Living on campus? Save money on snacks!

• Buy items in bulk. They last longer are usually cheaper per serving. An example would be a box of triscuits or crackers rather than the buying the individual packages. 
• Keep an eye out for any items that you commonly use that go on sale at the grocery store. Remember - don’t buy a food item you will never use just because it is on sale. 
• If you have a microwave in your room: frozen (steam in microwave) vegetables is a healthy snack idea and are cheaper and easier to care for then fresh. Place them in the freezer compartment of your mini-fridge for storage. 
• Canned foods, such as tuna or canned fruit, have a long shelf life and are generally cheap. Place the tuna on crackers for a good snack or meal. Choose canned fruit that has been canned in water or its own juice. 
• Fresh fruit/vegetables are always a good snack idea and when on sale can be relatively inexpensive. One must eat it, however, before it spoils. 
• If buying lunch meats make sure you choose the leaner meat selections, such as chicken or turkey.

Guest Blogger: Duncan Anderson, USD Dietetic Intern

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Chocolate Milk and the Athlete

Chocolate milk has been making headlines for some time now about it being the "athlete's drink." But do you really know why? 

Before we dive into that too much, let's review a little what happens when we exercise. In our bodies, protein is constantly being built and broken down. This is called protein turn-over. A side effect of an exercise bout is the breaking down of proteins. Exercise causes some tissue damage and requires a little repair. Not only do you need the protein, but your carbohydrate stores need to be replenished as well. This is why there is a recommendation to eat a carbohydrate/protein snack post-exercise. The term "recovery snack" makes more sense now, doesn't it?

So what makes chocolate milk so special? Cow's milk is considered to be a high-quality protein because it contains all of the essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are those that are body cannot produce and must be taken in through the diet. It also contains more carbohydrates (cho) per serving when compared to regular white milk. 

In a study led by the University of Connecticut, they examined chocolate milk consumption with endurance athletes and how it affected protein balance, glycogen, and performance. Runners were asked to complete a 45 minutes exercise. After that, each runner was given either chocolate milk (cho+pro) or a sweetened beverage (cho only). 

At the end of the study, they found that the runners who drank the chocolate milk had greater protein synthesis and less protein breakdown than those who drank the sweetened beverage. Both drinks were able to maintain glycogen (cho) storage. 

This study, along with others, show that it takes BOTH protein and carbohydrates to properly recover from exercise. Chocolate milk is a convenient (and tasty!) way to get the nutrients your body is craving. Remember- a recovery beverage should be consumed within 30 minutes of exercise to see the full effects.

Reference: 
Lunn, W. R., Pasiakos, S. M., Colletto, M. R., Karfonta, K. E., Carbone, J. W., Anderson, J. M., & Rodriguez, N. R. (2012). Chocolate milk and endurance exercise recovery: protein balance, glycogen, and performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 44(4), 682-691.

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Suffering from stomach issues during endurance events?

There are many variables involved with developing stomach and intestinal difficulties during endurance events, including different courses, varying weather conditions, different states of fitness and changing intakes of calories and fluids – it can be very difficult to pin point exactly what went wrong in any situation. 

• Report as many details as possible such as weather and course information, start and finish time, and record – in as much detail as possible – everything you ate and drank (including solution strengths and amounts of food) and when you consumed it 
• Possible Problem: Taking in too many calories during event. Taking in too many calories too quickly can slow the emptying of your stomach causing a build up of fluid in the stomach and resulting in cramps, nausea and vomiting. 
• Try to take your energy in liquid form if possible. It is easier to swallow, easier to digest and easier to know what you are taking in. Solid food takes more time and energy to digest and when you are operating at your limit. Your body simply does not the have time to digest it well. 
• Possible Problem: Taking in too much fluid. Taking in too much fluid can result in ‘stomach sloshing’ and a build up of fluid in the stomach and small intestine resulting in nausea and vomiting. 
• Another factor to be aware of is that carbohydrate sources that contain resistant starch, may contribute to symptoms of gas, bloating, cramps, nausea and diarrhea. Resistant starch is derived from amylose often used to make maltodextrin which is widely used in sports nutrition products. This may require some experimenting with different sports drinks to find one that works best for you.

Guest Blogger: Marni Shoemaker, Sports Nutrition Intern from Augustana College

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Recovery foods: What to choose? Review of the research.

Often people wonder if buying a commercially engineered sports food (drinks, gels, bars, etc) is better for you when compared to regular food to aid in muscle recovery from exercise. If it is packaged to say so, it must be right? 

Well some of those products do work, but they are not necessarily better. They may be convenient, but they do not contain any magic ingredients that cannot be found in foods you regularly purchase. A study was done comparing a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage (sports drink) and a bowl of cereal with nonfat milk. The objective of the study was to determine what, if any, difference the two foods had on muscle recovery from exercise. 

This study recruited eight male and four female cyclists or triathletes. The athletes rode a bike for two hours. Immediately after the ride, a muscle biopsy was done on the subjects (ouch!). Then the subjects were given either the sports drink or the cereal with nonfat milk. They waited an hour and another muscle biopsy was done. The researchers found that both increased glycogen in the muscle, but only the cereal significantly increased muscle proteins. 

Whole foods, like the cereal and milk, are a great option for muscle recovery and are often less expensive. 

Reference:
Cereal and nonfat milk supports muscle recovery following exercise by Lynne Kammer, Zhenping Ding, Bei Wang, Daiske Hara, Yi-Hung Liao, and John L. Ivy

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Recipe - Southwestern Chicken and White Bean Soup

I am sharing this recipe from Cooking Light. It will be sure to warm you up on a chilly evening and it only contains five ingredients!

