Any Marine understands that being physically fit is part of wearing the uniform. With this goal in mind, Marines can be seen “PT-ing” at all hours of the day, but mostly very early in the morning as well as during lunch break and after work hours. Quite often Marines base their fitness on exercising alone while eating right gets pushed back in the priorities list.
To be physically fit one must challenge the body through workout regimes that enhance performance and total fitness. But, how about nutrition? Does it play a role? The answer is yes, without proper nutrition not only the health of the individual is compromised but so is his performance.
Here are some of the mistakes commonly heard regarding eating and exercise:
MISTAKE #1: “I don’t eat breakfast because I don’t have time”
The same way you wouldn't leave the house in the morning without using the bathroom, you shouldn’t leave the house without getting breakfast. Your body will thank you for it. Why? There is simply too much research revealing the benefits of eating breakfast. It gets the metabolism going (burning calories) and it prevents us from eating more at lunch or later in the day. The body is very smart, if you starve it in the morning it will catch up later. This reaction will lead to consuming more calories than you would if you eat breakfast in the first place.
Breakfast does not have to be complicated, think of a balance of carbohydrate, protein and little fat. For carbohydrate choose fruit, cereal (cold, cooked), bread, bagels, etc. For protein, some options are milk (skim please, yes you can do it), yogurt, peanut butter, cheese, eggs, etc. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you want. But if it is time you lack, choose something easy. Here are some ideas:
- Grab a banana a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a yogurt to go or drink a glass of milk before you leave. You can even make the sandwich the night before.
- If you don’t have fresh fruit, add a handful of raisins/craisins, and another of walnuts or other nuts to your cereal. Avoid high sugar cereals that are quickly digested leaving you hungry too quickly.
- Make a shake. Skim milk, frozen fruit and a serving of protein powder.
MISTAKE #2: “I skip meals because I am either not hungry or too busy to eat”
In “Mistake#1” we have seen the effects of skipping breakfast, the same applies to the rest of the meals if you make a habit of it. Also, when we skip a meal we feel we have “credit” for the following one, which leads to overeating or eating the wrong foods. It is ok to be hungry for the meal, but when you are starving due to a lack of proper fueling during the day, it is too late, your brain is not receiving enough glucose (its source of energy) to make a good decision. At that point of deficit you want the saltiest, the sweetest, and/or the fattiest foods.
Be aware of the type of snacks you are consuming throughout the day, too. Snacks fill you up but may not be providing the needed nutrients for optimal performance. Stay away from vending machines, which typically offer foods high in simple sugars, fat, sodium and calories that don’t fuel you properly. Instead, aim at nutrient dense snacks balanced in protein, carbohydrate and fat. Some examples of snacks include:
- ½ bagel or small bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter
- A handful of nuts (careful here, nuts are packed with fat, good fat, but calorie loaded fat) with a fruit
- Yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit
- A cheese stick and an apple
- ½ or whole PB sandwich with a glass of milk or a yogurt
Snacks that provide simple sugars such as crackers or white bread are quickly digested, leaving you hungry. Snacks that quickly turn into available sugar are a better choice right before a workout when you need an increase in available energy (see mistake#3).
If you are skipping meals, stop wondering why you are not seeing results from your workouts. There is not enough fuel to do the work much less to build muscle.
MISTAKE #3: “I should not eat before I exercise”
Fueling the body is a key factor in physical performance. When we fail to fuel properly the body quits on us, it is that feeling of weakness and of inability to continue the activity. This occurs when we deplete the energy sources in our muscles.
Eating before exercise increases the glucose (energy) available for our exercise session. If you are exercising early in the morning, eat a small part of your breakfast before (4-8oz glass of OJ, a whole or half banana or other fruit, a piece of bread) and consume the rest afterwards. Apply the same logic if you PT at lunch time, eat a small portion of your lunch before exercise.
