Performance nutrition: three things that can improve performance (and a few that can't)
I’ve been an athlete my whole life, and having grown up in the 80’s and 90’s as a competitive gymnast (during the low fat diet craze, when so little was known about nutrition and eating disorders were all but encouraged in aesthetic sports), have made my fair share of nutrition mistakes. I remember being afraid to eat anything with more than a certain number of fat grams, but then not being able to get out of the foam pit after a dismount off bars because I had so little energy. That fear eventually resolved, but now I can’t help but think about how in touch I was with my body and what it could physically do, yet so clueless on how to feed and fuel it to help me perform better.
(I have a photo of me doing this but it’s 23 years old so let’s go with this one)
Of course, this is a big reason why I enjoy working with athletes now - to help them navigate through all of the nutrition misconceptions related to sports performance and avoid the same mistakes I’ve made. Luckily, there is a lot of information and research to guide us dietitians these days, but with that comes so much more confusion (thanks in large part to social media). Here are three nutrition-related factors that can greatly improve performance:
Meeting (or not meeting) energy needs
I know I’m sort of like a broken record here, but a well-fueled athlete is a high performing athlete with longevity. In a recent study on self-reported history of eating disorders, training and weight control methods among the elite female runners competing in the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials, it was found that 32% of them had a prior eating disorder (6% reported having a current eating disorder). What’s more, 67% of these runners (TWO THIRDS) reported intentionally restricting their diet and energy intake. You don’t have to be an elite marathoner to have low energy availability; however, and I’d surmise from my experience that the stats are similar if not higher in recreational female runners. It’s a huge number, and one that can be reduced if we KEEP. TALKING. ABOUT. IT. It has to be said how helpful it is to see a registered dietitian to make sure you are fueling enough for your sport and address restrictive behaviors before they impact performance and shorten your career.
Refueling after a run, workout, rehearsal or class
Someone said to me the other day that they felt strength training was a waste if they didn’t refuel afterwards with protein, and I was like YESSSS. Whatever your sport or activity of choice is, you can only improve so much if you’re not taking in proper nutrition at the right time after you finish. It’s so important to consume quality protein and some carbs within 30-45 minutes of your workout to really take advantage of the body’s acute muscle building response and to replenish glycogen stores. I recommend aiming for between 20-30 grams of protein at this time along with some carbs, which can be fairly easy to do with these ideas:
Two eggs with whole grain toast, avocado, hemp seeds and a cup of drinkable yogurt (I love Siggi’s)
Oatmeal with 1 scoop collagen powder, almond milk, 1-2 tbsp peanut butter, berries and chia seeds
1 cup Greek yogurt with granola, berries and flaxseeds
Carbs!
If you’ve been here for a while, you cannot possibly be surprised that carbs can make or break performance, especially in endurance activities like running or triathlon. Here are some prior posts of mine that might be helpful.
Nutrition-related performance barriers
Underfueling is of course the top nutrition-related mistake that, as you’ve seen above from the data and I can verify from my experience, most athletes make at one time or another. Following that comes inadequate fueling before workouts or fasted workouts, which especially for female athletes come with no benefits and can easily put unnecessary stress on the body. Inadequate hydration can also rank pretty high, so make sure you’re staying on top of fluids and electrolytes (even in winter!). Cutting out foods or entire food groups when no allergy or marked intolerance is present can also impact performance by making it harder to meet energy needs and increasing likelihood of disordered eating (if not present already). Iron deficiency is also extremely common in female athletes and often not monitored or diagnosed quickly enough (next time you’re at your PCP’s for a physical, ask them to add ferritin to your lab panel).
The good news is that all of these barriers, and the many I haven’t mentioned, are fixable with the help of a registered dietitian. Something I wholeheartedly wish I had available to me a few decades ago.
For more information on working with me, please visit my website.