- May 2008
- Volume 5
Inside this Issue
- Feature Article – Protein and Exercise
- Exercise of the Month – Stabilizing the Core
- Sports Training and Technique – Solo or Group Training?
Protein and Exercise
Protein seems to be the most misunderstood of the food nutrients. And it is no wonder with the popularity of high protein diets, protein powders, bars, and so on. Since I am not a dietitian I will share some of the sound advice offered by sports nutritionist and author Nancy Clark, MS, RD from her Sports Nutrition Guidebook.
Protein Facts
- Protein is used to build and repairs muscle tissue, create hormones, raise immune function, replace red blood cells, and grow hair and fingernails.
- Athletes generally over or under consume protein. Over consumption can lead to storage as glycogen or fat. Under consumption can lead to insufficient muscle development and recovery because protein is being used for energy.
- Amino acids, the building blocks of protein are not stored in the body and need to be eaten every day.
- Protein is used minimally to fuel exercise and should only constitute 10-15% of daily calories
- Nancy's protein rule of thumb is to have 4-6 ounces (110-170 grams) or protein-rich food at lunch or dinner or split between the two meals.
- Top Food Choices - poultry, fish, lean beef, peanut butter, canned beans, and tofu.
- Vegetarians should substitute beans for beef.
- Recommended protein combinations for vegetarians - cereal and milk, pasta or bread and cheese, rice and beans, pita and split-pea soup, tortilla and beans, cornbread and chili with kidney beans, brown bread and baked beans, chickpeas and tahini (hummus), tofu and sesame seeds.
- Food is the preferred source of protein over powders or bars.
- Some people need more protein - endurance athletes, athletes doing high intensity training, dieters that are restricting calories, athletic teenagers, and individuals new to exercise. Please refer to the table below.
Protein Recommendations
| Population | Protein grams per pound of body weight |
|---|---|
| Recreational Exerciser, Adult | 0.5-0.7 |
| Endurance Athlete, Adult | 0.6-0.7 |
| Growing Teenage Athlete | 0.7-0.9 |
| Adult Building Muscle Mass | 0.7-0.9 |
| Athlete Restricting Calories | 0.8-0.9 |
Protein Requirements Example
Client: 150 lb female athlete that is restricting calories
Protein Recommendations
150 lb X 0.8 = 120 grams protein/day
150 lb X 0.9 = 135 grams protein/day
Food Requirements
Rather than counting protein grams Nancy recommends an easier approach -
consume two cups of milk or yogurt and two small servings of protein rich foods each day. If you fall into one of the categories above that requires additional protein consider adding one or more of the following to your daily food intake - nuts, nut butters, beans, pasta, cereal, rice, bread, and starchy vegetables.
Stabilizing the Core
"A poorly-stabilized trunk inhibits arm-and-leg power; a well-stabilized trunk liberates it."
(The New Steady Ski for Nordic Athletes)
I first learned about the deep abdominal muscle, the Transverse Abdominis a few years ago when reading about conditioning for Nordic skiing. This generally under trained muscle provides core and pelvic stability by steadying the spine.
To understand how this works we need to look at the anatomy of the core. You might remember the phrase "form follows function" from a distant college lecture. This principle holds true for the Transverse Abdominis and examination of the illustration below shows the horizontal orientation of the muscle fibers. You can imagine that when this muscle is voluntarily contracted the trunk is compressed inward around the spine, holding it tight.
It is difficult to show how to contract this muscle because no body movement is needed to engage it. For this month's exercise I have combined activation of the Transverse Abdominis with a pelvic tilt.
Starting Position: Lie on your back with your knees bent up and feet on the floor. Your back will naturally arch. In this photo I am on a step and the arch in my back is exaggerated for demonstration purposes.
Abdominal Contraction: Start by pulling your belly button towards your spine and tightening your pelvic floor like if you were holding your bladder. There should be no body movement and your Rectus Abdominis, "six pack abs", stays relaxed. Keeping the contraction in your Transverse Abdominis perform a pelvic tilt by rotating your hips toward you and hold. Your back should be flat.
This exercise will take some practice to master. As you progress try the contraction while sitting, standing, balancing, and finally when moving.
Regardless of your sport having a stable core increases the amount of power you can transfer through your body to the working muscles which will enhance your performance.
Solo or Group Training?
It's Saturday morning, the group ride leaves in an hour - should you join the bunch or go it alone?
The most important thing to consider in making this decision is - what type of workout do I want and need today? Whenever a group of athletes come together to train it inevitably turns into a high energy effort. If this is what you desire and the dynamics of the group will push you harder than you would on your own, then the group ride is for you. If yesterday was crusher intervals and you need to recover then a solo ride is probably the way to go.
Do I need to work on my pack riding skills? Just like driving a car for the first time where it takes time and practice to gain comfort behind the wheel before you head out on the freeway, the same applies to developing the ability to roll down the road at fast speeds on skinny tires encircled by other cyclists. Group rides provide a good opportunity to gain confidence and learn the strategy and technique of riding with others. You will quickly become accustomed to terms like drafting, pace line, and attack. Riding in a pack will teach you to ride smooth and efficient, be alert to the movements of others and your surroundings, and how and when to conserve and exert energy. All valuable skills that will build your confidence on the bike.
You should also consider - who will be on the ride? The make-up of the riders determines the pace, distance, atmosphere, and overall mood of the ride. This can impact how effective the ride is and your subsequent level of enjoyment.
Warnings about Group Training
It is easy to fall into the habit of always going out with the group and continually applying the same work stress to your body. Adaptations will occur and you will get stronger for awhile but in time you will plateau. To continue making athletic gains mix up your workouts to include all of the training aspects needed for success in your sport.
Females often have a hard time finding other women to train with and default to going out with the guys. This has advantages and can build confidence and increase fitness quickly. Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages. Generally, women who train with men are working very hard during these workouts. If the level of effort is not appreciated and appropriate rest is not taken it will catch up with you and possibly at the most devastating time.
I learned this the hard way and quit a 100 mile mountain bike race after only 30 miles following continuous hard training with the guys and insufficient recovery.