Feeling the burn is one thing but will your diet ensure you don’t burn out? Whether you’re a casual gym bunny or you’re in training for an event such as a marathon or triathlon, what you eat can make all the difference between optimal performance and physical collapse. Eating the right foods to support your fitness regime can help to improve performance, avoid injuries and even speed up recovery, but when it comes to fit foods, few of us give nutrition the consideration it deserves.

“The energy for exercise comes from the different foods and drinks we consume. The more you exercise, the more energy you will need,” says sports dietitian Alison Garth, Gatorade Fellow at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). “This means increasing the amount you’re eating but remembering to choose nutritious options.”

Yet it is precisely in choosing nutritious options that so many of us make mistakes, says exercise physiologist Dr Adam Fraser, co-author of The Good Enough Diet. “I think we lack self-awareness about what we eat across the board. I see a lot of people make elementary errors around their diet when they’re trying to eat for their physical activity level,” he explains. Dr Fraser says the most common mistakes people make are dramatically limiting or cutting out carbohydrates in the belief it will help them lose weight, or overloading on carbs in a bid to “fuel up”.

“If people start running and think, ‘I can pig out and eat as much pasta as I want’, that will make them put on weight if they’re not doing enough exercise,” he says. “(But) I (also) see people doing a hell of a lot of exercise who decide to go on a no-carb diet, which is a disaster. “They’re burning up protein and muscle; it’s a bad idea.”

Naturopathic nutritionist Teresa Mitchell-Paterson, from the Australian College of Natural Therapies, agrees that many are mystified by the carbohydrate conundrum. “I think people think they have to increase carbohydrates without necessarily looking at what sort,” she says. “It’s got to be the ‘right’ carbs: a low-GI carbohydrate will sustain energy levels (but) there are times when high-GI carbs are needed, too.”

AIS guidelines for daily carbohydrate refuelling needs for a person training less than 60-90 minutes a day is just five to seven grams per kilo of body weight. So with so many mixed messages out there, just what does the optimum diet for an energetic exerciser look like?

Ready, set, GO!

It’s a common — but incorrect — belief that eating before exercising means the body burns only the calories consumed and not stored fat. Many fitness fanatics for whom weight loss is a goal therefore dutifully train on an empty stomach, only to struggle through their workout feeling tired, weak and lightheaded. In fact, eating a light snack before an intense workout is recommended. “Eating before training helps top up your body’s fuel and ensures you’re well hydrated,” says Alison Garth.

“Your preferences, tolerance and the type of session you’re about to do will influence the type and timing of what you eat before a session but, in general, a carbohydrate-containing meal could be consumed two to three hours prior and, if needed, a lighter snack in the one or two hours prior to the session.”

Eating a large meal immediately before exercising can lead to stomach upsets, so it’s important to allow time for digestion. Then, immediately before your session, eat a snack with a high glycaemic index (GI) so it delivers a quick energy boost but requires little digestion.

Carbs
Another often-misunderstood concept is “carb loading”: eating extra carbohydrate-rich foods in the days before an intense workout. It’s beneficial because it helps top up the body’s energy reserves — ie carbohydrates broken down into glucose and stored in the muscles as glycogen. “In terms of endurance and power, you want to make sure you’ve got plenty of glycogen on board. You want those levels to be topped up because when you run out of glycogen you start to feel tired and lethargic and your performance is worse,” Dr Fraser explains.

However, carb loading is really only necessary in the day or two before an endurance event such as a marathon or triathlon; try it for days in the lead-up to your weekly Spin class and you’ll simply gain weight.

Choosing the ‘right’ carbs is also vital. Steer clear of refined foods like white pasta, rice and bread and instead choose wholegrain varieties as well as fruits, vegetables and rolled oats.

Protein
The other crucial component of a workout-ready diet is good-quality protein. Mitchell-Paterson says an error commonly made by people who weight-train is consuming too much protein in the belief it will help to build more muscle. While protein is essential for the creation and repair of muscle, overdosing won’t help. In fact, high-protein diets can displace other important nutrients in the diet.

“People think when they’re doing weight training they’ve got to have masses of protein, (but) the maximum is about two grams per kilo of body weight,” she explains.

Good-quality sources of protein include lean red meat, chicken, fish, eggs and tempeh. Dr Fraser says the optimal lunch or dinner plate for someone doing a lot of exercise should be 50 per cent non-starchy carbohydrates such as vegetables, a quarter good-quality protein and a quarter starchy carbs such as pasta, rice or bread.

 

Off and racing

If you decide to step up your physical activity from three weekly gym sessions to training for an event such as a half marathon or ocean swim, your diet will need to change, too. “You need to eat for the type of exercise you’re doing. For instance, if you are a marathon runner your requirements will be different from those of a sprinter,” says Lauren Burns, who won a gold medal in taekwondo at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“With mindfulness, planning and preparation, you can eat wonderfully diverse and interesting food that will give greater satiety and much higher nutritional value.”