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded cooked Chicken breast
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
Cooking spray
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or any other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup green salsa
Light sour cream, optional

Directions:
1. Combine chicken and taco seasoning; toss well to coat. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes until chicken is lightly browned. Add broth.
2. Place beans in a small bowl and mash until only a few whole beans remain. Add beans and salsa to the pan with the chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream, if desired. 

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Carbohydrates are the Best Source of Energy for Athletes

The best way to provide your muscles the energy they need is CARBS! No secret there. It's not supplements or any other product with big promises to do the trick. It's really simple. A carbohydrate rich diet is the key for athletes to both fuel up before, maintain, and replenish energy from exercise.

Now the question you may be thinking yourself or hear many others say, "well, don't carbs make you fat?" Eating too many overall calories make you fat, not carbohydrates specifically. Carbohydrates get a bad reputation for that, but many of the foods that people over-indulge in are high in carbohydrates - sodas, pastas, breads, sweets, etc. Those foods all can have a place in a healthy diet. Finding the balance of how they fit in is where a little education can help. 

Carbohydrates are both simple and complex. Simple and complex refer to the sugar types present in the molecule. Without getting too complicated, simple has one or two different types of sugars present. Complex carbohydrates are formed when many sugars are linked together. Foods contain a variety of different sugars. 

You need foods that contain carbohydrates because that is what is stored in your muscles for energy. Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrate in muscle and liver. A little over half of your total calories should come from carbohydrates for optimal performance in sport. 

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Dehydration: A concern for basketball players?

Proper hydration is a key component for effective athletic performance. However, the impact and importance of hydration during basketball practice or, more importantly, a game is often unappreciated and underemphasized by the athletes and coaching staff. Many players don’t realize the effect dehydration may have on their on-court performance. As little as a 2% body weight deficit during practice or competition can diminish decision making and basketball-specific skills, slow response times, and cause fatigue to occur more rapidly.^1,2,4 Therefore, it is clearly advantageous for players to enter a game well-hydrated, and maintain their hydration throughout the game, as the outcome may depend on split-second decisions in the closing minutes of the contest.

Sweat rate and fluid intake in basketball

Studies show that a high percentage of basketball players (from middle school up to the NBA) are entering games dehydrated.⁵ Adult and older adolescent basketball players on average lose 2.0-4.5 L (67-152 fl. oz) of sweat over the course of a 2-hr practice and 1.0-4.6 L (33-155 fl. oz) during a game.⁴ While these sweat rates (at the upper end) may seem high, these extensive losses are very manageable if the players are deliberate in consuming the proper amount of fluid throughout their practices and games. However, studies also have shown that basketball players typically only consume about half of what they lose during practice and competition.^3,5 This is often times due to the fact that athletes underestimate the amount of fluid they are losing and because our thirst mechanism doesn’t provide the proper stimulus to fully maintain hydration during exercise. You may be fairly dehydrated and still not feel that thirsty during or after exercise.

Recommendations

Make sure to start each practice and game fully-hydrated. A simple way to determine proper hydration is to look at the color of your urine before you start. It should be a light color (lemonade color). If your urine is a darker color (apple juice color), more than likely you are dehydrated. But also make sure you are not overly hydrated, which can also hurt performance. If you are going to the bathroom often (e.g., every 45 minutes) you are probably drinking too much.

Drink regularly throughout the practice/game. A general recommendation for adults and older adolescents is to drink 6-8 oz. of fluid (water or sports drink) every 15 minutes. In addition, you also need to consider your sweat rate, the intensity of play, and the environmental conditions (in-season game vs. summer tournament) and adjust fluid consumption accordingly.

A more accurate way to determine sufficient hydration is to monitor your weight before and after practice or a game. A weight loss of 2% or greater indicates inadequate fluid consumption. For every pound of weight loss after play or practice, 16-20 oz. of fluid should be consumed over the course of the night to the next day.

If you are expending a lot of energy (playing at a high intensity and/or the duration of the game is greater than 90 minutes), a sports drink is recommended to replenish some carbohydrate and electrolytes. Stay away from energy drinks, soda, and caffeinated beverages, as they may cause you to become dehydrated and hurt your performance!

Coaches and training staffs also play key roles in keeping their athletes properly hydrated. Coaches need to schedule enough water breaks in practice and encourage their athletes to drink regularly throughout games, during time-outs, and when they are recovering on the bench. 

Following these recommendations can give you a performance advantage over your opponent the next time you step out onto the court.

Guest Blogger: Jason Dorman, MS, CSCS - Operations Manager at The National Institute for Athletic Health and Performance. Follow him on Twitter @SanfordJasonD

1. Baker, L.B., D.E. Conroy, and W.L. Kenney, Dehydration Impairs Vigilance-Related Attention in Male Basketball Players. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2007. 39(6): p. 976-983.

2. Baker, L.B., et al., Progressive Dehydration Causes a Progressive Decline in Basketball Skill Performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2007. 39(7): p. 1114-1123.

3. Broad, E.M., et al., Body Weight Changes and Voluntary Fluid Intakes During Training and Competition Sessions in Team Sports. International Journal of Sport Nutrition, 1996. 6: p. 307-320.

4. Dougherty, K.A., et al., Two Percent Dehydration Impairs and Six Percent Carbohydrate Drink Improves Boys Basketball Skills. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2006. 38(9): p. 1650-1658.

5. Osterberg, K.L., C.A. Horswill, and L.B. Baker, Pregame Urine Specific Gravity and Fluid Intake by National Basketball Association Players. Journal of Athletic Training, 2009. 44(1): p. 53-57.

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