This video will examine the nutri onal

considera ons and needs for various types of ac vi es and

compe ons. Not surprisingly, the nutri onal

needs for op mal training and performance will depend upon the sport or

ac vity in which you are par cipa ng. As you would imagine, the nutri onal

requirements for a football lineman will differ greatly from that of

a marathon runner or a triathlete. There are many facets to the nutri onal

requirements for exercise and performance. I will focus on three main factors. How much to eat,
what to eat,

and when to eat. First, let's begin with how much to eat. Endurance athletes do not wish

to carry any excess body weight. Therefore, they generally

wish to remain weight stable. This brings us to the energy

balance equa on shown here. If total calories consumed through the

diet equals the total calories expended throughout the day, then the individual

will be in energy balance, and thus, weight stable. As shown here, the daily energy

expenditure can vary greatly depending on the type of ac vity and

training involved. Compe ve athletes generally have

a good idea what their caloric intake should be to remain weight stable. When increasing
training

intensity and/or volume, care should be taken to avoid entering

into nega ve energy balance, which may interfere with one's ability to

compete and contribute to chronic fa gue. What to eat for endurance athletes

revolves around maintaining or increasing carbohydrate

stores in muscle and liver. Given the limited amount of

carbohydrates stored in the body, coupled with the impact that its

deple on has on endurance performance both during training and

in compe on, it is recommended that 55% to 60% of calories consumed

highlights this point. When athletes perform strenuous

exercise on three consecu ve days, leg muscles glycogen levels

decrease con nually over me when consuming a low carbohydrate diet of 40%. When the
same athletes perform these tests

while on a 70% high carbohydrate diet, muscle glycogen levels recovered more

completely between exercise trials. No ce that even when on

the high carbohydrate diet, by the end of day three, muscle glycogen

levels were s ll somewhat lower than those measured prior to

the first exercise session. This emphasizes the need to

maintain a high carbohydrate diet when involved in intense training. This leads me to when

to eat carbohydrates. It can take up to 24 hours to completely

replenish muscle glycogen stores a er a strenuous bout of exercise. To op mize the

carbohydrate stores a er a compe on or training session,

the ideal me to consume carbohydrates is during the first one to two

hours immediately post-exercise. Shown here is the drama c

three-fold increase in glycogen synthesis when carbohydrates

were given immediately a er exercise as opposed to two hours post-exercise. The primary
explana on for this response

relates to the increase in insulin sensi vity observed up to

two hours post-exercise. As you remember from our video

on the endocrine system, insulin promotes glucose

uptake by muscle and liver. An increase in insulin sensi vity, coupled with elevated blood
glucose levels

following the inges on of carbohydrates immediately a er exercise,

will significantly enhance one's ability to replenish carbohydrate stores

demonstra ng that all ten subjects showed an increase in insulin sensi vity

following a single bout of exercise. I will revisit this topic when discussing

the role of exercise in the preven on and treatment of diabetes in module four. Regarding the
precompe on meal, there are several important

guidelines to consider. The meal should be consumed 2-3 hours

prior to compe on to allow for complete diges on. This will reduce the need of the diges ve

system for blood flow, thus allowing for greater flow to the working muscles. Also, this will allow
me for insulin

levels to return to normal a er the meal. An eleva on in insulin levels immediately

before the onset of exercise would promote glucose uptake in all insulin-dependent

ssues, including adipose and non-ac ve muscles, which will limit blood glucose

availability for the working muscles. The precompe on meal should be light,

between 300 and 500 calories, and be high in carbohydrates and low in

fats and fiber that take longer to digest. Addi onally, I remind you of

other nutri onal considera ons previously men oned in this course. First, having more
glycogen stored

in muscle prior to a compe on will slow its deple on,

delaying the onset of fa gue, resul ng in an improvement in

performance or me to exhaus on. By adjus ng one's diet in advance, the amount of glycogen
stored

in muscle can be manipulated. This is known as carbohydrate loading. The classic regimen,

the carbohydrate load, involves using a bout of strenuous,

exhaus ve exercise approximately seven days before compe on to deplete

glycogen in the muscles recruited. This is followed by three-day diet,

high in fat and protein, and low in carbohydrate,

to keep the muscle glycogen stores low. A er being starved from carbohydrates for
this prolonged period, the athlete then switches to a very high carbohydrate

diet for the remaining three days. This results in an over or super compensa on in muscle
glycogen

stores just before compe on. While effec ve in increasing

glycogen stores, the classic regimen is not always well tolerated by

athletes as it can affect mood, training, and

possible suscep bility to illness. Thus, a modified regiment was proposed

whereby the athlete reduces their training intensity, or tapers during the week

prior to compe on, while increasing their carbohydrate intake up to 70% of

total calories days before the event. This modified regimen appears to be

effec ve in carbohydrate loading while being less trauma c on the athlete. Finally, as discussed
in

the carbohydrate video, carbohydrate feedings during exercise can

help to maintain blood glucose levels, thereby delaying the onset of fa gue. As indicated here,
when elite

cyclists exercised at 70% to 75% of their max VO2 to exhaus on

without carbohydrate feeding, they fa gued on average at

the three-hour me point. When a dilute carbohydrate drink,

an approximate 4% to 8% solu on, is given every 30 minutes a er

the onset of exercise, no ce that these same subjects could exercise

an addi onal hour before fa guing. Thus, the inges on allowed for an addi onal source of
carbohydrate,

thereby sparing liver glycogen. Endurance athletes need to

take proper precau ons to avoid dehydra on during

prolonged bouts of exercise. The increase in swea ng,

coupled with fluid shi s in the body, can significantly reduce

one's plasma volume. This will result in a reduced venous

to maintain cardiac output, but this will contribute to early fa gue. Shown here is the
rela onship

between the degree of dehydra on and the effect it has on

impairing performance. Thus it is cri cal, par cularly when

exercising in hot environments, for the individual to keep well hydrated. Nutri onal
considera ons for individuals

wishing to increase muscle mass and strength are very different than those for

the endurance athlete. In order to increase muscle mass,

the rate of muscle protein synthesis must be greater than the rate

of muscle protein breakdown. This can be accomplished by

combining heavy resistance training with a high protein intake. The protein intake should

be approximately double that of the recommended daily allowance, approaching 1.6 grams of
protein per

kilogram of body weight per day. This can be achieved through a sound diet

consis ng of meats and dairy protein. Frequently adver sed protein

supplements are not necessary, and ul mately lead to excessive urine

as excess nitrogen is excreted. As stated in the protein metabolism video, the rates of protein
synthesis

are elevated immediately post-exercise. This is likely due to high

levels of growth hormone as well as an increase in insulin

sensi vity discussed above. Thus, inges on of protein

within the first hour following training would elicit

an op mal response in protein synthesis. Whey and casein protein, which

are digested more rapidly, are ideal for this effect. Shown here is just one of many

studies demonstra ng this response. Following an intense bout of resistance

few hours into the recovery period. Further, the rate of protein synthesis

is increased by an addi onal 30% when fed protein during this period. Finally, some power and
Olympic weightli ers, as well as NFL

linemen, consume massive amounts of food to ensure they're ge ng adequate protein

as well as to increase overall body mass. This puts them in a posi ve

energy balance resul ng in weight gain that is in the form

of both muscle and fat. This prac ce is not recommended and can lead to health issues later in
life

such as heart disease and diabetes. In summary, a en on to carbohydrate

metabolism and stores before, during and a er exercise is essen al for

endurance athletes. It is important for endurance athletes to

stay hydrated during training sessions and in compe on. Individuals wishing to increase
muscle

mass should combine heavy resistance training with a diet high in protein.