If you’re attempting an endurance activity, eating during the event is important. “If you’re going to do a 180km bike ride, for example, eat something immediately before you go and have something with you for the ride like sports drinks or a banana — things that are easily digestible,” says Dr Fraser.

Proper hydration is also essential. Water aids digestion and absorption of food and removes toxins and waste from the body. Signs of dehydration include fatigue, headaches and dark-coloured urine. “With a moderate amount of exercise, drinking eight to 10 glasses of pure, clean water per day will enhance nutrient absorption, assist weight loss and detoxification and keep you properly hydrated,” says Burns.

“A more intense exercise regime will require more like two litres per day, depending on the activity.” She recommends adding a dash of pear or apple juice, combined with a pinch of celtic salt, to water to assist in replacing salts and minerals lost via perspiration during exercise.

Eating well during a period of more intensive exercise can help to boost immunity and avoid injuries. A diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables will provide much-needed vitamins and minerals. “When you get to that extreme there needs to be some sort of supplementation or juicing your vegetables to get the maximum magnesium, which helps with muscle recovery and muscle function,” says Mitchell-Paterson. “Vitamins A and D are very important. Low levels are implicated in sportspeople who constantly get sick.”

Seeking professional advice can also be helpful when stepping up your training. “If you’ve suffered from something like glandular fever or you have any injuries, I’d recommend specific nutritional or naturopathic advice,” Mitchell-Paterson says.

Burns agrees. “Throughout my athletic career, I was always a big fan of seeking out a variety of experts, (including) a naturopath, homoeopath, physio and massage therapists,” she says. “This was one of the most important things I did, as I had a wealth of knowledge at my disposal. Diet was absolutely imperative to (my) performance, preparation, recovery and mood.”

Recovery

Diet isn’t just important before and during exercise; the foods you choose can have an enormous impact on recovery. Garth recommends eating and drinking within an hour of finishing a workout session. “If your next main meal is within an hour of finishing exercise, this can be your recovery food,” she explains. “Suggestions include cereal with milk, poached eggs on toast, a salad roll with ham and cheese, pasta with a meat-based sauce, a chicken and vegetable risotto or lentil burgers.

“But if your next main meal is more than an hour away and you’re training again in under eight hours, a recovery snack such as yoghurt, a fruit smoothie, flavoured milk or a cheese sandwich could kick-start the recovery process.” A handful of raw unsalted nuts is another good option for a post-workout snack because they contain protein, carbohydrates and good fats.

Sports drinks that replace electrolytes and salts lost during exercise are increasingly popular but Dr Fraser advises caution. “After you’ve done a really hard session, like a 15km run, a sports drink can be useful,” he says. “But if you’re just going to the gym a couple of times a week you don’t need sports drinks — they’re just sugary drinks that can make you put on a lot of weight.”

While there are no specific foods that can fast-track recovery, a generally nutritious diet means less downtime. “Maximise your chance of recovery by eating good-quality protein and carbohydrates to replenish glycogen. You won’t be less sore but you’ll be able to recover more quickly,” Dr Fraser says.

The good news is this doesn’t mean you must forgo your favourite treats. “There are no ‘naughty’ foods — all foods can be included in a well-balanced diet,” says Garth. “The important thing to remember is how much and how often you eat foods or drink fluids that are high in energy but low in other nutrients, such as alcohol, chocolate and high-fat takeaways. These ‘treat’ foods can still be included in your diet but limit to once a week or once a fortnight.”

 

Weighty matters

Many people who do a lot of exercise are disheartened to find themselves gaining weight. This is often because they have gained muscle, which is almost three times heavier by volume than fat. “Look at whether you’ve gained weight but lost centimetres. If so, that’s the body changing from bulky fat tissue to lean muscle tissue,” Mitchell-Paterson explains.

Alternatively, weight gain could be down to that classic exercise trap: believing that working out gives you carte blanche to pig out. “Sometimes, people use exercise as an excuse to overeat. Even if you exercise a lot, it can be easy to eat much more than the energy you burn during exercise, especially if you’re eating lots of high-energy foods,” says Garth. “It can also be easy to get caught up with fad diets and supplements and forget that the basics of nutrition are the key to performing well.”

 

Menu planner

Try these workout-boosting meal ideas
Breakfast: Wholegrain cereal with fat milk; poached or boiled eggs on wholegrain toast with roasted tomatoes and spinach; fruit toast with butter, plus fresh fruit and yoghurt.
Lunch: Wholegrain roll filled with lean meat and salad; baked beans on toast; jacket potato with filling; sushi.
Dinner: Pasta with tomato and meat-based sauce; risotto; burritos; stirfry or curry with rice or noodles; steak or chicken with vegetables including potato, pumpkin or sweet potato.
Snacks: Yoghurt; fruit; creamed rice; English muffin or crackers with cheese, Lauren Burns’ Bliss Balls (see recipe).

