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Search for stores near:. Find out when it's back ×. Email address. Books Health Nutrition. Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance Heidi Skolnik , Andrea Chernus. Acquisitions Editors: Laurel Plotzke Garcia and Joe Rodgers; Developmental Editor: Laura Floch; Assistant Editor: Elizabeth Evans; Copyeditor: Patricia L.

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com e-mail: info©hknewzealand. com E My heart stretches daily with my love for you. Thank you for being so supportive, cooperative, and patient. To Mom and Dad: Thank you for always being in my corner and telling me to keep my eye on the ball.

Chapter 6 Essential Vitamins and Minerals How soon after should I eat? When should I eat to maximize muscle build- ing? So, when writing this book, we envisioned a comprehensive how-to resource that incorporates the latest research on nutrient timing into easy-to-understand concepts and personalized action plans.

We show athletes how taking in nutrients at the right time in regard to exer- cise, in appropriate amounts, will maximize the results of their training and improve their competitive edge. Many sports nutrition books on the market focus on one type of sport or are geared more generally toward sports nutrition.

Ours is unique. We address a specific aspect of sports nutrition: timing. This book looks at the needs of all types of athletes—strength athletes, endurance athletes, and those who participate in stop-and-go sports.

No other book contains all the concepts presented here in such a hands-on, usable fashion. Our aim is to help you, the athlete, formulate an eating plan to meet your goals—whether you are male or female; are a professional, college, or high school athlete; or compete seri- ously, participate for fun, or are training for health, well-being, and aesthetics.

Our book can be used by participants of all sports—runners, soccer players, triathletes, cyclists, football players, swimmers, tennis players, fitness enthusiasts, and those who participate in any sport imaginable.

Sports nutritionists, coaches, and trainers may also use our book to help their clients and players eat optimally. Did you know that when and how much you eat can help not only with muscle hypertrophy but immune function as well?

Additionally, staying well fueled can reduce your risk of injury. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing an athlete who is on track and performing wonderfully only to be upset and discouraged because of unrealistic expectations. We want you to be pleased with your results and stay motivated.

In part I, we also explain how exercise affects your body—in everyday language. If you understand these concepts, nutrient timing makes more sense. Fat can keep your hormones humming, and taking in enough is vital for making testosterone and estrogen, which play important roles in health and performance.

We help you determine which type of nutrient timing plan is appropriate for your sport. We show you how to determine your unique nutrient timing and put it all together into a personalized plan for before, during, and after workouts, practices, games, or matches.

We have plenty of charts, examples, and sample meal plans to use as guides. We talk about supplements that may be popular in your sport or activity—do they help, or could they harm?

Nutrient timing takes sports nutrition to a new level. Nutrient timing can improve both short-term and long-term recovery from the wear and tear of intense workouts, practices, and games to help athletes stay strong and healthy throughout seasons of play.

Appropriate timing of nutrients can also help push the muscle-building effects of strength training and help diminish the muscle breakdown that often occurs with heavy endurance training. Immune function and injury prevention are concerns for all athletes. We show you why what you eat and when you eat can influence both your immune function and your chance of injury.

What and when you eat can even affect your hormonal levels, which in turn affect everything from body composition to mood. Finally, we show you samples of plans, foods, and strategies you can implement to improve your nutrient timing and that can help you be the strongest, fastest, healthiest athlete you can be.

Acknowledgments Heidi Skolnik It takes a village to raise a child while writing book! My gratitude and appreciation to the following families of friends: Kauderer-Abrams, Turitz-Sweifach, Bejar, Silver, and Goldberg.

To my support circle: Stacey Freed, Charlee Garden, Melorra Sochet, Michelle Cole, Wendy Best, Stacey Eisler, Robyn Stuhr, the Macdonald Family and Paris Caruolo and Baha.

To have knowledge and never apply it is like having a great recipe that you never prepare or share. Thank you to the organizations and athletes that allow me to apply the science and craft of sports nutrition daily and witness, in action, the benefit it brings: The Football Giants, The Knicks, School of American Ballet, The Juilliard School, and Fordham University.

Jo Hannafin, Terry Karl, Polly DeMille, Dr. Beth Shuben-Stein, and a special shout out to Dr. Lisa Callahan for incredible support and belief in me and what I can do. Andrea Chernus I am thrilled to finally extend my sincerest thanks to all those who expressed interest and supported me through this seemingly endless project.

