Athletic Nutrition

[johndockley92]

Wasn't sure where to put a topic like this, but trying to get my daughter the best nutrition possible for her training without having to empty my wallet in the doctor's office. Weight is not an issue for her. Is there a good website with information regarding athletic nutrition or anything of this sort?

[madm]

Dr. Dan Bernardot has presented seminars on athlete nutrition at the last couple of Nationals. These seminars were offered for the athletes and their coaches and parents. You can probably get hold of some of the handouts/slides from his talks. He does have a website where you can purchase some consulting at a fairly reasonable cost too: http://foodandsport.com/

There are a couple of nutrition-related links at the USFS Athlete Sports Science page: http://www.usfsa.org/Athletes.asp?id=226 . Check out some of the slide sets listed under the Coaches section. For athletes, it is important to maintain a fairly even blood glucose level by eating more frequently and to stay hydrated. I remember Dr. Bernardot stressing that skaters should be drinking sports drinks to replenish electrolytes while exercising, and they should be sipping them at least every 15 minutes. These drinks are better than water for an athlete.

A few years ago one of my daughters asked to see a nutritionist just to get better educated about what she was eating in college and how she should improve her eating habits. We paid about $500 for a two-person deal to get nutrition counseling that involved 6 1-hour sessions. We kept diet and exercise logs and learned a lot. If you can afford it, I recommend consulting with a nutritionist that works with athletes.

[madm]

Dr. Bernardot's book titled "Advanced Sports Nutrition" is available on Amazon for $15.
http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Sport...words=benardot

I haven't read it but it has a lot of 5-star reviews.

[Anita18]

I know someone who works as a Crossfit coach and he's a devotee of the paleo diet. I'm not someone who believes that eschewing all grains and minimizing fruit consumption is THE way to lifelong health, but it would minimize blood sugar crashes, for sure!

[johndockley92]

I know someone who works as a Crossfit coach and he's a devotee of the paleo diet. I'm not someone who believes that eschewing all grains and minimizing fruit consumption is THE way to lifelong health, but it would minimize blood sugar crashes, for sure!

Such a diet I think would be poor for an athlete because athletes need carbs. So far his has been pretty helpful: http://www.usfsa.org/content/Zoning%20In.pdf

[Anita18]

Such a diet I think would be poor for an athlete because athletes need carbs. So far his has been pretty helpful: http://www.usfsa.org/content/Zoning%20In.pdf

The guy practices what he preaches (works out alongside his students), but even I find I lift better at the gym shortly I've had some carbs. I don't do it every day though. YMMV with that one.

[MacMadame]

The Paleo Diet is a fad diet based on cherry picking data about what Paleolithic man ate (which varies quite a bit based on what time period and what part of the world you are in) and also it's practitioners often have a tenuous hold on the science of nutrition as they often say the most ridiculous things about how we metabolize certain foods.

In my area, there's Dr. Clyde Wilson and he does consultations with athletes. He has a web site too.

http://www.drclydewilson.com

I've heard him speak and have been very impressed. (Well, he is a Stanford professor. )

Nancy Clark, RD MS is also a well-regarded sport nutritionist. I have her book.

http://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Clarks-S.../dp/0736074155

I don't like the fact that she assumes that women want to lose weight and men want to bulk up though. That's sexist! But she's pretty mainstream and practical.