Food For Thought

By Bruce Cohn
Concord Journal, April 2002
 
As a strength and conditioning coach, my athletes and general fitness clients often ask me about nutrition and the use of dietary supplements. I almost always advise them that it is best to get the majority of your nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fats) from eating whole foods. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy and should make up 50-60% of one’s diet. They are found in fruits, vegetables, breads, grains, pasta and cereals. I do not subscribe to the use of low carbohydrate diets to lose weight or to improve athletic performance.

Another major nutrient that I receive questions about is protein. Protein is used in combination with exercise to build muscle. The question is how much protein you need if you are doing physical training. I recommend 1.0 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. (To determine your weight in kilograms, divide your body weight by 2.2.) This usually works out to be about 20% of your daily calories. It is best to derive these calories from low-fat dairy, meat, poultry, fish, soy and nuts. The other major energy nutrient is fats and should comprise about 20% of your daily calories. I try to teach my athletes and clients about the difference between “good” unsaturated fats and the “bad” saturated fats. At FIT-TO-GO we give our athletes a handout that teaches them what constitutes a helping of these foods and how many helpings they will need in a day.

The other subject that I am frequently asked about is the use of dietary supplements. When it comes to the use of supplements it is important to remember that the Food and Drug Administration is not responsible for the safety or effectiveness of nutritional supplements. Most of us have busy schedules that make sitting down to three well-balanced meals a day difficult. Eating more small meals with the use of nutritious snacks is a viable alternative. Taking a multivitamin or using an occasional energy bar can also be a good strategy. On the other hand, products such as creatine and androstenedione have been promoted to young athletes as a shortcut to build muscle. There are no significant long-term studies on their side effects and student-athletes or the general fitness population should not use them. Remember that there are no shortcuts to improving performance and physique. A sensible diet and training program go hand in hand.

Bruce Cohn is the Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Middlesex School in Concord. He runs FIT-TO-GO Total Sports Conditioning and is a nationally certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Bruce can be reached at 781-316-0061 or brucegym@rcn.com.