Athletes Are Not Like Other People

Physiologically, the body of a healthy, fit rower differs significantly from the body of the unfit “average American.” For example, compared to those of an unfit person, the muscles of a rower take up sugar (glucose) readily from the blood. This  means “sugar spikes” are of less concern.

Because nutrition advice doesn’t apply always to the needs of athletes, it can cause confusion and be misleading. One size does not fit all! So let’s clear up some misconceptions.

I’ve stopped eating fattening potato, pasta, and starchy carbs with dinner. I eat a pile of veggies instead.

“Starchy carbs” are not inherently fattening. Excess calories of any kind of food are fattening. Eating a pile of veggies as a source of “healthier” carbs is expensive, time-consuming, and likely to result in a very high-fiber diet (leading to undesired pit stops) and unlikely to refuel muscles optimally.

Carb-dense (sweet) potatoes, (brown) rice, (whole-wheat) bread, and other starchy carbs/grains optimize fueling the muscles of rowers who train hard. A strong carb intake can prevent “dead legs” and disappointing workouts. The harder you exercise, the greater your need for starches and grains. One third to one half of your plate can be starches (at least 200 calories from starch per meal or 2.5 to four grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight per day).

I enjoy recovering from my workouts with a 40-gram protein shake.

While a bit of post-workout protein can help build and repair muscles, you actually want three times more carbs than protein to refuel depleted muscles. An effective dose of post-exercise protein is about an eighth to a sixth of a gram of protein per pound of body weight. For rowers weighing between 120 and 170 pounds, that’s about 15 to 20 grams of protein, the equivalent of two to three eggs in a recovery breakfast or 16 ounces of chocolate milk. More is not better. If you want to use protein powder, blenderize it with carb-dense chocolate milk plus a banana, or juice plus frozen fruit.       

I don’t drink orange juice anymore. Too much sugar.

For busy rowers who train hard, have high calorie needs and limited time to eat, and consume too little fruit, 100 percent juice is exactly what their sports diet needs. While most calories in juice (and fruit) are from sugar, abundant nutrients come along with that sugar. Eight ounces of OJ provides 100 percent of the daily need for vitamin C, replaces potassium lost in sweat, and offers folic acid, which is critical for women who might become pregnant. By choosing a variety of colorful juices (purple grape, red cranberry, yellow pineapple, blue blueberry), rowers can consume a variety of health-promoting compounds that fight inflammation. If you’ve stopped drinking OJ, at least eat an orange, berries, or other fruit.    

I’ve stopped salting my food.

When rowers sweat, they lose sodium, a part of salt. The standard American diet contains far more sodium than most people need, so most sweaty rowers can consume abundant sodium easily. That said, if you have a post-workout layer of salt on your skin and you’re craving salt, sprinkle some on your food. Salt cravings indicate your body needs salt.

I use electrolyte tablets after long workouts.

Electrolytes (more commonly called minerals, such as calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium) are abundant in food. Chances are, you will consume more electrolytes in your recovery meal than you will get from electrolyte tablets.

Sodium is the electrolyte of concern. Before taking electrolyte supplements, read the Nutrition Facts on food labels to educate yourself about the sodium in the foods you eat commonly. You might be shocked to learn that the 270 milligrams of sodium in a 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade is less than the 450 milligrams in a Thomas’ plain bagel, the 470 milligrams in half a cup of Prego pasta sauce, the 600 milligrams in a sprinkling (a quarter teaspoon) of salt on your pre- or post-exercise meal, or the 850 milligrams in a cup of chicken broth.

I crave sugar. I’m trying not to eat it.

Sugar cravings happen commonly when rowers get too hungry, often because they fail to eat enough calories at breakfast and lunch. By afternoon, their gas tank is empty, and their body is shouting for quick energy. To curb sugar cravings (and reduce your sugar intake easily), eat more breakfast and lunch. If you stop eating breakfast because the food is gone or because you think you should, think again. Stop eating because you feel content and satisfied.

Your body can tell you how much food it requires if you listen to it. If you don’t trust your body to feel fullness, please meet with a sports dietitian. This nutrition professional can estimate energy needs and design a food plan that distributes adequate food throughout the day, thereby curbing hunger and urges for sugar.

I try not to snack in the afternoon.    

Athletes need snacks! They get hungry and should eat at least every four hours. If you have breakfast at 7 a.m, you’ll want lunch by 11 and should eat a second lunch by 3. (Note: change snack to second lunch, so you end up choosing quality food in this mini-meal, such as a banana plus peanut butter plus crackers, or an apple plus cheese plus nuts.

Afraid you’ll gain weight by eating a snack/second lunch? Fret not. You’ll be less hungry for dinner. Instead of holding off to devour a huge evening meal, enjoy eating in the afternoon when you feel hungry. Hunger is simply a request for fuel. Your body has burned off what you fed it and needs some more food.

I avoid peanut butter. Too fattening.

Yes, peanut butter is calorie-dense but it is not inherently fattening. A tablespoon offers about 100 satiating calories. A PB&J sandwich will help you feel fed far longer than eating similar calories from a low-fat turkey sandwich. Plus, the fat in PB is anti-inflammatory; it reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

I love [fill in the blank] but I’ve stopped eating it because I end up eating too much of it.

Foods that you love and have power over you (PB? pizza?) should be eaten more often, not less often. Deprivation and denial of your favorite foods lead to cheating and last-chance eating (you know: “I cheated; I ate a spoonful of peanut butter. So I might as well finish the jar now and never buy more.”) The solution is to enjoy peanut butter at every meal for the next week. It will lose its power. Trust me.