To my friends: Jody Salberg, Bar- bara Mattera, Larry Wender, Ann Lopez, Lorelei Guttman, Amy Gillenson, Agnes Lee, and Ellen Natter. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I am especially grateful to Maree Lavo and Anne Manning who had just the right words at the right time and helped to save my sanity!

Thanks to Zachary Chernus whose input on high school sports was invaluable; to Spencer and Ryan for being terrific kids, and to Jack and Jennifer whose support and love I cherish.

Thank you to all my fellow athletes at Reebok and to my clients who share their struggles and successes on a daily basis. Lastly, to my companion Baxter, who reminded me on numerous occasions when a hour day was long enough.

In addition, both Heidi and Andrea want acknowledge and thank colleagues, profession- als, and experts in their fields who helped research articles, compile information, calculate, and provide answers to their questions:. Craig Turnbull Kate Huber Seth Roland Dr.

Lewis Maharam Jerry Palimeri Dr. Nicholas Ratamess Mike Bergeron Dr. David Rowlands Nancy Rodriguez Dr. Robert Wolfe Jennifer Fox Dr. Gregory Haff Cheryl Heaton Dr. Jose Antonio Caroline Greenleaf Dr.

Doug Kalman Mariana Vela Gonzalez Reyna Franco Adena Neglia Lisa Dorfman Lori Hernberg Randy Bird John Gilbert Sandy Markman Margaux Harari Ellen Coleman James Lucas Brian Zehetner Amy Snyder Mitzi Dulan Mabel Wong Lisa Adler.

Have you ever felt dead-legged or worn out during practice? Are you frequently getting sick or injured? Maybe you feel great and want to perform at an even higher level than you are right now, but you believe something is missing. What you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat can affect your energy, your training, your immune function, and even your risk of injury.

What Is Nutrient Timing? Nutrient timing is a strategic approach to how much, what, and when you eat before, during and after training and competition to maximize training effects, reduce risk of injury, main- tain healthy immune function, and help with recovery.

Nutrient timing is a system of eating meals and snacks in relation to planned exercise. As you read this book, we hope to help you understand how different food components affect your body before, during, and after all types of exercise.

Nutrient timing takes advantage of how food influences different chemical reactions inside your body. Various strategies may be used depending on whether you are cycling, lifting weights, running a Timing Tip marathon or a meter dash; or Nutrient timing transforms eating into a strategic going to football, baseball, lacrosse, component of your training, conditioning, and sports or soccer practices, games, or even performance.

By coordinating food intake at the right tournaments. Nutrient timing helps time with regard to your training, you will be able to you understand the principles to take better advantage of the changes in body chem- fuel your body well—and we give istry that occur with eating and exercise to help with you plenty of examples and tips on planning for real-life athletics.

muscle building; to maximize energy storage, which Essentially, the four most impor- can help generate power and promote endurance; and tant aspects of sports performance to facilitate muscle recovery and keep you healthy are training, skill development, throughout your training. nutrition, and rest.

One cannot make up for another. An athlete would never show up for practice without the appropriate gear soccer cleats, baseball glove, hockey puck, lacrosse stick, and so on , so why would an athlete show up to practice or a game without the proper fuel? Athletes who realize that food is an integral part of training can benefit tremendously.

Timing your food intake properly can provide. sufficient energy, help you recover for your next practice or event, keep you strong and healthy, reduce muscle breakdown, aid in muscle building, and even promote hypertrophy gaining size, not just strength , as well as reduce the risk of injury.

We also realize that for any nutrition plan to work, it has to be realistic and fit into your lifestyle. We know that trying to bal- ance training along with work, school, family, social commitments, and other interests or activities can be difficult.

Meals can be missed or skipped, or eating gets delayed. Did you know that if you skip dinner, it can severely impact your training the following day? Since it takes hours to stock and restock the energy your muscles need to get the work done, there is a carry-over from one day to the next in terms of energy level.

So many athletes tell us that they never thought of that! When there are long gaps without food, appetite and eating can become disconnected.

It can become a vicious cycle if you overeat at night, awake still full, skip breakfast, and under-fuel again during the day. Having a plan in place and food available when you need it helps avoid these pitfalls. your day is unstructured, put structure into it by planning the timing of meals and snacks.

The best strategy for a practical plan that yields results acknowledges these very real time constraints. Our recommendations will keep this in mind. We will help you determine when to eat, what to optimize training and performance, and to understand how to put the science into real-life eating.

What Are the Benefits of Nutrient Timing? As mentioned earlier, there are several benefits of nutrient timing. The Nutrient Timing Principles NTP help you do the following:. Energy When sports nutritionists talk about energy, we are referring to the potential energy food contains.

