Christmas and the Immune System

While we are on the theme of immunity and staying healthy over Christmas, here are a few pointers which may help with immunity during the busy festive time, when the normal training routine is often disrupted.

Christmas is the season to celebrate; there can be lots of late nights with visits and Christmas parties to be enjoyed. A lack of sleep, too much stress, eating poorly and being in contact with people who may be ill, all increase the risk of illness.

1. Stay hydrated

Make sure that you drink plenty of water as well as your other drinks so you stay hydrated and try to drink water as soon as you can when you wake up to rehydrate.

2. Plan when you train

With clubs and sports centres taking closed over Christmas, athletes often have greater flexibility with when they train.  Plan your training so that hard sessions don't follow late nights.  It's also a good idea to train in the morning before visitors and distractions makes you have to choose between doing your training and enjoying Christmas.

3. Moderate your diet

Some of the foods associated with Christmas do offer good nutritional content, its just about moderation and not over indulging in the bits - such as chocolates and sweets - which may have a lower nutritional content.

• Cranberries - High in Vitamin C, which is great for immity, and anti-inflammatories
• Turkey - Good source of protein and is often leaner than other sources of meat protein
• Parsnips - Excellent source of Potassium, which regulates hydration and is involved in muscle contractions
• Salmon - Sometimes an alternative choice at Christmas and a good source of omega 3 fats
• Carrots - Excellent source of antioxidants, beta-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C
• Brussel Sprouts - Often a Christmas must - but are also a great source of Vitamin C
• Walnuts - Perhaps cracked open as a post-lunch snack - but a great source of Omega 3 fats

Fruit salad, dried fruit and salads are also good, nutrition-packed food options, which offer some protection against Christmas colds and viruses.

So enjoy your Christmas meal and the celebrations.

Feeling a little peckish? Suitable lunch time meals

Aims

The role of lunch for an athlete is twofold. Its first is to assist with the recovery process after a morning training session  (if relevant), and the second is to ensure that your muscle glycogen stores are topped up ready for an afternoon/evening session. It has a third role in that it will also help concentration and energy levels in the afternoon for those at college or in employment.

Your training demands and needs will influence the size and content of this meal. Those who have a hard training session in the late afternoon/evening should take care to ensure that they are adequately fuelled.

Try to avoid missing lunch - you will often find this leads to more unhealthy food choices/snacks later in the day.

Examples
Salad Bar - Salad is a good option to start your meal as it provides a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Energy content is low, but you can increase this by including bread, jacket potatoes, pasta or rice. Add slices of chicken, ham or beans, pulses and nuts to increase the protein content. Beware of salad dressings which can be high in fat.

Soups - Vegetable soups are another easy way of getting a variety of nutrients in, and can be a substantial energy provider which is sometimes easier to consume and welcoming in the winter months. Homemade soups can be easy to make and to suit an individual’s taste and needs. Again you can boost the energy by eating with wholegrain bread, or by adding pasta.

Pasta/rice - Pasta and rise dishes are a good source of carbohydrate and are an even better option if you can choose wholegrain. Combine with a protein source such as fish or chicken and a sauce for a flavor. Adding a variety of vegetables to your pasta meal is a quick and easy way to increase nutrient variety of your meal.

Jacket Potato - Jacket potatoes can provide a quick easy energy source, and will digest quickly avoiding leaving you feeling uncomfortable before your training session. Including a high protein source such as tuna or chicken or even baked beans will give you an all-round high quality meal.

Dessert
Yoghurts and fruit are excellent choices for dessert, due to their nutritional value and low fat content. Although treat desserts are appealing, try to limit the intake of these at every meal and have a varied choice. Yoghurt is a good source of protein and good choices offer a good source of vitamins and low in fat and sugars. Combining with fruit will also add to the nutritional content of the meal.

Alongside the meal, ensure that at lunch and throughout the day you are taking fluids in to ensure hydration before a later training session.

Breakfast for athletes

There are many athletes who choose to train in the morning, before work, school or college; there are also sports that require training twice a day, one of these being in the morning. Some athletes will be able to consume a small amount of food in the morning before this session; others struggle to face anything until the training session is complete. Post training breakfast is an important way to ensure that adequate recovery is achieved and even if there is no morning training, a good breakfast is key to fuelling activities throughout the day. 

