women were advised to increase their caloric daily intake by a couple hundred calories to improve their recovery.

This is a problem because chronic under-eating can lead to poor performance, poor recovery and failure to meet performance goals. Further, if the athlete continues to under eat, it can place them at greater risk of developing more serious medical problems, including amenorrhea (loss of menstruation), risk of stress fractures and disordered eating.

THE FIX

o  Start by tracking your diet intake for a couple days to get a better picture of what you’re actually eating. Nutrition tracking apps such as Cronometer or MyFitnessPal are great tools to get you started. 

o   If you notice you’re consistently eating or logging less than 1800 calories a day, consider adding 1-2 small snacks.

o  Better yet, book a Nutrition Check Up with a Registered Dietitian with experience in Sport Nutrition to ensure you’re optimizing your nutrition intake for your sport and goals

 

Nutrition Mistake #3 – Not Eating Enough Protein

This one may surprise you but another mistake I see is athletes not eating enough protein. This seems to be more common in the summer months when it is so hot out and appetite for higher protein foods is much lower.

Eating adequate protein can be harder for women as well because, in general we don’t feel the need to “eat like a man”. Haha and that’s a good thing! But we do still need to get enough protein – especially if we lift weights (which most of us should be doing!). 

Not getting enough protein is a problem because protein is crucial to muscle building and recovery. It is essential to so many processes in our bodies - everything from our immune health and wound healing to metabolism, muscle growth and recovery.

For the average person, the Daily Recommended Intake for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. For example, a 150 lb person would need 54.5 grams of protein per day.  However when it comes to athletes, protein needs are higher - which makes sense. Endurance athletes require 1.2-1.4 g/kg bodyweight per day and strength athletes require 1.6-1.8 g/kg. Protein needs may be even higher during period of restricted intake (>2 g/kg).

For example, a 150 lb (68.2 kg) athlete would need anywhere from 82-116 grams of protein per day. Divided among her meals, that might look like 20 grams 5x/day or 30 grams 3x/day + 1-2 small snacks. This can easily be achieved through high protein whole foods such as eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, tofu, tempeh, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt to name a few. 

However, protein supplements may be useful to some athletes following a vegetarian or vegan eating pattern, as well as those without much of an appetite. 

 

THE FIX

o  Aim to get at least 20-30 grams of protein at each of your meals. Research indicates that 30 grams is the maximum amount that can be utilized at a time for protein synthesis. Track your intake by hand or with an app such as MyFitnessPal or EaTracker. For individualized goals, book an appointment with a Sports Dietitian (you can do so here).

 

The Take Away

If you’re putting in the time at the gym, let’s try to maximize those gains with proper hydration and fueling! The best way to make the most of your exercise routine and training in the gym is to be proactive. Take the time to do a little self-assessment and see if you need to improve your hydration habits or your eating habits. If you think you do, try out the suggestions and let me know how it goes!

 

What To Do Now

1. Track your food and water intake for 3 days with an app such as Chronometer, MyFitnessPal or simply by hand so you have better understanding of your own nutritional status.

2. Try implementing some of these suggestions.

3. Still confused or overwhelmed? Let me help! Book your Free Discovery Call to chat with me and find out how I can help you achieve your goals.

 

 

 

References

All About Dehydration – Precision Nutrition.

Nutrition and Athletic Performance: Position Paper. February 2016. Position of Dietitians of Canada, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American College of Sports Medicine.