Calories are potential energy to be used by muscles, tissues, and organs to fuel the task at hand. Rather, our bodies digest, absorb, and prepare it so that it can give us the kind of energy we need, when we need it.

We transform this potential energy differently for different tasks. How we convert potential energy into usable energy is based on what needs to get done and how well prepared our bodies are; how we fuel endurance work is different from how we fuel a short, intense run.

Chapter 2 discusses the science behind energy, but first it is helpful to understand that you must get the food off your plate and into the right places in your body at the right time.

Food will help a lack of energy only if the problem is food related. What, how much, and when you eat will affect your energy.

Nutrient timing combined with appropriate training maximizes the availability of the energy source you need to get the job done, helps ensure that you have fuel ready and available when you need it, and improves your energy-burning systems. You may believe that just eating when you are hungry is enough, and in some cases this may be true.

thought and action to make it happen. Additionally, appetites are thrown off by training, so you may not be hungry right after practice, but by not eating, you are starving while sitting at your desk in class or at work.

By creating and following your own Nutrition Blueprint, as you will learn how to do in part III, and incorporating the NTP, your energy and hunger will be more manageable and consistent, whether you are training several times a week, daily, participating in two-a-days, or are in the midst of the competitive season.

During the minutes and hours after exercise, your muscles are recovering from the work you just performed. The energy used and damage that occurred during exercise needs to be restored and repaired so that you are able to function What, how much, and when you eat will affect at a high level at your next workout.

Some your energy. of this damage is actually necessary to signal repair and growth, and it is this repair and growth that results in gained strength. However, some of the damage is purely negative and needs to be minimized or it will eventually impair health and performance.

Providing the right nutrients, in the right amounts, at the right time can minimize this damage and restore energy in time for the next training session or competition. The enzymes and hormones that help move nutrients into your muscles are most active right after exercise. Providing the appropriate nutrients at this crucial time helps to start the repair process.

However, this is only one of the crucial times to help repair. Because of limitations in digestion, some nutrients, such as protein, need to be taken over time rather than only right after training, so ingesting protein throughout the day at regular intervals is a much better strategy for the body than ingesting a lot at one meal.

Additionally, stored carbohydrate energy glycogen and glucose and lost fluids may take time to replace. By replacing fuel that was burned and providing nutrients to muscle tissue, you can ensure that your body will repair muscle fibers and restore your energy reserves.

If you train hard on a daily basis or train more than once a day, good recovery nutrition is absolutely vital so that your muscles are well stocked with energy.

Most people Timing Tip think of recovery as the time right after exercise, which is partially The right mix of nutrients taken just after exercise correct, but how much you take helps muscles recover, but nutrients must be con- in at subsequent intervals over 24 sumed within the context of an overall well-designed hours will ultimately determine training diet to be most effective.

The nutrient timing advantage 7. Muscle Breakdown and Muscle Building Nutrient timing capitalizes on minimizing muscle tissue breakdown that occurs during and after training and maximizing the muscle repair and building process that occurs afterwards.

As you will learn in chapters 3 and 10, carbohydrate stored in muscles fuels weight training and protects against excessive tissue breakdown and soreness.

Following training, during recovery, carbohydrate helps initiate hormonal changes that assist muscle building. Consuming protein and carbohydrate after training has been shown to help hypertrophy Timing Tip adding size to your muscle.

Timing Principles. Immunity Nutrient timing can have a significant impact on immunity for athletes. Strenuous bouts of prolonged exercise have been shown to decrease immune function in athletes. Further- more, it has been shown that exercising when muscles are depleted or low in carbohydrate stores glycogen diminishes the blood levels of many immune cells, allowing for invasion of viruses.

In addition, exercising in a carbohydrate-depleted state causes a rise in stress hormones and other inflammatory molecules. The muscles, in need of fuel, also may com- pete with the immune system for amino acids. When carbohydrate is taken, particularly during longer-duration endurance training two to three hours , the drop in immune cells is lessened, and the stress hormone and inflammatory markers are suppressed.

Carbohydrate intake frees amino acids, allowing their use by the immune system. Carbohydrate intake during endurance training helps preserve immune function and prevent inflammation. Certain vitamins and minerals also play a role in immunity: iron, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, B6, and B An eating plan incorporating all of these nutrients in reasonable quantities, such as amounts found in food, can help athletes maintain immunity.