In terms of recovery there should be three aims:

Refuel - If training has taken place that morning or the night before, breakfast is vital to the recovery process, and helps to replace the muscle glycogen used during training.

Repair - During training, muscles are damaged.  It is important that you help your body repair these damaged muscles as soon as possible to aid recovery and prevent injury.

Adaptation - Training produces stimuli which cause your body to adapt so that it is able to cope with sessions better.  These adaptions, which include enhanced energy production and increased muscle size and strength, need energy to happen, and breakfast will help to fuel these after a morning training session.

What you can choose:

Cereals - Wholegrain cereals are a good choice as they provide quick and easy carbohydrate to help you refuel. Milk is a good source of protein, will help hydration, and is a good source of important vitamins and minerals like calcium. Many wholegrain and fortified cereal will also provide B vitamins and iron, both of which are important for energy breakdown.

Porridge - Porridge has Slow releasing energy, is high in carbohydrate and will keep you feeling full for longer. Milk will also add protein content and wholegrain oats will act as a good source of B vitamins. By adding a fruit compote, syrup or honey, a quick source of energy will be supplied which will help those who have had a hard morning training session.

Toast - Toast is another option for carbohydrates and toast from wholegrain bread will provide more nutritional value. If you wanted to add protein to toast you could choose a high protein spread such as peanut butter or serve with baked beans and or an egg (see below).

Baked Beans - Baked beans can be high in sugar, which can act as a source of fast carbohydrates which can be helpful following a hard training session.  Beans are a good protein source to go alongside toast.

Egg - Eggs are an excellent source of high quality protein, and contain most of the essential vitamins (except vitamin C). It is particularly rich in B vitamins, which are important for energy release, and Vitamin D, which athletes are normally low on. Eggs also contain antioxidants for healing, growth and fighting infection, which can be important during heavy periods of training for athletes.

Fresh Fruit - Breakfast is a good opportunity to get a healthy fruit portion in, so make the most of the selection that is on offer. Combine with your cereal or add to your porridge to boost the energy content, or simply take away for a mid-morning snack.

Yoghurts -  Yoghurts can be a good option on their own or with the addition of fruit or muesli. 

Hydration:

Not only is it important to refuel following morning training, but it is also important to make sure that all your fluid losses during training are replaced. Even if no training has taken place that morning, there has been a sustained period of time while you have been asleep and not taken any fluid on board. Ensure you are hydrated before you start your day.

Smoothies -  Are a great option for those needing extra energy or for those who may struggle with breakfast in the morning. To read a previous blog on Smoothies please click here http://www.athletelifedevelopment.com/resourceblog.htm

Concentrated Fruit Juice - This is a good option to be included with your breakfast meal and can count towards your portions of fruit and vegetables. Fruit juice will provide a good source of vitamin C which will not only help immune function, but also help the absorption of iron from your breakfast. If the athlete has had a hard morning training session, where sweat rates are high, fruit juice may not be the best option for rehydration, but a good option alongside water.

Squash/Water - Fruit juice and water will help rehydration following a session and should be drunk throughout the day. Squash has better rehydrating properties than water alone due to the solutes contained.

Coffee/Tea - The caffeine may help with alertness, but it’s not the best choice for hydration so try to have squash or fruit juice alongside.  Also, if you depend on coffee to wake you up in the morning, you may need to consider getting more sleep.

Hot Chocolate - Milk is now one of the most promoted recovery drinks and a natural source to. Its combination of protein and carbohydrate help promote recovery from training and it also includes many vital vitamins and minerals which many commercial recovery drinks fail to include. By adding coco powder to milk and warming provides a drink option which promotes recovery.

Autumn Picking

I am lucky to be able to grow a lot of fruits and vegetables in my garden and as we start moving into the autumn months there is an abundance of blackberries to choose from and this year they seem to be much bigger than normal!

Although they are pretty simple to grow, there are also many to choose from on local hedgerows which can be just as good (although perhaps avoid those along the road side) and now is a good opportunity to take advantage of a good source of vitamins from this seasonal fruit.  

So what are the benefits of Blackberries?

