May 2015

GUIDE TO EXERCISE
NUTRITION
Mind, Body, Me E-Packet

Table of Contents 


Getting Started ……………… 1

Fuel Your Workout ………….. 3

Getting Started
Whether you're a competitive athlete or a casual exerciser,
Weight Loss …………………. 5 what you eat affects your performance. Your body needs

Building Muscle …………….. 6 the right balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins,
minerals and fluids to fuel your fitness.
Endurance/Runners ………… 8

30-Minute Workouts ………. 10

FAQ …………………………. 11

DIY Gatorade ………………. 12

These days we’re more concerned than ever with

maximizing our workout efforts and getting the
fastest results. Effective workouts demand
complete nutrition, and these guidelines will help
make the right choices to fuel and refuel the body.

Everyone has different fitness goals; whether that’s

to lose weight, gain muscle, or increase
endurance and running performance, proper
nutrition will get you where you want to be.

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Know Your Body’s Needs

Check your Body Mass Index & Estimate your calorie needs.
Using USDA's online Adult Energy Needs and BMI Calculator. You can determine the number of calories
needed each day to maintain your current weight.
Score your current food intake and physical activity level.
Using MyPlate SuperTracker. Taking a good look at your current habits will help you determine what
changes you might make as well as what you are doing right.

Know Your Fitness Goal

Setting fitness goals requires a calculated approach. It may seem counterintuitive to start small, but
remember that you want to set yourself up for success, not burnout or injury. The fix is to define a
progressive set of fitness goals that build on one another to help propel you toward that big dream or
aspiration. Breaking a big goal into smaller, realistic goals can help you both mentally and physically.

The first step to setting realistic goals is to really think about your goal and write it down. Ask yourself
these three questions:

1. How big is the goal? Is your goal only attainable in three months or more? If so, make a or goals to
get you to that long-term goal. Ideally, you should be able to reach the smaller goal in two to six weeks.

2. What does it take to achieve the goal? This question addresses your goal's frequency. If
reaching your goal requires five workouts a week, but you can only get a babysitter two days a week, then
you need to scale back your goal. Be realistic about what time you have to devote to the goal and be
honest about your fitness level. Building your fitness base takes time, and being smart about increasing it
will help you stay injury-free. As a general rule, never increase your weight lifted or your minutes exercised
by more than 10 percent in any given week. Slow and steady really does win the race!

3. Can you see yourself reaching the goal? You want a program that you can stick with for the
long haul—not just this week. Be completely honest with yourself and ask if you can realistically see
yourself doing what it takes to achieve the goal at hand. If you can and it meets the above criteria, then
you probably have a goal!


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Fueling Your Workout &

Timing Your Nutrition
This section is prompted by the question, ”What should I eat before and after a workout?”
Sometimes the answer depends more on the athlete and their specific activity, but there are
some common truths that apply for pre- and post-workout nutrition.

Pre Workout Nutrition:

What to eat?
✦ Carbohydrates are fuel for your "engine" (i.e., your Remember!
muscles). And, the harder your engine is working the more 1. Consume a carbohydrate-rich
carbs you need to keep going. snack or meal before exercise
✦ Protein to rebuilds and repairs, but also provides the right 2. Include small amounts of
amino acids available for your muscles during exercise. protein
Adequate protein before exercise may help reduce post- 3. Choose pre-exercise meal(s)
exercise muscle soreness. that are low in fat and fiber to
ensure optimal digestion.
When?
✦ If you have time, eat a larger meal 3 to 4 hours before exercise.
✦ Closer to the activity, have a small snack such as fruit 30 minutes before. This will give you
the last-minute bump your body needs.
✦ It's best not to eat immediately before a workout because while your muscles are trying to do
their "thing," your stomach is trying to simultaneously digest the food in your stomach. These
competing demands are a challenge for optimal performance.

Pre-workout Fuel Suggestions: ✦ Even more of a factor, eating too close to a

• A peanut butter and banana or PBJ sandwich
• Greek yogurt with berries
• Oatmeal with low-fat milk and fruit
• Apple and peanut or almond butter
• Handful of nuts and raisins
(two parts raisins: one part nuts)
workout may cause you to experience some GI
discomfort while you train.
✦ Experiment and see what time frame works
best for your body.


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Post Workout Nutrition: Remember!