The quality of the foods selected is very important and needs to be just as much of a priority as the focus on carbohydrate or protein, for example. For instance, eating a bagel for the carbohydrate but also including an orange for the vitamin C is important; drinking a protein shake can be helpful at the right time, but including some lean steak or shellfish for the iron and zinc is also essential.

Injury Prevention Did you know that dehydration and low blood sugar can actually increase your risk of injury? Avoiding injury due to poor nutrition is absolutely within your control.

Inadequate hydration results in fatigue and lack of concentration. Low blood sugar results in inadequate fueling to the brain and central nervous system.

This leads to poor reaction time and slowness. Poor coordination as a result can lead to missteps, inattention, and injury. Additionally, chronic energy drain taking in fewer calories and nutrients than needed will increase your risk of overuse injuries over time.

Stress fractures are one example; poor tissue integrity can happen when athletes think solely about calories taken in but not the quality of the calories consumed. Inadequate protein will also hinder the rebuilding of damaged muscles during training.

If muscles are not completely repaired, they will not be as strong as they could be and will not function optimally. The damaged muscle fibers can lead to soft-tissue injuries. Both protein and carbohydrate along with certain nutrients are needed to help with this repair. Therefore, the goal is both an appropriate quantity and an appropriate quality in food selection.

The case for nutrient timing has been made, and hopefully you are onboard. Whether you are training for endurance or com- peting in a sport requiring strength and power or in which intermittent bursts of activity are important, we will help you create an optimal fueling strategy based on the Nutrient Timing Principles.

Whether the movements are small and almost effortless, like tapping your toe, or exhausting, like running a marathon, your body is fueling each action by releas- ing energy stored in cells for this exact purpose.

When you eat, the energy, or calories, in food is digested and then converted and stored in your cells for later use. Every single body function—your heart beating, your lungs breathing, your liver and kidneys working—in addition to muscles contracting, requires energy.

Nutrient timing is all about matching your energy intake—how, when, and what you eat—with how the body processes food and creates and uses energy.

When implemented strategically, nutrient timing can enhance your performance. By understanding these basic functions, we can then match our needs with the right foods at the appropriate time. How Our Bodies Use Food as Fuel Did you ever wonder what it is about that bagel or banana that gives your body energy?

All foods have to be digested and metabolized broken down into smaller particles in order to provide nutrients and energy to your body. Nutrients provide fuel for your muscles to burn as well as play a role in hormone development, immune function, and in the case of protein, provide building blocks that are utilized to build and repair muscles and other structures inside your body.

Because of the processes that each nutrient must go through, each provides energy and building blocks at different rates. Understanding how the body moves food from your mouth to your muscles is important when using the NTP. Digestion When food is eaten, it goes through the process of digestion: Food is broken down into much smaller particles that our bodies can use.

After you chew and swallow your food, it travels into your stomach where it becomes liquefied. As the now liquefied food leaves your stomach, it enters the small intestine.

The particles from the food you ate are absorbed at specific points along your small intestine into your bloodstream. From there,. com 10 Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance. the macronutrients, carbohydrate, protein, and fat travel to muscles and organs to be metabolized and converted into energy, which you will learn more about in the next section.

Just as words are made of different letters, food is made of different types of molecules. In the alphabet, we have either consonants or vowels; in food, we have three macronutri- ents: carbohydrate, protein, and fat; micronutrients, which include vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients; fiber; and water.

Together, they make up all the parts in food. Carbohydrate Carbohydrate is found in foods such as fruit, juices, milk, yogurt, grains, bread, pasta, rice, cereals, potatoes, beans, vegetables, and sweets. Regardless of which foods they originally came from, all carbohydrates are broken down into smaller particles called sugars.

This is not to be confused with table sugar, though. Glucose is found in the bloodstream about 5 grams, or 20 calories worth , where it is known as blood sugar; in the brain as fuel; and in muscle and liver, where it is stored for later use in a form called glycogen.

Some carbohydrate foods are broken down quickly and others take more time; some provide fuel only, while others are more nutrient rich. Before, during, and directly after training, quickly-digested carbohydrate is ideal to help with fueling; we are less concerned with nutrient content at this time.

There are times when nutrient content overrides the simplicity of fuel only, which is generally at all other meals and snacks.

Nutrient timing helps you select which carbohydrate-rich foods to eat and when in order to best provide fuel for the bloodstream, the liver, and the muscles to stock and restore energy for when it is needed and to keep the brain and nervous system focused and attuned to the task at hand.

Protein Protein is found in eggs, beef, fish, chicken, turkey, pork, cheese, beans especially soy , milk, yogurt, and to a lesser degrees, nuts.