Blackberries are packed with antioxidants including vitamin C and bioflavonoids like spinach, apples plums and grapes.  The dark blue not only provides another colour into your rainbow of fruits and vegetables to be eaten, but the dark colour also means it’s has one of the highest anti-oxidant levels of all fruits.

Vitamin C must be part of the everyday diet as the body can't produce it and it plays a role in exercise metabolism as well as to maintain health.

During exercise there is normally damage to muscles especially during harder workouts and this must be repaired in order for the athlete to recover and adapt. One function of Vitamin C is in the process of making collagen, and important ingredient in the repair of damaged muscles and tissue. It also reduces the amount of oxidative stress an athletes may suffer and therefor help to reduce the amount of illnesses picked up by athletes and allows them to train optimally.

As always Blackberries provide the best benefits in their natural state so an easy way to include them in your diet is as a smoothie or by adding them to cereals, I will include a simple apple and blackberry crumble recipe to this blog which provides an idea to use them for dessert.  

Tips for Blackberries:

Buying: If possible, don’t. Wild berries have a depth of flavour. Search out brambles near you avoiding roadside or polluted spots.  Even in cities you can find blackberries growing on scrubland, canal side paths and wooded areas.

Storing: Keep them cool and dry and eat within a day or two. Blackberries do freeze well and it’s a good idea to get a few bags in the freezer to use with apples throughout the winter.

Preparing: Wash thoroughly especially in they have been hand-picked. 

Simple Apple and Blackberry Crumble
(Prep 10mins, Cook 25mins and serves 4)

Ingredients:

Topping:
120g Plain Flour
60g Caster Sugar
60g unsalted butter

For the Fruit Compote:
300g Cooking Apples
30g unsalted butter
30g sugar
115g Blackberries
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1. Heat Oven to 190C Gas Mark 5
2. Crumble Topping: Tip the flour and sugar into a large bowl and add butter. Using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour to make a light breadcrumb texture.
3. Compote- Peel and core the apples into small chunks. Put the sugar and butter into a saucepan and melt over a medium heat. Cook for 3mins until the mixture turns to a light caramel. Stir in the apples and cook for 3mins
4.  Cover, remove from the heat and leave for 2-3 minutes in the pan
5.  Add the compote to the cooking dish and add the crumble topping to the top of the mixture and also add some muesli or oats to add nutritional value and then cook in the oven for 20-30mins- until the crumble topping starts to brown.

Nutritional Practices for Ultra-Endurance Events

Following on from last week’s blog about the demands of ultra endurance events, this week I will start to look at some of the nutritional practices that athletes can apply when training and competing in ultra-distance events.  

Appropriate and consistent training is one of the key factors in ensuring a successful performance in an ultra- distance event and supporting this training with the appropriate nutrition will also ensure that the athlete is ready to give their best performance on race day.

Preparation is also vital for race day success and  thorough planning and organisation when it comes to nutrition will ensure that a compromise is reached between achieving a light pack weight and carrying sufficient and effective fuel for the race.

Hydration

Staying hydrated and replacing fluid lost through sweat is important for not only performance but also for health reasons. Minor levels of dehydration will affect both physical and mental output whilst training and competing. Significant dehydration creates a significant risk of heat stroke and severe dehydration could lead to death.

During the week prior to the competition, the athlete should drink the recommended 2L per day and replace fluids lost through sweat in training to make sure that hydration levels are optimum levels before the start of the race.   

On race day, the athlete should start drinking as soon as they have woken up, and try to consume approximately 500ml before the start of the race.  This will ensure that any small fluid losses overnight are replaced.

During the race, the athlete should aim to replace the fluid lost through dehydration. This will be difficult, as most athletes cannot tolerate large fluid intake, especially in hot conditions.  A good compromise is to limit dehydration levels to less than 2% of the body weight. Measuring sweat rates during training and build-up races, as mentioned in an earlier blog, will help estimate how much they will need to drink.

Athletes should choose a drink which is palatable, not fizzy and, for these events, fluid which provides carbohydrate and electrolytes. This doesn't need to be a branded sports drink; in fact, a home made squash drink with a pinch of salt can be as effective and, for some, more tolerable than a sports drink. 

