Eat Like an Athlete
I remember there was a fast food restaurant within walking distance of my cheer gym, where numerous athletes would go after practice to indulge in fries, burgers and ice cream. Since they spent a few hours burning off a bunch of calories it seemed acceptable to eat them all back without doing too much “damage.”
I guess this type of post-practice nutrition is fine if you aren’t too serious about training, but if you really want to improve as an athlete, become stronger, build your endurance, gain new skills and avoid injury, fast food isn’t the way to go.
After a long practice, our bodies need the right foods to gain back energy, reduce soreness and build stronger muscles. This means eating a balance of complex carbohydrates, complete proteins and healthy/unsaturated fats. In this article, I will mainly be discussing carbs and proteins since they are the most important for recovery.
Carbohydrates
What are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates, or glucose, is sugar that the body uses as energy. This “sugar” does not refer exactly to the white granulated sugar you use when baking cookies! Rather, it is a molecule made from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
Carbohydrates are actually the body’s preferred energy source. We can also create energy from protein and fat, but during cheer practice, carbs are generally where you’ll be getting your energy to tumble and stunt!
Glucose to Glycogen
Since we don’t always need high amounts of sugar floating in our bloodstream ready to be used, our bodies transform glucose into glycogen, which is a storage-form of carbohydrates. Glycogen is stored in our liver, where our bodies can easily access it whenever we have low blood sugar/glucose levels. After intense, prolonged exercise, our glycogen stores often become depleted, so we must replenish them to supply our bodies with energy!
What Type of Carbs Should I Eat?
There are 2 types of carbs: simple and complex.
Simple sugars/carbs have shorter molecular chains, meaning the body can break them down quickly to use as fast energy. Foods made up of simple carbs, such as desserts, soft drinks, candy, etc. generally have no nutritional value and consumption is linked to a high risk of developing type II diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Fruits and dairy products are also considered simple carbs, but have nutritional value and tend to be less processed, so don’t cut these out!
Complex carbs, on the other hand, have longer molecular chains, so the body takes more time to break them down. Foods containing complex carbs, such as whole grain bread, brown rice, legumes and vegetables, provide long-lasting energy and help keep you full for a longer period of time.
How Will Complex Carbs Help Me After Practice?
- Restore muscle and liver glycogen
- Assist in amino acid (protein) absorption by the muscles to build and repair them
Guidelines
- Consume 0.5–0.7 grams per pound of body weight, or 1.1–1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight
- For best results, consume within 30 minutes after practice
Proteins
What are Proteins?
Proteins are molecules that consist of hundreds or even thousands of smaller components called amino acids. Amino acids are the “building blocks” of protein and can be separated into 2 categories: essential and non-essential. Essential amino acids must be obtained from our diet (meaning you must eat/drink them), and non-essential amino acids are already made by the body, so you don’t have to get them elsewhere.
Since protein makes up all our body’s tissues and organs, it’s important that we consume enough to repair our muscles after exercising. When working out, we create microscopic tears in our muscle fibres that give us that sore feeling in the days following intense exercise. In order to build bigger, stronger and more powerful muscles, protein is required to repair and build over those tears.
What Type of Protein Should I Eat?
Following practice, it is best to eat high-quality proteins like whey, soy and casein proteins. Animal sources of protein include dairy, eggs, chicken, fish, beef, etc. If you prefer not to eat animal products or meat, foods such as quinoa, buckwheat, soy, chickpeas and beans will provide sufficient protein.
Remember: It’s always better to eat whole foods, rather than relying on protein shakes. There’s no harm in drinking them occasionally, as long as you aren’t replacing all meals with them.
How Will Protein Help Me After Practice?
- Repair muscles
- Build new muscle tissue to make you stronger
Guidelines
- Consume about 15-30 grams of protein within 2-3 hours of finishing practice (ideally immediately after)
- Combine protein intake with carbohydrates to help with absorption by the muscles
Fats
Eating Fats After Practice
High-fat foods should be kept to a minimum right after exercising because carbohydrates and proteins are the main nutrients needed to help the body in recovery. Fats may actually delay the process of nutrients being delivered to the muscles, which diminishes the positive effects carbs and protein have. There’s no need to completely avoid fats though – having them in a small snack is fine.
Summary
Tracking your eating patterns and specific foods can be complicated and time-consuming, so don’t worry about counting calories or macronutrients. After practice, it’s best to eat foods you enjoy that are minimally processed and contain both complex carbs and protein. If you eat properly regularly, you will see and feel a difference in your performance!
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