What to eat? 1. Restore fluid and electrolytes

(sodium and potassium) lost in
✦ Carbohydrates give your muscles the ability to sweat; weigh before and after
replenish the glycogen they just lost through exercise and replenish what
training was lost
✦ Protein helps your muscles rebuild and repair with 2. Replace muscle fuel
the available protein and amino acids. (carbohydrate) utilized during
practice
✦ To replenish the nutrients lost, a 3:1 ratio of
3. Provide protein to aid in repair
carbohydrate to protein is recommended.
of damaged muscle tissue and
When? to stimulate development of
new tissue
✦ Fuel within 15-60 minutes after exercise for optimal
4. Begin nutrition recovery with a
repair and recovery.
snack or meal within 15-60
minutes
Summary
By eating wisely, you will reap the benefits of being
properly fueled. Maximize muscle growth, aide recovery and replenish glycogen stores, and you'll
have the energy and endurance to power you through your workouts and athletic endeavors.


Post-workout Suggestions:
• Post-workout recovery smoothie (or
post-workout smoothie made with
low-fat milk and fruit)
• Low-fat chocolate milk
• Turkey on a whole-grain wrap with
veggies
• Yogurt with berries

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Tips for Weight Loss

Weight loss can be achieved either by eating fewer
calories or by burning more calories with physical
activity, preferably both! Here are some tips for
fueling your workout without sabotaging the
calorie-burning effort of exercise:
The Morning Workout
✦ A low-intensity morning workout — such as a walk, bike
ride, yoga or round of golf — requires very little fuel.
✦ Concentrate on hydration and a small carbohydrate-rich
snack, like 16 ounces of water and mini-bagel or a 100-
calorie granola bar.
✦ That will give you enough energy to compensate for an
overnight fast without loading up on calories.
✦ After your workout, eat a smart breakfast of quality
carbohydrates and protein. This can be a hard-cooked egg, a
slice of whole-grain toast and 100-percent fruit juice, or
oatmeal with berries and fat-free milk.
✦ Try not to fall into the cycle of skipping breakfast, eating a
light lunch and, then, exercising after work with little fuel on
board. With this scenario, you are more likely to overeat
after your workout because you are so hungry from not
eating enough during the day.
Remember!
• Discuss weight loss with your doctor
before getting started and decide on
a goal. If you have a lot of weight to
lose, set a realistic intermediate goal,
maybe to lose 10 pounds. Remember
that even a small amount of weight
loss can lead to big health benefits.
• To lose about 1 pound per week,
subtract 500 calories each day from
the daily amount. To lose about 2
pounds per week, subtract 1000
calories daily.
• You want to develop lifestyle habits
that will help you maintain your
weight in a healthy range. A short-
term "diet" that you "go on" and then
"go off" is not the answer to long-term
weight management.

The Evening Refueling

Workout ✦ After a workout, re-hydrate with water.

✦ If you exercise after work, plan to eat lunch 3

to 4 hours before your workout.
✦ Good choices include a grilled chicken salad, a
grilled cheese sandwich with a cup of tomato
soup, or a turkey sub with baked chips.
✦ A healthy lunch will provide enough calories to
sustain a late afternoon workout, but give
yourself a little energy boost 15 to 30 minutes
before your workout by eating a banana,
orange slices or a handful of grapes.
✦ If you are heading home and eating dinner within
a couple of hours, there is no need for a post-
workout snack.
✦ If your meal will be delayed, then recover with 6
to 8 ounces of fat-free chocolate milk, 6 ounces of
low-fat Greek yogurt, or a stick of string cheese
with a few whole-grain crackers.
✦ Another mental trap is rewarding a good workout
with high-calorie or fatty foods. Rewarding your
workout with food and high-calorie fluids will
undo your efforts in the gym; instead, treat

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Tips for Building Muscle

Muscle is harder to build and maintain as we age. In fact, most of us start losing muscle around
age 30, with a 3 to 8 percent reduction in lean muscle mass every decade thereafter. But muscle
loss doesn't need to be inevitable: For adult men and women, regular resistance training
exercises are key to building and keeping muscle.

Strength Training and Health

Strength training is an important piece of the
fitness equation. Men and women should
participate in muscle strengthening activities that
work the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back,
chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms) at least two
times each week. Examples of strength training
include lifting weights, using resistance bands and
doing push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups.

Protein, carbohydrates and fat play a major role, as

does getting enough calories throughout the day.
Read on to find out how each macronutrient can help Protein levels of common foods:
you gain muscle. 1 large egg = 6 grams

Protein and Muscle Building 1 cup low-fat milk = 8 grams

While you’re working to build muscle with exercise, 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt = 12 grams
protein should make up 10 to 35 percent of total calories ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese = 14
for adults. grams

Keeping muscle mass, on the other hand, requires a lot 2 tablespoons peanut butter = 8 grams
less protein than building new muscle. 1 cup quinoa = 8 grams

✦ Focus on high quality protein foods that contain all of
the essential amino acids aid wound healing and keep
your immune system strong.
✦ Eggs, low-fat cheese or cottage cheese, yogurt and plain
baked chicken, all provide quality protein.
3 ounces of lean ground beef = 22
grams
3 ounces skinless, baked chicken = 26
grams
3 ounces grilled salmon = 21 grams

✦ Vegetarians can get quality protein from soy-based foods,

as well as beans and nuts. Almond milk is popular, but it is
low in protein compared to cow or soy milk.