Carbohydrate

A lot of focus was previously been put on carbohydrate loading in preparing glycogen stores for the race. However, this will occur naturally providing that high carbohydrate intake is consumed alongside a pre-race taper and the focus which was previously suggested is not necessary.

Ultra endurance events often have early starts with minimal time on the morning of the race to get the appropriate nutrition on board. High Carbohydrate, low fat and low fibre foods should be on the list for athletes to eat and at least 100g of carbohydrate is a good amount to aim for to top up glycogen stores. Good examples include white bread jam sandwiches, cereal bars, breakfast cereals, bananas and fluids such as fruit juices, soft drinks and sports drinks. To facilitate rapid gastric emptying and nutritional absorption food should ideally be consumed 3-4 hours before race start.  Closer to the start of the race (1hr), a further carbohydrate snack will help prevent decreases in blood sugar levels during the early section of the race.

During the race, muscle and glycogen levels will normally last between 60-90 minutes, before the body needs to turn to other energy sources. At this point, the athlete is unlikely to maintain the same output and is sometimes known as hitting the wall. Maintaining carbohydrate levels during the competition will help the athlete to maintain output for longer.

The recommended intake is 1g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight per hour, and can be consumed in a variety of forms. For most athletes this will mean an intake of at least 50gms of carbohydrate every hour. Common sources include sports drinks, gels and bananas, but, during the latter stages of longer distance events, sandwiches and more savory snacks are common choices.  The following foods contain 30-60g of carbohydrate:

• 500ml fruit juice or soft drink 
• 500ml Sports Drink  
• Sports or Energy Bar
• 2 handful of sweets or dried fruit
• 4-6 Jaffa Cakes
• Cereal Bar
• 2 Carbohydrate Gels

Food choices will often depend on the race provisions, athlete preferences and the ability to transport them during the event, all of which should be researched and practiced during training, and preferably a test race. Athletes must also have a 'plan b' just in case things don't go to plan on race day, or the athlete suffers stomach discomfort.

Nutritional Considerations for Ultra-Endurance Events

Participation in ultra-endurance events has been increasing as cycling, Ironman triathlons and running events are all becoming popular challenges for people to test their physical limits. So when my partner asked for nutrition advice for his 12hr Time Trial event, I thought this could be a good topic to blog about.  I have split the topic into two sections - the first will look at the physical challenges the body faces when being put through ultra-endurance events and the second will look at the nutritional strategies that athletes can use to ensure they achieve their goals.

By definition, an ultra-endurance is an event which last over 6hrs in duration, and the athletes who are successful are those who have the ability to sustain higher absolute speed for a given distance than the other competitors. The three main demands which are placed on the body during this time are:

• Meeting energy demands
• Maintaining body temperature
• Replacing fluid and electrolyte loss

Alongside that, there are increased injury and immune function risk after the event has taken place, and these have to be managed.

Hyperthermia - Maintaining Core Body Temperature

As well as supplying oxygen-rich blood to the body, the heart helps control body temperature by pumping warm blood to the skin where body heat is lost through the evaporation of sweat. During prolonged periods of exercise, heat is produced and increased heat loss needs to occur through sweating to maintain a constant body temperature and body functions.

There are certain factors which can prevent or reduce sweating and heat loss - high humidity can reduce evaporation and dehydration can impair the ability to transfer heat from muscles to the skin. In both situations, the increase in the core body temperature will increase the risk of heat problems. Muscle weakness and disorientation can develop with smaller increases in body temperatures with more serious effects occurring as the body temperature rises. Ways in which an athlete can maintain a constant body temperature will be looked at in the next blog.

Hyponatremia - Fluid and Electrolyte Loss

In recent years, it has been suggested that dehydration in marathon runners is over emphasised and results in some runners suffering with hyponatremia. During exercise, electrolytes, as well as fluids, are also lost in sweat.  Sodium and potassium are the main two electrolytes lost and need to be replaced at some point, depending on the duration and intensity of the event. 

Hyponatremia is the dilution of sodium levels in the blood often caused by the consumption of too much fluid and not replacing the lost electrolytes in sweat. This eventually causes swelling of the brain which can be fatal and has been reported during marathon events in recent years.  This is more common in slower runners who have more time to drink, and are often encouraged to do so. Ways in which athletes can maintain their electrolyte levels will be discussed in the next blog. 

