Rowers are back on the water, even though we expect snow in the next few days! As a rower, you train hard, and need to support your training with good nutrition and attention to hydration.

Carbohydrates are a key fuel for rowers. One study looked at how carbohydrate intake affected performance.

​Eat healthy carbs. This advice is often given to athletes and couch potatoes alike, but sometimes it is hard to know which carbohydrates to choose. Fall is a great time to enjoy your healthy carbs in the form of roasted vegetables, which are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber. Popular and nutritious vegetables for roasting include:

• Beets – good source of folate
• Brussels sprouts – good source of vitamins C and K
• Carrots – good source of vitamins A and C
• Onions – contain bioflavonoid anti-oxidants and allicin (anti-tumor compound)
• Parsnips – good source of Vitamins C and K and fiber
• Potatoes (skin on) – good source of vitamins B, C, folate, and niacin and potassium
• Rutabagas – good source of vitamin C
• Sweet potatoes – good source of vitamins A,B6 and C and potassium
• Turnips – contain vitamin C
• Winter squash – good source of vitamin A

Injuries can interrupt training and competition for even the most experienced athletes. When injuries occur, attention to sports nutrition can help get you back in action sooner. It can be tempting to slack off on your usual attention to eating well, but this is definitely not the time to indulge in junk food!
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Three key nutrients for healing are calories, protein, and water. It can be challenging to adjust your calorie intake when injured. You want to promote healing, but avoid unwanted weight gain. You will need to consider how much your training volume has decreased and how aggressive your rehab regimen is. Calories should not be restricted too much, because you need to protect your existing muscle mass as much as possible. When you don’t eat enough calories, muscle may be broken down. There is also a calorie cost to the body’s healing process, and too few calories may slow things down. Focus on eating nutrient dense foods and avoiding highly processed and high sugar foods. Check your weight frequently and adjust your intake up or down based on trends that you notice.

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​In my recipe box is a mimeographed recipe attached with yellowed tape to a file card. It is the first recipe that was “mine,” and it comes from my seventh grade home economics class way back in 1967! When the ripe apples arrive each fall, this Apple Crisp recipe still gets the call to spice up our meals.
 
Apples are a consumer friendly fruit. They are convenient to carry around for snacks and lunches.
In the refrigerator they store and keep well, and they will even stay fresh for a day or so in a fruit bowl at room temperature. A wide variety of preparations are possible from salads to desserts to side dishes.
Two of the ways I like to use apples as a side dish are:

​Does it seem like more and more kids are getting concussions? There has been an increase in the number of concussions in student athletes over the past several years. This has led to interest in potential nutritional approaches to prevention and treatment. In 2011 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released their report “Nutrition and Traumatic Brain Injury,” which was focused on treating military TBIs.  The report identified some nutrients of interest for future research both for these serious injuries and for mild TBI (concussion.) These include omega 3 fatty acids, choline, creatine, zinc, resveratrol, curcumin, and other plant based anti-oxidants.

​Did you know that the average soccer player covers 5-7 miles during a game? This is definitely a sport with high energy expenditure! That means that you should do some planning around food and fluids. Fueling properly and staying hydrated will help you play well through the end of the game.
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About 1-4 hours before your game you should have a meal that includes plenty of carbohydrates.  Foods like pasta, fruit, cereal, potatoes, rice and vegetables are usually well digested and can top off your glycogen stores. (Glycogen is the fuel that your muscles use. You will really call on your glycogen stores as you get into the later minutes of the game.) 

If you're on the cross-country team you are participating in one of the most popular high school sports in the US. You may find it challenging to meet your nutrition needs as you try to balance a lean physique with adequate fueling and hydration. Here are some tips to help you get your best performance:

Every Day:

• Eat a generally healthy diet with lean proteins, lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy.

Warm days continue into fall, and even after cooler weather arrives athletes and active people need to be sure to keep up their fluid intake. Here are some easy tips to help you personalize your hydration.

1.       Weigh yourself before training or competition and again afterwards. For every pound lost, drink 16 – 24 ounces of fluid. So if you lose 1.5 pounds, you would need to drink 24 – 36 ounces of fluid.

What do Registered Dietitians eat on vacation? I recently made a trip with 5 friends from my dietetic internship and thought it was interesting to see some trends. This trip started out with a car trip to our central destination, Pipestem State Park in southern West Virginia. From there we did long day trips to Beckley and to the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs. Based on my observations of how this group of RD’s (pictured at right in front of the Greenbrier) combined vacation fun and healthy eating principles, here are 4 tips for eating well on vacation.