Females, adolescents and endurance athletes are at higher risk for iron depletion during exercise, which can lead to iron deficiency and anemia. It appears that these at risk groups have higher rates of iron turnover due to increased losses via sweat, internal bleeding, mechanical trauma, low dietary intake and a diet high in iron inhibitors.
With the 2010 games just past, we’ve got a sneak peak to nutrition planning. As the sport dietitian for the Canadian Snowboard team, there was an abundance of work that went on behind the scenes to make sure our Olympians were optimally fueled to compete at their highest level of performance. This blog is a snapshot of what went on in the front lines with athletes and staff as we prepared for the competition of a lifetime! Read story
Our very own nutrition specialist, Jennifer Gibson, spent some time in the spotlight yesterday morning as she discussed the dietary needs of an Olympic athlete on Breakfast Television. As the nutritionist for the Canadian National Snowboard Team, Jennifer is going to be making sure our athletes are eating right. Among her recommendations for foods that help to create the optimal race-day diet were oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, and plenty of fluids including….you guessed it: chocolate milk!
Watch the full interview by following this link and selecting the “Olympic Diet” clip at the bottom of the screen.
Making shakes are an easy way to enjoy a delicious snack, replace a meal or add calories to your day. Many of my athletes use smoothies for a variety of sport nutrition applications which include:
Here are some of the top smoothie recipes that are used with my athletes. There are endless possibilities!
Going Meatless
Many athletes and active people are looking for ways to improve the variety and nutrition quality in their diet. An easy and healthy way to do this is to occasionally choose meat alternatives and to try to have at least one meatless meal per week. The more adventurous among us should even try going without meat for one full day per week. Incorporating some vegetarian recipes into your diet is an easy way to boost your intake of different vitamins, minerals, fiber and flavor!
Further to my previous blog post, I thought it only fair to talk about protein next. One of the interesting trends that I think also was a result of the no-carb diet fad, was the spotlight that was shone on protein. Protein is a really critical nutrient, but odds are you are likely eating enough to meet your needs.
If there is anything good that came out of the “no-carb” diet trend, it certainly was that people became more educated about the different types of carbohydrates out there. Not every carb is created equal, but its critical to know that carbs are key for optimal athletic performance.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that every athlete had to start from the beginning, and learn his or her sport from the bottom up. There is a pretty good chance that Lance Armstrong struggled to conquer his training wheels before he took over the world of competitive road cycling. At the heart of every sport are critical skill foundations that are absolutely essential components for being a great athlete.
This past weekend, the Canadian National Track Cycling team attended a grueling three-day training camp in Victoria, BC. Luckily, the camp wasn’t all about fitness testing. The athletes also learned about sport psychiatry, how to prepare nutritious and fast meals, self-recovery, as well as media training. Great work team!
Video after the break.
Svein Tuft started out his cycling career with a $40 bike from a thrift store, and an extended trip into the great Canadian wilderness. Read story
Jennifer Gibson is a Registered Dietitian working exclusively with high performance athletes.
The Abbotsford Heat are a professional hockey team that plays in the AHL, and are affiliates of the NHL's Calgary Flames.
Canada~Snowboard is the national body overseeing competitive snowboarding in Canada.
Congratulations @campbelladam79 for his 2nd place win at the #UTMF in Japan! Way to go!!