After proteins from food are consumed, they are broken down into amino acids and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most are transported to tissues where they are needed for a variety of functions including repairing or building muscles, forming bone, making new blood cells, growing hair or nails, among other things.

Although certain amino acids can be burned for energy in the muscle or by being transformed into glucose inside the liver, the body prefers to use amino acids for growth, repair, and immune function as opposed to energy by muscle or organs.

One of the important strategic aspects of Nutrient Timing is to Timing Tip consume the right amount of food Smaller amounts of protein are digested and used at the right time. When it comes more efficiently than one large amount.

Eat small to taking in more protein than the amounts of protein during each meal and snack rather body can digest, absorb, and uti- than one large amount at once. Since muscle-building and repair, as well as immune function and bone. turnover, are hour processes, protein consumed in small amounts at regular intervals is ideal.

Protein as part of recovery is especially helpful to begin the process of reducing breakdown and promoting muscle building. This is just the start of the process. By continu- ing to consume protein as part of each meal and snack, you can maximize muscle building, minimize muscle breakdown, and help maintain a healthy immune system.

Fat There seems to be such a knee-jerk reaction to just the word fat, but of course, we are talking about dietary fat, which is so essential for athletes. What role does dietary fat play?

Dietary fat provides fuel and can also affect hormones, health, and a cascade of issues from inflammation to heart disease to bone structure. Fat is found in foods such as oils, butter, nuts, nut butter, salad dressing, mayonnaise, high-fat meats and dairy, most baked goods, ice cream, and fried foods to name a few.

The types and amount of fat needed in the diet vary based on health history and activity level. As it relates to nutrient timing, fat consumption is imperative but best left for meals and snacks further away from training.

Fats go through a number of steps in order to be digested and absorbed into the blood- stream. Fats remain in the stomach longer than carbohydrates, and proteins and take longer to enter the bloodstream because of their complicated digestion process.

Because of the slow digestion of fat, it is not immediately available to provide energy to muscles, so it is not helpful to eat fat close to training. Once exercise begins, all digestion is slowed, and because fat remains in the stomach longer, it can actually interfere with performance if eaten in excess close to training.

Importantly, more of the fat that supplies energy to muscles is either already stored in muscle tissue or is released from adipose fat cells. As you will learn in chapter 5, any type of food—protein, carbohydrate, or fat—can be stored as body fat. We store fat in many places in our bodies: right below the skin, organs, and within muscle tissue.

All body fat is potential energy that is stored and must be broken down into smaller particles in order to be burned. One surprising fact that many athletes may not realize is that stored fat burns on a carbohydrate flame, so carbohydrates are even needed to burn fat as a fuel.

Conditioning helps train your body to access and utilize stored fat to fuel the aerobic system, helping you to go longer without fatiguing. Carbohydrate availability will affect your ability to burn fat. We will look at whether one can or cannot manipulate nutrient timing to better access fat stores in Chapter 5.

Think about when you burn wood in a fireplace to supply heat. You may need to find a tree, chop it down, and cut it up into logs. All of these activities are the preparation steps, getting the wood ready to be used.

This can be likened to digestion. But not until the wood is actually burned is heat produced and energy used. The logs are metabolized, or burned for energy. If the potential fuel wood logs is not needed immediately, it may be stored for later use, just as we do with nutrients.

When the body requires energy for any movement at all—even to breathe—fuel is metabolized, or broken down to supply the energy needed for muscle contraction. acid at each stage along the way. This can take place inside your muscles, heart, liver, or anywhere in your body that uses energy.

Your metabolic rate is the speed at which this conversion to energy occurs. How Our Muscles Use Food as Fuel Muscles store and use food as fuel in specific ways, and in addition, different types of muscle tissue are used for specific functions.

Nutrient timing helps ensure muscles have adequate fuel available when needed. Energy Systems To use a laptop computer, for example, you might have to run it on a battery which is stored energy or plug it into the wall which is a constant flow. Your muscles have similar systems.

These are the anaerobic and aerobic systems. Anaerobic System Whether you need to bolt after a bus, steal a base, or run a meter dash, your muscles need a quick burst of energy and power to contract. Working at a high intensity for a short time is fueled by the anaerobic system, which functions without having oxygen as part of the process.

Of course, you will keep breathing, but the actual metabolic process of converting the stored energy into fuel happens so fast it does not utilize oxygen in the conversion. To create energy at this high intensity, the only fuel your muscles can use at this moment is glucose, which if you remember, comes from a carbohydrate-containing food or is converted from protein or fat, although these sources are less desirable.