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✦ A typical day that includes 3 servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy plus 3 servings of protein foods (such as
lean meat, poultry, fish or beans) will provide quality sources of protein to help reach that goal.

Carbohydrates and Muscle Building

Carbohydrates are an important group of foods for
fueling your muscles. That's because carbs are partially
converted to glycogen, which is stored in muscle to
power your workouts.

✦ Men and women who are strength-training at least twice a week need at least half of their calories
from carbohydrates per day.

✦ Try adding in good quality carbohydrates that are low in fat, such as whole-grain breads and cereals for
the best strength training boost.

✦ Low-fat milk and yogurt and fruits and vegetables are also good options and provide some
carbohydrates in our diet.

Fat and Muscle Building

Contrary to the fat-free trend, you actually need fat in your daily diet.
✦ Your body relies on fat to supply energy to muscles during activity, and how much fat a person needs
can vary.
✦ As a general guideline, fat should make up 20 to 35 percent of your total calories.
✦ Limit unhealthy saturated fats and trans fats, which can contribute to heart disease.
✦ For overall health and muscle strength, focus on the heart-healthy fats, including extra-virgin olive
oil, canola oil, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, avocados and fatty fish such as salmon, halibut, mackerel,
sardines and trout.


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Tips for Endurance

Marathons, day-long adventure races, and triathlons are gaining in popularity. The
difference between just simply participating and actually succeeding in these longer
endurance events can be directly tied to your nutrition.

Fuel the Body Right

The energy needs of endurance athletes are high. Every
Endurance Athletes’ Nutrition Needs
athlete's calorie needs are different, depending on gender,
age, body composition, training regimen and daily activities. • Total calorie needs: about 19 to 26
kcal per pound of body weight
As runners’ training mileage increases, so do their calorie
needs, especially calories from carbohydrates. Runners need • Carbohydrate needs: 7 to 10 g per
between 7 and 10 g of carbohydrate per kilogram of body kilogram of body weight
weight during training and closer to the upper end of this
range before long runs. They require high amounts of • Protein needs: 1.2 to 1.4 g per
carbohydrates to saturate the muscles with glycogen, the kilogram of body weight
storage form of carbohydrate that fuels endurance exercise. • Fat needs: 20% to 35% of total
calories
Before the Run
Pre-run snacks boost blood glucose levels, and can top off
muscle carbohydrate stores—essential fuel for longer, harder runs.

✦ The more time for digestion, the larger the snack. For a snack two hours ahead, try an option
such as a bowl of cereal or peanut butter sandwich, or a small smoothie and muffin. This snack can help
to delay fuel depletion during the run, and prevent hunger as well. 50 to 75 grams of easily digested
carbohydrate can be consumed two hours before a run.

✦ Of course real-life schedules could require that you gently fuel up one hour before a run. When short
on time, try a sports drink, or a handful of dry cereal, or a slice of toast with honey, or a waffle with jam

✦ Aim for 15 to 25 grams of carbohydrate in the hour before a run. You can also pop in a carbohydrate
gel or half an energy bar for easy digestion.

✦ Runners should aim to consume at least 10 oz of water or a sports drink two hours before exercise.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Eat

For continuous endurance exercise lasting more than 45 minutes, eating during exercise is a must.
Carbohydrate, fluid, and electrolyte balance is vital to a successful run. It is important for runners to
experiment with various types of foods during exercise to determine which work best.

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✦When eating during a training

run or event, a runner should
consume a food item that is high
in easily digestible carbohydrate
and low in fat and protein.

✦Some popular foods that

athletes use to fuel continuous
endurance exercise include sports
bars (eg, PowerBar, Clif Bar),
sports drinks (which serve a dual
purpose of supplying
carbohydrate and fluid), energy
gels (eg, GU, Clif Shots), jelly
beans, gummy bears, fig bars,
bananas, and pretzels.

✦ Runners should drink at least 8 oz of water with any food consumed during exercise and aim to
consume 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour (120 to 240 kcal per hour) of exercise.

✦ Runners should consume between 5 and 12 oz of fluid every 15 minutes during exercise.