 

Bliss Balls

From Lauren Burns’ vegetarian cookbook, Food from a Loving Home.
A delicious protein-packed snack, these are excellent when you’re craving something sweet or for packed lunches. They are also a good option for little people who don’t yet have the teeth to chew nuts well but can tolerate them in their diet. Makes about 20

Ingredients
4 fresh dates, pitted
1 cup mixed nuts & seeds (sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds)
1 tbsp sultanas
1 tsp pure cocoa powder
freshly squeezed juice of 1 orange
about ¾ cup desiccated coconut

Method Put all the ingredients except the coconut in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Roll into small balls and coat in the coconut. Store in the fridge in an airtight container and eat within 5 days.
Note: Bliss balls can be stored in the freezer and taken out to snack on as needed. Thaw them first!

Variations Include 1 tsp tahini. Use carob powder instead of cocoa.

Protein power

Good-quality protein is vital for building and maintaining strong, healthy muscles and arguably the most convenient source of protein is lean meat. So where does that leave vegetarians?

“If you’re vegetarian you can have things like tofu, eggs, tempeh, lentils and nuts,” says Teresa Mitchell-Paterson. “There’s evidence to suggest that vegetarians who want to gain muscle tissue (and who eat good-quality protein) gain roughly about the same as those who eat meat. But vegetarians don’t absorb quite as much protein as people who eat meat unless they’re combining their protein with a grain. Try rice with a bean or corn.”

 

GI vs GL: what’s the difference?

For a number of years now, “GI” has been the buzzword in health, nutrition and weight loss. It stands for glycaemic index and it’s a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood-sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high GI, while low-GI foods break down and release glucose more gradually. This translates to fewer peaks and troughs in blood-sugar levels, which means fewer cravings for quick-fix energy boosts like chocolate bars and caffeine. Most fruits and vegetables, legumes and pulses, whole grains and nuts are low GI.

Increasingly, however, health experts are encouraging people to consider glycaemic load (GL) rather than GI. “GI is a measure of energy in a single food and GL is the measure of energy in a meal,” Dr Fraser explains. “If you eat just rice, for example, that’s high GI. But if you have rice with vegetables, the vegetables are low GI, so it brings the overall GL of the meal down. If you have protein, it reduces the GL even more. I think GL is more important than GI across the board because it’s the practical application of those principles.”

 

A food-fitness case study

“I thought I could eat whatever I liked — but I gained weight!” When Sydneysider Dani Lombard signed up to run her first marathon, the 32-year-old public relations agency owner thought she would lose weight and feel fitter and healthier. Instead, she gained unwanted kilos and felt sluggish. With the help of a sports dietitian, Lombard overhauled her diet and enhanced her exercise performance.

“In 2008, my PR agency started working with a client called Can Too, a charity that trains people for running and swimming events in return for them raising money for cancer research. I wanted to understand the program, so I signed up for the ‘easiest’ option: Sydney’s annual 9km Bridge Run.

“I completed the program and did the run in September 2008. It was very challenging but I was proud of myself for achieving a goal I thought was impossible. The next year I did the 9km program again and this time something clicked. I felt amazing (and) was hooked. Since then I’ve done three half-marathons and am now training for the Sydney Marathon this September.

“When doing the shorter runs, I figured diet didn’t really matter. I’m vegetarian and eat pretty healthily, anyway. I definitely felt hungrier, so I guess I just ate more food.

“Last year I did two half-marathons, which meant I was training from February until September. In that time I definitely gave myself way too much room to eat whatever I wanted: ‘I’m running so far, I deserve a piece of cake!’ I was obviously going overboard and I put on three kilos.

“My running didn’t feel as good with the extra weight. It was around 7 per cent of my total bodyweight, which is a lot to lug over 21km. I was also having lots of ‘niggles’, like shin splints, calf issues and iliotibial band (ITB) problems.

“I knew I wanted to do a marathon in 2011 and that, to do so injury free, I needed to be as light as possible but I couldn’t seem to snap out of my bad eating habits. I felt pretty stupid that I’d taken an opportunity to be the fittest I’d ever been and turned it into an excuse to pack on the pounds.

“I couldn’t seem to work out how to give my body the proper fuel it needed without eating too much. How was I to know when I was eating too many calories versus enough to sustain my training? I decided to seek professional assistance and found a fabulous dietitian who sees a lot of distance athletes and runners.

“We went for a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet. My average daily diet is now two slices of toast for breakfast, a small protein bar, fruit or a yoghurt as a morning and afternoon snack, a salad with tuna and lots crunchy vegies for lunch and, for dinner, a tofu and vegie stirfry or a piece of fish with vegetables. On training days I have extra carbohydrates and the day before long runs I have carbs with lunch and dinner.

“The biggest benefit is that my appetite is much more under control. When my dietitian told me I couldn’t have carbs for lunch, I almost had a nervous breakdown: ‘But I’ll be hungry again five minutes later!’ But now I munch on my salads with tuna or salmon and I’m totally satiated for longer than if I’d had a sandwich.

“Running is an extremely complex sport. There’s a huge amount to think about if you want to improve your performance. I’d really recommend seeing a sports dietitian who works with athletes. There’s a lot of information out there, some of it conflicting, but what you put into your body has such a huge impact on what you get out of it.”