Glycogen Depletion

Carbohydrates are the main energy source during endurance events and provide energy to the muscles at a rate which can sustain a fast pace optimal for performance. Carbohydrates are found as glycogen in the muscles and liver and as blood glucose. As blood glucose is used up, the body converts glycogen into glucose and releases it into the bloodstream to maintain a constant supply of energy. However, glycogen stores are and can only sustain a high work rate for about 60-90mins. If carbohydrates are not replaced at or before the point of glycogen depletion, the body must turn to other energy sources to maintain this work rate. The main alternative source is fats which can sustain exercise for much longer than glycogen, but at a much slower rate. It is much harder to maintain the same pace following the shift in fuel source, a point which is often known as ‘bonking’ or ‘hitting the wall.’ It is important to maintain levels of muscle glycogen and blood glucose for as long as possible. Ways to do this will be discussed in the next blog.

Injury and the Immune System

Due to the length of time an athlete will be performing the same activity and the same action over and over again, there is going to be a considerable amount of stress placed on certain muscles, bones and other soft tissues. Muscle damage and inflammation can remain for several days after completion of the event, and tissues can take much longer than normal to fully repair. Even while the athlete may be celebrating completing the event or achieving their goal, there are a number of things which they can do to aid recovery and prepare for the next training session or event.

As well as the muscle damage, as part of the repair process, cytokines are released from the injured area to promote an influx of white blood cells from the immune system, and these remain elevated following prolonged exercise.  However, there are other markers of immune function which are lower after completing an endurance event, leaving the immune system less able to protect the body from infections. This is why many athletes become ill after endurance events or high intensity training. There are certain practices athletes can do to ensure that both injury and muscle soreness can be reduced and this will be looked at next time.

Simple, nutritious smoothies and juices

The recent spell of fine weather has inspired me to get back into smoothie-making mode.  Summer months are an ideal time for smoothies as the seasonal berries provide a tasty addition, though this week I have been using the end of last year’s blackberries and loganberries from the freezer.

Smoothie and juice making can be as simple or as complicated as you make it, and the fruit (and vegetables) that you use is only limited by your imagination.  Rolled oats, ground almonds, sesame seeds, and peanut butter are just some of the other ingredients that you can use.  Milk, yogurt, coconut milk or almond milk can be used to add extra smoothness and increase the protein content, and nutmeg or ginger will give an extra kick to any juice.

Smoothies are high in vitamins and minerals, a great way of getting some or all of your 5-a-day, and are higher in fibre than traditional juices because they retain the pulp and skins.  They are also easier to make, and don't produce waste.  Smoothies are a particularly easy way of getting vital calories and nutrients in after a hard session on a hot day when you might not feel like eating food, and they can help to rehydrate you (read last weeks blog about hydration here).  Many fruits also contain natural chemicals which help increase appetite.

This is my basic go-to smoothie recipe

• Apple (cored and quartered) and/or banana to give it a nice texture and adds thickness
• Orange juice to make it more runny.  You can also use pineapple or apple juice, and if you have a juicer you can make the juice yourself.
• Frozen raspberries, blackberries, loganberries or similar berry to give it taste.  The frozen fruit means that the smoothie is already cool.  Add some ice cubes if the fruit is fresh.
•  Blend all the ingredients together in a blender for 30-40 seconds.Server more or less immediately.  Mind the brain freeze.

Like all my recipes, I don’t get too hung up on measurements.  I go with what I think is roughly right, and if it’s too thick, I just add more orange juice. If it's not thick enough, I add another apple or banana.

You don’t have to follow any particular recipe to make a great post-training snack or a nutritious drink to kick-start to the day.  Add something to give it texture, something to give it juice, and something to give it taste, and focus on what’s available to you at a reasonable price.  

And smoothies don’t have to be expensive.  Pick blackberries in the late summer (they’re free in most hedgerows!) and freeze them to use throughout the year.  Because any fresh fruit you add will be high in vitamin C, you can use 'from concentrate' juices to keep the cost down.

Smoothies are a great way of using up ripe fruit.  If you have bunches of bananas that are getting ripe, you can peel them and freeze them for use in future smoothies.