None- theless, the fuel must be glucose. It is fuel waiting to be used when the car is in motion. Glycogen inside muscles is broken back down to glucose to provide energy to the muscle fibers.

Now, glucose must go through an involved step-by-step process where enzymes the helper substances cause the glucose to slightly change at each phase. This process of changing the glucose is called glycolysis.

There are two subsets of this process: ATP-Cr System and Lactic Acid System. During some of the steps in the process, a by-product is released into the muscle. This by-product is very important because it is the true source of energy your muscles use to contract.

The true energy that your muscles use to contract comes from the breaking apart of the ATP molecule. For example, think of Timing Tip pricking a water balloon and how the All those hours spent conditioning will eventually pay water gushes out.

This off. As you become more fit, the body produces more release or transfer of energy is what glycogen-storing enzymes, and you are able to store allows your muscles to contract. more glycogen in your muscles. Essentially, your body Creatine, a substance that is found in anticipates an increased need for ready muscle fuel the muscle, helps recycle ATP after and adapts accordingly.

it provides the energy so that more energy can be created. The science made simple Just imagine working really hard, exerting a lot of energy. You can spend that change for a little longer, but eventually you have only a few cents. All these little pennies can build up and take up space in your pocket without doing much good.

Think of this as the lactic acid that is produced as a result of burning glucose at a high intensity. Lactic acid causes muscles to hurt, so you slow down or stop. By decreasing intensity, lactic acid can. If you want to spend more, you will need to withdraw more from your savings.

This is how energy is generated in your muscles. The glu- cose molecule, as it is broken down Pitching in softball is an example of an anaerobic or metabolized, gives off a little ATP movement, using carbohydrate for fuel.

to keep you going. The ATP stored in your muscles lasts only 8 to 10 sec- onds at most. Burning stored carbohydrate is the only way to supply your muscles with ATP at this very high rate of exercise. The bottom line is that high-intensity exercise is fueled by the breakdown of carbohydrate stored as glycogen in the muscles, which is then turned into glucose, and glucose gives off ATP, the bonds of which, when broken, provide energy for high-intensity work.

Aerobic System How does the body provide energy for longer, endurance-based activity? Through the aerobic system. Assume you are training at a moderate pace, just as you would be when you are jogging, cycling, swimming, or rowing.

This type of exercise uses the aerobic system to supply energy to your muscles, and it is called such because oxygen is used to help burn fuel. In this system, you do not work as intensely, but you can go for a longer time. Remember in the anaerobic system that there is a step-by-step process to create ATP energy?

The process used to create energy during the aerobic system is also step by step, but in the end, it gives off a lot more ATP energy so you can work much longer, even though you have to work at a lower intensity. Percent Contribution to Energy: Anaerobic and Aerobic The following table shows the primary energy systems that are used for a variety of sports and athletic events.

Notice that most activities rely on more than one system of energy for fuel. Those using primarily anaerobic metabolism are relying on glucose exclusively to fuel the short bursts of energy needed for muscle contraction.

Aerobic training relies on a mix of carbohydrate, fat, and even some protein. Although some protein may contribute to your aerobic energy needs, fat and carbohy- drate are the major fuel sources during aerobic metabolism.

Fat is a very concentrated source of fuel but harder to get to than carbohydrate. The body is adept at storing fat— unlike today, in times of famine it was a means of survival. Fat must go through another step before it is ready to be burned for its ATP, so it takes longer.

When a person is more fit and able to burn fat at higher intensities, it is because training helps the body adapt by producing more fat-burning enzymes. Muscle Fibers The amount and proportion of foods that you are going to need to fuel your muscles depend on the activity required in your sport and your size.

Are your muscles working for a long time continuously, or in short powerful bursts, or perhaps Timing Tip a combination of the two?

Muscles Conditioning actually helps train your body to recruit have specific fibers that are used for and utilize the appropriate muscle fibers more quickly. each type of activity, and each type Conditioning also enables muscle to store more en- of fiber uses fuel differently.

ergy and trains the enzymes responsible for releasing Muscle fibers fall into two main energy to do so more efficiently. Chernus consults with runners in the New York Road Runners Club and the New York City Marathon and is part of the New York Road Runners sports nutrition team.

As part of Nutrition Conditioning, Inc. Previously, she was the clinical nutritionist for Columbia University Health and Related Services. She has also appeared on local and national TV. It is a valuable source of information for serious athletes.

Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance explains how to manipulate food intake to maximize results. Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance explains how to gain that advantage by consuming the right foods, at the right time, for maximum performance. Previous Next. Call Us Hours Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm EST.

