Caloric intake

We all know we should make “healthy food choices”, right?  But what does that mean?

I can help! I’d like to share the magic all of the professional and NCAA athletes are privy to!  I want you to be in the know about caloric intake so that you can make optimal choices and help build a healthy body and mind which will help you reach your athletic goals and remain strong and functional well into your golden years.   Earning my CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) and CSNC (Certified Sports Nutrition Coach) credentialling gave me an opportunity to look behind the curtain and see how the professionals structure their diets. 

The lay person believes healthy food choices equate to eating a lot of fruits and vegetables and limiting processed foods.  But, what does “a lot” mean?  What is meant by “limited”?  Does it make sense to have everyone follow the same advice?  There is so much more to this puzzle, here is a sample of what I can teach you.

Our foods contain macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).   Proteins, Carbohydrates and Fats combine to make up the calories we consume. Barring medical diseases dictating food choices, a healthy, daily calorie amount is largely determined by your weight or athletic goal, age and gender.  A 35 year old non-athlete male who is looking to lose weight will have much different calorie needs than a 20 year old male rugby athlete who wants to gain weight and increase performance. And the 20 year old male rugby athlete will have different needs than a 20 year old male Olympic lifting athlete because these sports run on completely different body energy systems.

The first step in any “diet” is to determine the recommended daily calorie intake. Step two is to determine what percent of proteins, carbohydrates and fats will make up the total calories. This is determined by many factors including your weight and sports goals, the sport you play, and the position you play if its a team sport. Step 3, for optimal performance in sport and life you’ll want to know what type of proteins, carbohydrates and fats to consume and when to consume them during your day. For example, some proteins should be consume before bed, others right after a workout and still others you should consume only in limited quantities.  Carbohydrates have the same variability.  Some can help fuel your work/workout, while others get quickly shuttled into fat stores depending on the type of carbohydrate and the timing of intake.  The same variability applies to fats. Step 2 and 3 are the most challenging and may require direction by a skilled coach to get you on the right path.

Food intake is a complex subject and you should understand the basics to optimize your fuel source and reduce your risk for disease caused by improper consumption.  But for the person who is not a professional athlete or NCAA player, you likely have no idea how to craft your intake optimally to help support your energy needs, and minimize your risk of injury and disease.  Even if you are not an athlete in an organized sport, you are an athlete in the game of life and having the right nutritional intake can make the difference between feeling energetic and staying “in shape” or feeling sluggish and prone to injury.

The cascading effect of poor food choices:

Example 1: Too many calories leads to weight gain, which strains the heart (poor cardiac status). When your cardiac status is poor, you cannot sustain activity so you cut down on movement. This leads to shortened muscles causing a decrease in flexibility and a decrease in strength. Decreases in strength and flexibility cause impaired balance. All of these things together provide increased opportunity for advanced disease and injury.

Example 2: Poor diet choices can lead to diabetes. Diabetes is a known cause of hardening of the arteries which drives up blood pressure and decreases blood delivery to our body. Decreased blood delivery means decreased activity tolerance (poor cardiac status). When your cardiac status is poor, you cannot sustain activity so you cut down on movement. This is the same cycle as above, but with a slightly different cause.

You simply cannot deny that your food choices (Caloric intake) indirectly effect Resistance training status (strength), Cardiac status and Equilibrium (balance) status. These 5 pillars form a CiRCLE and their effects undoubtedly overlap.

I am a certified Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Sports Nutrition Coach who can help you get on the right path to win YOUR game.