How early before exercise? A small carbohydrate (15 - 30g) snack can be eaten up to 5 minutes before exercising but a bigger snack that contains protein and fat is going to require more time to be digested.
Experience with different foods on regular PT days and never on the day of an event. On that day you don’t want to find out that your body does not tolerate a specific food very well.
MISTAKE #4: “ I need to loose weight so I am cutting calories and increasing how much I exercise”
The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the minimum amount of energy (calories) the body needs to stay alive. This rate counts for about 60 – 75% of the total calories we consume. Another 10% of the total calories are used up in the digestion and absorption of nutrients and finally 15 - 30% of the total calories are used up during exercise.
When we decrease drastically the calories we consume we tap into the BMR account. In this situation the body senses the BMR is compromised and slows down. The body basically learns to do the same consuming less, which translates into a slower metabolism. One of the consequences is that the body becomes more efficient at storing fat. This is one of the reasons that people who follow drastic diets with too few calories loose weight initially, but end up gaining what they lost and then some.
Exercising in a calorie deficit state puts the body in a situation it can’t support and performance is negatively impacted due to a lack of energy available.
If you are planning on cutting calories find out first how many calories you need to consume daily. Go to MyPyramid.gov and enter your personal information (height, weight, age, activity level) and get the calories you need as well as a personalized plan of how many servings per food group you need per day. From that total daily amount you can subtract up to 500 calories per day to create a weekly deficit of 3,500 cal that can lead to 1 – 2 pounds of healthy weight loss per week.
MISTAKE #5: “I need to eat mostly protein and little carbohydrate to perform better and grow muscle”
The muscles store energy in the form of glycogen (packed glucose). When we exercise we use up part or most of the stored energy depending on the activity and the length of time exercising. This is why after exercising we should replenish the glycogen stores. How? Eat a snack or a meal that contains carbohydrates. This nutrient is present in grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and beans.
Protein is needed for muscle growth but eating more protein does not translate into building more muscle. To experience muscle growth you need to do the work, then eat sufficient protein to support tissue repair and growth. The Recommended Daily Amount (RDA) for protein is set between 0.6 and 0.8g per Kg of body weight (divide pounds by 2.2 to obtain kilograms). Interestingly, the American average intake is much higher. While the RDA amount seems to be sufficient for the average individual, strength and endurance athletes have increased protein demands of up to 1.2 to 1.4g/kg.
Protein supplements are ok as long as you stay within your protein needs. As a consumer you decide where your money goes but remember protein is present in the foods we eat, especially in meats, fish, eggs, beans, dairy products and tofu.
In the case of protein, more is not better, any extra of protein, as well as carbohydrate or fat leads to an increased fat storage. Also, if you increase your protein intake you may be displacing some of the calories that should come from fueling carbohydrates leaving you feeling weak and tired.
Conclusion:
If you want to see results in your performance and fitness levels, make sure to prioritize the role of proper nutrition. Whether you are able to cook and prepare meals at home or whether you are living in your barracks room with limited cooking possibilities, plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. Evaluate your available resources and come up with ways that support a nutrient dense diet on most days of the week. This will ensure you will be fueled and able to achieve your optimal performance.
RESOURCES:
1. USDA MyPyramid.gov
2. L. Kathleen Mahan and Sylvia Escott-Stump. “Food, Nutrition, & Diet Therapy” 11th Ed., 2000
3. William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch and Victor L. Katch. “Sports & Exercise Nutrition” 2nd Ed., 2004
4. Campbell WW, Johnson CA, McCabe GP, Carnell NS. “Dietary protein requirements of younger and older adults”. AM J Clin Nutr. 2008 ov;88(5):1322-9
5. American Dietetic Association; Dietitians of Canada; American College of Sports Medicine, Rodriguez NR, DiMarco NM, Langley S. “American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Nutrition and athletic performance”
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009 Mar;41(3):709-31
Nancy Clark. “Sports Nutrition Guidebook” 3rd Ed., 2003