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July 27th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda FRIDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) — It seems there’s virtually no
end to the power and stamina of Olympic athletes, which is due in part to
the detailed guidance they get from experts about the right amount and
type of food they need.
So what do Olympic athletes eat? A lot.
On average, they need to consume between 8,000 and 10,000 calories a
day, compared to just 2,000 to 2,800 calories a day for the average
moderately active man, according to the Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics.
The science of fueling athletes for elite sports goes way beyond
caloric intake to include percentages of carbohydrates versus proteins,
quantities of fluid and the timing of meals and snacks.
“There is a huge range of different needs, depending on the event and
how much speed, endurance and strength the athlete needs,” said Dr.
Christine Gerbstadt, a registered dietician and anesthesiologist in
Gaithersburg, Md.
The advice athletes get has changed a lot in the past 20 years,
Gerbstadt said. “You used to see an NFL football team sit down to a huge
steak dinner before a game,” she said. “No more.”
Instead, the new approach is designed to feed athletes not just a
combination of foods they need prior to an event, but to ensure that they
ingest the right nutrients to help repair their muscles for the next
competition, Gerbstadt said.
There are three phases to consider when planning the nutritional needs
of athletes, Gerbstadt explained. An hour or two before an event, the
Olympians should have an easily digestible light meal — ideally oatmeal
and a banana with milk or yogurt. An hour or so before the competition,
they also need 16 ounces of water.
Hydration is a big issue, said Amy Jamieson-Petonic, a registered
dietician and director of wellness coaching for the Cleveland Clinic.
“Athletes can lose 2 percent to 3 percent of their body weight from
dehydration, which can negatively impact their aerobic performance,” she
said.
Trainers and coaches regularly check their athletes’ specific gravity
and osmolality (measures of dehydration), she added.
Some sports are more likely to lead to dehydration than others,
Jamieson said. Swimmers typically are at high risk for the condition
because they typically can’t grab a sip of water in the middle of the
event.
If an athlete’s event is an hour long or less, they shouldn’t drink
water during the competition, Gerbstadt said. If it’s more than an hour,
the amount of water they should drink depends on the temperature, humidity
and how much they actually perspire.
Gerbstadt recommends drinking 16 ounces of water, juice or a sports
drink anywhere from every 15 minutes to every hour, depending on the
individual’s needs.
“They shouldn’t go overboard on the fluids,” she said. “It’s actually
better to be under-hydrating than taking in too much fluid.”
After the event, in the “recovery” phase, the goal is to help the
athletes’ bodies bounce back quickly. The average Olympian burns about 800
calories an hour, but that can be replaced gradually over four to eight
hours, Gerbstadt said.
She advises athletes to eat a quick recovery snack as soon after the
competition as they can — preferably 20 to 30 grams of protein and
carbohydrates.
“A fruit smoothie with protein powder would be ideal, or a turkey
sandwich is great,” she said. “Without the immediate snack, there will be
a prolonged recovery time of broken-down muscle fibers.”
For most Olympic athletes, one of the hardest aspects of nutrition is
finding the time to consume all the calories they need, said
Jamieson-Petonic.
“They’re training so hard, they have to literally plan to eat and drink
multiple times a day,” she said. “Because their nutrient needs are so
high, they have to schedule meals and snacks very carefully.”
The guidance that nutritionists offer Olympic athletes is also highly
individualized, going beyond their sport to their particular preferences.
“Everybody’s got something a little different in their sports bottle,”
Gerbstadt said.
Although most people will never experience the athletic demands
Olympians face, there are some important lessons from the nutrition
experts for everyone who exercises:
- If you wonder whether you get enough hydration when you exercise, try
weighing yourself first thing in the morning and then again right after
your workout. The decrease in weight will represent the amount of fluid
you lost, Jamieson-Petonic said. You’ll need to replace every pound you
lost with 24 ounces of fluid, she added. - Concerned you might be dehydrated? It will probably be evident through
your performance. “You feel like you just can’t go on, your body can’t do
what it’s used to doing,” Jamieson-Petonic said. “You can walk but you
can’t run.” - Don’t roll out of bed and go straight to a 5K run without some
breakfast, Gerbstadt said. “Be sure to get some carbohydrates, lean
protein and fluid on board before you go.”
More information
For more on healthy diets, go to the Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics.
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