Recommended Food Group Choices

Calcium: 1-3 servings (1 cup of milk or yogurt per serving), low fat cottage cheese, skim or 1% milk, soy milk, plain yogurt with active/live cultures

Protein: 5 servings (2-4 oz per serving or 1 cup of beans), fish 3-5 times per week, high quality protein twice a day, whey protein for recovery, bean based meals like bean burrito, no skin poultry, fish, legumes

Vegetables: 3 servings, dark green daily, colorful vegetable or fruit daily, always have vegetable (veggie in a sandwich is good but not enough) at lunch and dinner (more…)

Glycemic Index of Selected Foods

Definition: GI (glycemic index) is a measure of the ability of 50 gms of carbohydrate within a food to raise blood sugar. For example, 50 gms of pure glucose, 1 cup of ice cream, 5 cups of whole milk and 7 carrots are compared.

Factor affecting glycemic index:

The amount and rate of carb consumption (how fast and how much)

The simultaneous presence of fat (fat deceases the glycemic response) (more…)

Troubleshooting: Body Signs and Symptoms

Dehydration: feeling unwell, dark color or strong smelling urine, low energy during training, high resting heart rate, constipation, lower VO2 max, thirst, chapped lips, muscle cramps

Low Carbohydrate Diet: poor sleep, sugar cravings, irritability, feeling flat during training, not recovering after a workout, general fatigue, frequent infections/illness

Hypoglycemia: sugar craving, nausea, irritable, foggy, lack of concentration, shakiness, aggression and headaches

Low Protein Diet: frequent infections, low energy, sleepy, susceptible to injury, poor recovery (more…)

Recovery Practice for Track & Field Athlete

Mild exercise – 30-45 min of easy running to get blood flow to muscles without stress.

Hydrate with 16-24 oz of water depending on weather and your weight

Cold Water immersion – immediately after exercise if possible

Elevate legs over heart for 3-4 min before bed and first thing in the morning

Moderate to hard exercise – workout was hard but not exhausting. For example, track workout of 6x 800 or a 90+ min run that was moderately hard. (more…)

UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT

Uniforms

1. Each athlete will be issued a uniform and sweat suit from the athletic department.

2. Athletes are responsible for the uniform and sweat suit. If anyone loses or damages a uniform or pair of sweats, he must pay for replacements.

3. Proper care is to wash the uniform and sweats in cool water with a mild detergent by themselves. Do not put the uniform and sweats in a dryer – they must be air-dried. Do not use bleach when washing the uniforms and sweats. (more…)

NUTRITION

THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF GOOD NUTRITION

You’ve learned about good nutrition in health class, but if you’re working out, it’s
even more important. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food
Guide Pyramid, there’s a definite eating plan we should strive to follow for
optimum nutrition.

GRAINS should be the foundation of your diet, with between 6 and 11 servings
each day. A serving is 1 slice of bread (so a sandwich counts as 2 servings!), half of a bagel or 1/2 cup of rice or pasta. For more fiber and better nutrition, think whole grain: Brown rice is better than white rice rice; whole-wheat bread is better than white bread. (more…)

Do’s & Dont’s for Beginning Runners

1. Don’t begin a running program without a full medical exam.

2. Do tell someone where you’ll be running and when you expect to return. Carry some
identification and a quarter for a phone call (now-a-days, bring 35¢).

3. Do watch out for cars, and don’t expect drivers to watch out for you. Always run facing
traffic so you can see cars approaching. When crossing an intersection, make sure you establish eye contact with nearby drivers before proceeding. (more…)