Post-exercise Needs
Individuals should consume calories and fluids immediately
following the training run or event in the form of a 100- to
400-kcal snack (eg, sports drink, chocolate milk, orange
juice). Post-run snack suggestions:
✦ Eating a high-carbohydrate snack with a modest • 8 ounces of low fat chocolate milk
amount of protein in the immediate post-exercise
• Trail mix with dried fruit, soybeans, cereal
period has been shown to quickly stimulate the
or pretzels
replacement of glycogen that was used up during the
exercise bout. This aids recovery and will allow the • A peanut butter and jelly sandwich or
runner to start stocking up on stored carbohydrate for wrap
the next run.
• An energy bar with a mix of carbohydrate
✦ Runners should consume a real meal within two hours and protein
of run completion that contains carbohydrate and
protein in a 3:1 ratio to adequately replenish glycogen • A handful of salted nuts with pretzels
stores and rebuild muscles. Aim for 12 to 15 grams • Pita bread with hummus
protein, and 35 to 50 grams of carbohydrate

✦ They should also consume plenty of liquids until urine

is pale yellow or clear.


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30-Minute Workouts for Any Schedule

Current recommendations suggest adults get at least 150 minutes of cardiorespiratory moderate-
intensity exercise per week, with two to three days per week of resistance exercise also recommended.
So how do we put those recommendations into practice?

Making time for physical activity starts with changing our mindset and treating workouts just as
you would any other important appointment or commitment. To help make fitness a priority,
block off time in your day planner and treat it just as you would any other obligation.

Hold 10-minute mini-workouts. Take 10

minutes in the morning, afternoon and evening
to do some form of activity. This can include 10
minutes of bodyweight exercises (push-ups,
crunches, lunges, squats, etc.) in the morning, a
10-minute brisk walk during your lunch break
at work and 10 minutes of yoga-inspired
stretching in the evening.

Involve the family in daily fitness. Thirty

minutes will fly by if you get the kids engaged
in something that they, too, can enjoy. Grab the
family and head out for a walk, game of tag or bike ride.

Clean with purpose. Don’t just sweep the floor, scrub the floor. Don’t just unload the
dishwasher, dance with the dishes. Minutes add up fast when you move more during your clean-
up time.

Look for opportunities to walk. Suggest work meetings on the go. Walk and talk in lieu of
sitting in an office.

If you can’t seem to find the self-motivation needed to make it happen, consider recruiting a
workout partner or hiring a fitness professional. Knowing that someone is expecting you at a
certain place or time can help to enhance accountability for being more active.

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Which is better fuel for spinning class—protein or carbohydrates? Should you consume a sports
drink on a long run? Is it safe to eat before a workout? These answers to common questions
about fueling your workout sort fact from fiction.

Q: Are Powders and Supplements Needed?

A: Most individuals can get the recommended amount of protein through diet alone, without the use of
supplements. Protein powders and protein supplements are great for convenience, but are not necessary,
even for elite athletic performance. Whole foods are always best, but with a busy people trying to juggle a
million things, sometimes it is more realistic to have a convenient shake.

Q: Is it best to work out on an empty stomach?

A: Your body needs fuel to function, especially if you're asking it to run, jump, swim or lift weights. Don't skip
breakfast. Eating before exercise, as opposed to exercising in the fasted state, has been shown to improve
exercise performance.

Eating in the morning helps replenish liver glycogen and steadies blood sugar levels. If it's hard to stomach
solid food first thing in the morning, try a fruit smoothie, or a liquid meal supplement, and don't forget to
hydrate before you exercise.

Q: Regular exercise means I can eat what I want and not gain weight, right?

A: Wrong. Working out isn't license to abandon portion sizes and healthy eating guidelines. It's easy to
overestimate the amount of calories you burn while working out.

You should adjust your calorie intake if you’re engaging in serious training, such as for a triathlon, where you
might be working out more than once a day. For the casual exerciser working out for an hour or less, a
healthy balanced diet will work just fine.

Q: Is chocolate milk really an athlete's best friend?

A: Because of its favorable carbohydrate and protein content (3:1 ratio), chocolate milk is indeed an
effective recovery aid, but it's not your only choice. Yogurt or half a turkey sandwich on whole wheat can be
just as effective.


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Recipe: Easy, DIY Gatorade

There's nothing special about the many sports drinks, gels and energy bites on the market. But
it is important to replace lost fluids and provide carbohydrates to maintain blood glucose levels
while working out. Before you stop by the store for a Gatorade on the way to the game, try
making your own natural version! It is easy, just as fast, and a lot healthier.

Recipe:

• 1 quart of liquid (options: green tea, herbal teas, coconut water, ice water, etc)

• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt (regular table salt will work, but it doesn't have all the
trace minerals)

•1/4 cup or more of 100% or fresh squeezed juice (grape, apple, lemon, lime,
pineapple, etc)

• 1-2 tbsp sweetener - honey, stevia in the raw, etc.

Alexandra Palumbo 12