The Women’s Athletic and Recreational Association (WARA) invited athletic nutritionist Barbara Lorson to discuss the competitive advantage of understanding and applying nutrition for female athletes in season.† Her main objectives were to help Wooster’s female athletes estimate how much energy they need to compete, understand training nutrition and eating well prior to events and games, and muscle recovery.
Before launching into her presentation, Lorson asked the women in the audience if they felt like they had an adequate understanding of how nutrition affects their level of play, and an overwhelming majority of the women said they didn’t know very much about the topic.
Lorson, who worked with several of The Ohio State University’s varsity athletic teams, stressed the importance of eating the right kinds of foods that would give female athletes the best competitive advantage.† She explained that competitive athletes need several hundred more calories than the average person, which should come from carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and protein.
The idea is to eat to fuel your body and help in its recovery after the athletic event, she explained.† Eating carbohydrates helps athletes stay healthier than taking vitamins and supplements, and athletes need significantly more carbohydrates to fuel their athletic activities than the average person.† “Low carb diets for athletes are out,” she said.
Larson also discussed the importance of eating 30 to 60 minutes following an athletic workout, telling the women that the “recovery period” is when the body is most able to absorb nutrients put into the body and be replenished after a workout.† After that time period, the body can’t absorb as much nutrients or do it as quickly.† She recommended chocolate milk or sports bars in lieu of a full meal with carbohydrates and protein to replenish lost nutrients.
It is necessary to drink more water and sports drinks than the average two liters that are recommended to non-athletes, said Larson.† Performance decreases with dehydration, and athletes need to drink 16 oz. of water for every pound lost during practices or games.† As little as two percent of weight loss, or roughly three pounds for a 150 lb. athlete, hurts performance physically and mentally, she explained.
For game days, Larson recommended that athletes eat a meal that is low in fat but high in carbohydrates before the event, focus on hydration throughout the game and replace electrolytes, carbohydrates and protein during recovery after the game.
A common problem in many young women is anemia, which is caused by a lack of iron in the blood stream. †Cross country captain Chelsea Fisher ’11 suffers from this deficiency, but makes up for her low iron supply by making sure to eat enough protein.† She enjoys the power bars from the C-Store, but said that she has struggled drinking the new protein shakes because they “taste like a mixture of chalk and expired Nesquick.”
Larson recommended that women who suffer from anemia should focus on eating more protein by eating cereals, soy, Vitamin C and drinking three to four cups of milk a day.
Several of the female athletes in attendance said they had a basic knowledge of how to eat during season, but that Larson was able to illuminate new ideas to help their performances.
“During season, I try to eat more carbohydrates than usual because I’ll burn them off at practice or in a game,” said field hockey captain and president of WARA Kate Valora ’11. “After hearing this talk, I learned that it actually is okay, as long as they’re quality carbs,” such as whole grain breads and cereals, said Valora.
Many of the women commented on the choices available at Lowry that will allow them to perform at their optimal level.
Basketball player Taylor Keegan ’11, a vegetarian, said that she chooses what she eats carefully and tries to eliminate unhealthy foods during her season. †”Lowry can be difficult sometimes when trying to find healthy options. They’re available, you just have to look past “Basics” and stand clear from fried foods.”
Several athletes were concerned with dining options while on the road for away games.† Because of budget restraints, many teams eat meals on the road at Wendy’s and McDonald’s.
Larson suggested that they look up the restaurants’ menus online prior to traveling to find options with less fat and calories.† Fast food restaurants do offer healthy options, she said, but encouraged the women to research the menus before dining there.
Larson will be available for individual consultations with athletes in the Longbrake Student Wellness Center on Monday and Wednesday nights.† The fee for first consultations is $65, and any additional visits cost between $20 and $35.