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Find out more about how glycogen storage can affect exercise performance in our dedicated guide Ever since the late s, coaches have used a technique called carb-loading to maximize intramuscular glycogen 3.

The technique varies from athlete to athlete and from sport to sport , but the most traditional method of carb-loading is a 7-day model:.

There are variations on this model too. This technique has been shown to result in supersaturation in glycogen stores - much more than through a traditional high carb diet 4.

The idea is to deplete glycogen stores with a low carb diet and high-volume training regime. Then force muscle cells to overcompensate glycogen storage.

Carb loading has been found to improve long-distance running performance in well-trained athletes, especially when combined with an effective tapering phase prior to competition 5.

Evidence shows that female athletes may need to increase calorie and carb intake in order to optimize the super-compensatory effect 6. This is purely down to physiological differences. It has also been shown to delay fatigue during prolonged endurance training too 7.

This is thought to be due to higher levels of glycogen stores, which not only provides more substrate energy but also decreases indirect oxidation via lactate of non-working muscles. Carb-loading as part of a nutrient timing protocol can lead to glycogen supercompensation and improved endurance performance.

Strategies for carb-loading involve high glycemic carbs during the loading phase, which helps to increase carb intake - but limit fiber high fiber will lead to bloating and discomfort. Focusing on familiar foods is key in order to limit unwanted adverse effects.

Carb-loading on the days prior to competition, or high-intensity training is one strategy to help optimize athletic performance. Another is to ensure carb intake is increased in the hours beforehand. High-carb meals have been shown to improve cycling work rate when taken four hours prior to exercise by enhancing glycogen synthesis 8.

It is not recommended to eat a high-carb meal in the hour immediately prior to exercise due to gastric load and potential negative effects, such as rebound hypoglycemia 9.

Instead, high-carb snacks, supplements or smaller meals can be used instead - and combined with fluids to optimize hydration. Many athletes are turning to carb-based supplements to fuel up prior to exercise.

Mostly because glycogen synthesis is the same compared to food 10, 11 but with fewer potential side effects. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 12 found that weightlifters who took part in high-volume strength workouts benefitted from carb supplementation prior to, during and also after each workout.

The authors suggested that because intermittent activities rely on anaerobic glycolysis to provide fuel, adequate glycogen stores needed to be achieved prior to exercise in order to optimize performance.

This has been backed up in other studies, showing pre-workout carbs taken an hour or two prior to strength exercise. Environmental conditions, such as heat, cold, humidity, and altitude also play a role in nutrient strategies.

Everyday foods from home, dining facilities on base, grocery stores, and convenience stores can meet the nutritional needs of most Service Members.

Carbohydrates are the best fuel for exercise—for both mind and body. Warfighters should aim to get enough carbs:. The tables below show general recommendations for each phase of nutrient timing that can be customized.

Warfighters should choose what to eat based on activity type, intensity, and environmental conditions, as well as their personal preference and experience. Getting enough fluids and balancing electrolytes are also essential for peak performance.

Military guidelines recommend 3—4. Drinking water with meals and snacks, and paying attention to fluid intake during and after exercise can help maintain hydration. To monitor fluid loss, Service Members can weigh themselves before and after exercise—and rehydrate accordingly.

Another way to monitor hydration is by checking urine color. Generally, the lighter the urine color, the better. Service Members should aim to tailor their hydration to sweat rate, type and length of activity, environment heat, humidity, cold, altitude , equipment and clothing, and opportunity and availability to drink.

For optimal fluid balance, Warfighters likely need to increase intake with heat or humidity, heavy clothes or equipment, increased intensity, or exerising longer than an hour.

By the time someone feels thirsty, they might already be dehydrated, so encourage a drinking schedule. Rehydration is an important focus of the recovery phase, so encourage drinking immediately after a training, mission, or event.

Electrolytes nutrients such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium are important for muscle function. Loss of electrolytes through urine and sweat can make dehydration worse than just fluid loss alone. Individual sweat rates for men and women can vary between 0.

Electrolyte loss can be significant depending on training status, sweat rate, how much you eat, genetics, and prior heat exposure. For optimal performance and recovery, a Service Member should consume foods and fluids that contain electrolytes before, during, and after exercise.

Service Members can get enough sodium by eating salty snacks or meals, adding salt to foods, and drinking beverages that contain sodium. Replenishing electrolytes is crucial for complete hydration.