Juicing require more cleaning up afterwards.  Fruit and vegetables need to be very ripe, and some produce little juice, creating a lot of waste.  If using frozen fruit, ensure that you let them thaw first, or you'll end up with a lot of waste and practically no juice at all.  Juices can be diluted with refrigerated mineral water or sparkling water.

Any sort of blender will suffice for making smoothies, though there is a range of juicers and smoothie machines on the market.  Smoothie machines have some additional features over traditional blenders: a pouring spout, durable blades for crushing ice, and a pusher to ensure that the fruit and vegetables are all blended properly.  Juicers actually separate the juice from the pulp, skin, seeds and other debris, creating a large amount of waste, but providing a great way to make your own orange, apple or pineapple juice. Masticating and hydraulic juicers are more efficient (i.e. produce more juice) than centrifugal juicers, but are also more expensive. A number of other fruit and vegetables work well as juices, and in most cases, combining juiced fruit with blended fruit will give the best results.

Fruit

Apples - blending and juicing
Bananas - blending
Blackberries - blending
Blackcurrants - blending and juicing - strip from stalks
Blueberries - blending
Cherries - blending and juicing
Coconut flesh - blending
Grapefruit - juicing - peel before use
Grapes - blending and juicing
Kiwis - blending and juicing - peel before use
Mangos - blending - great for taste and texture
Melon - blending and juicing
Oranges - blending and juicing - peel before use
Papaya - blending - great for taste and texture
Passion fruit - blending and juicing - peel before use
Peaches and nectarines - blending and juicing
Pears - blending
Pineapple - juicing - remove plume, skin and core before use
Plums - blending
Raspberries - blending and juicing
Strawberries - blending and juicing - remove stalks before use
Watermelons - juicing

Vegetables

Avocados - blending
Beetroot - blending and juicing (cooked or uncooked)
Broccoli - blending and juicing
Carrots - blending and juicing
Cucumber - blending and juicing (adds a great kick to any drink)
Celery - juicing
Peppers - blending or juicing
Spinach - juicing (great for adding colour)
Sweet potatos - blending
Tomatoes - juicing

We'd love to hear what your favourite smoothie or juice recipe is, or if you have any special 'secret' ingredient.  Add your suggestions as comments below.

How to increase the portions of fruits and vegetables in the athlete's diet

On the 1st of April 2014 the news headlines reported that eating seven or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day is healthier than the currently recommended five portions and would prolong lives by cutting the risk of dying from cancer and heart disease. 

An April Fool’s day joke to some, however, I have always encouraged athletes I have worked with to aim for a minimum of seven portions a day due to their increase in energy needs and the physiological demands of exercise. 

So what is a portion of fruit or vegetables?

Aim for a handful as a rule of thumb and other things to remember:

• Fresher the better- try to consume fruit and vegetable produce in their most natural state
• Wide Variety of fruits and vegetables 
• Try to consume as many different colors as possible

Tips to help athletes do this:

• Add fruits to breakfast cereals and desserts
• Choose fruits and vegetables  as snacks- such as dried fruits, vegetable stick
• Choose seasonal vegetables to help with freshness and cost
• Swap a sandwich for soup- homemade soups can be a good way of getting lots of different types in one go
• Fruit smoothies- again another way of including lots of different fruits in one go
• So how about a simple recipe and a twist on a regular dish to help increase the number of fruit and vegetable portions in one meal? Also cooked in a slow cooker so that its ready for when you return home from training.

Spaghetti Bolognaise (Serves 2)

Ingredients

500g Lean Steak Mince
Wholemeal Pasta

2 Garlic Cloves
1 Red Onion
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
500g Tomato Passata
1 Table spoon of Tomato Puree
Approx. 150gm Green Beans
100gms Baby Corn
100gms Button Mushrooms
(Or any 3 or 4 available vegetables of your choice, preferably of different colours.  Other options include carrots, parsnips, broccoli or peas)

Method

•  Peel and finely chop the red onion and start to fry with the olive oil
• Add the steak mince and fry with the onion until brown
• Add the mince and the onion to the slow cooker and add remaining ingredients to the contents.
• Leave to cook slowly throughout the day

When you return

•  Cook pasta
•   Season to taste
•  Add bolognaise to pasta when cooked