In general, consuming up to mg of caffeine amount in oz coffee approximately 30—60 minutes before an endurance event can improve performance. When using caffeine to boost performance, use it strategically, according to individual caffeine tolerance.

Caffeine content varies, and not all product labels include caffeine content. For extended or sustained operations, re-dose every 3—4 hours as needed. Caffeine intake should not exceed mg in 24 hours or mg for sustained operations. High-intensity workouts lasting about an hour require only a small amount of additional fuel and fluid for peak performance.

Fuel : A carb-rich meal or snack of about — calories. Home Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance PDF. Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance PDF. Add to cart. NOTIFY ME WHEN AVAILABLE. ISBN: Page Count: Access Duration: 10 Years Accessing our ebooks is as easy as We email you an access code after you place your order.

You redeem the code on the VitalSource Bookshelf. Description Table of Contents Author Excerpts Quotes Gain the ultimate advantage!

Preface Part I The Principles Chapter 1 The Nutrient Timing Advantage Chapter 2 The Science Made Simple Part II The Nutrients Chapter 3 Carbohydrate as the Primary Fuel Chapter 4 The Protein Profile Chapter 5 Smart Fat in the Diet Chapter 6 Essential Vitamins and Minerals Chapter 7 The Role of Fluids Chapter 8 The Supplement Factor Part III Fueling Strategies, Plans, and Menus Chapter 9 Timing Guidelines for Athletes Chapter 10 Strength and Power Chapter 11 Endurance Chapter 12 Stop and Go Appendixes Index About the Authors.

How our bodies use protein Learn the advantages of nutrient timing Tips on creating a healthy eating plan What is Fat? Heidi Skolnik discusses nutrient timing for training and competition.

Heidi Skolnik,Andrea Chernus. Title eBook.

What is this? Product Symbol Definitions. Add To Cart. Add items to your cart, then click the "Request Quote" button at the top of your screen. Submit the form and you'll receive a quote in hours! Skip to the end of the images gallery. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery. Details Provides guidelines to specific training and competition, as well as sample meal and snack plans Made to show you how certain nutrients in precise amounts at specific times can improve consistency of energy, speed recovery, increase the building effects of strength training, diminishes muscle breakdown, improve immune function, and minimize your risk of injury Constructed of pages of information with a softcover.

More Information Shipping Weight 1. Overview The Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance is your guide to consuming the right foods at the right time for optimal results in training or competition. Are you part of a company, healthcare organization or school? Company Information. Billing Account Number.

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Making sure to eat healthily and watching caloric intake is more important than nutrient timing for most people. In this case, it may be hard to consume the necessary calories and nutrition that you need in three square meals, rendering meal frequency as the better option.

Elite athletes, fitness competitors and people who are either working out for more than two hours at a time or multiple times a day stand to benefit most from nutrient timing.

Eating more often and paying particular attention to eating before, during and after exercise helps ensure that the body is getting the adequate amount of calories and nutrients for peak performance, recovery and optimal health. Rather, being cognizant of what and how much you eat throughout the day, as opposed to when you eat, ultimately has the greatest effect on long-term health and nutrition goals.

by Ben Brown Feb 13, Today, I catch up with Cody McBroom, the owner of Tailored Coaching Method, a lifestyle coaching company that's focused on fitting the training and nutrition to the client and not the other way around.

In our conversation, we talk about the similarities between by Ben Brown Feb 6, Imagine what you could achieve if you set an intention and then strategically planned each step out 1 year in advance.

In January Body Systems Coach joeyszolowicz and I set an intention to do a 1 year periodized physique transformation. The goal was to by Ben Brown Jan 30, In today's conversation, I catch up with my buddy Aram Grigorian. Aram is a nutrition coach who provides practical solutions for everyday folks who want to stop the cycle of dieting and disappointment.

He also hosts the Real Coaches Summit to help bring education to Nutrient Timing: Does When You Eat Matter for Peak Performance and Weight Loss? Conventional Wisdom 1: You Need a Post-Workout Shake Stat! Exercise damages your muscle fibers. Considering that information, it makes sense that grabbing a post-workout shake right away is important, but it really depends… The Research There are a number of studies comparing the timing effects of protein and or carbohydrates at various time points post-exercise.

So the question remains: Should you grab that post-workout shake? Take Home Points 1. The Research There are numerous studies touting the benefits of breakfast when it comes to weight loss. Conventional Wisdom 3: You Need to Eat Every Two to Three Hours The last commonly cited piece of nutrient timing is the notion of eating small meals frequently throughout the day every two to three hours , as opposed to three square meals.

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