Olympic Feasts

Active women -- from gold medalists to gym rats -- have one thing in common: They need to eat better. Here's how you can improve on your personal best in nutrition

By Bernadette Sukley

Issue date: September/October 2000

For more Sports Illustrated Women, check out our latest issue -- on newsstands now. For your FREE preview issue of SI Women click here or call 800-950-5150.

Unlike many elite athletes, Teresa Edwards of the U.S. women's hoops team loves veggies, raw or cooked. Greg Foster

Teresa Edwards sheepishly admits she loves her vegetables. "I know it sounds weird, but I'm a Southern girl -- I like collard greens, okra, squash and green beans," says the 5'11" point guard. That's only the start of her good eating habits. Edwards also follows a balanced diet. "I listen to my body," says the 36-year-old five-time Olympian. "I always make sure I eat at least two healthy meals a day. And I never eat too much of anything."

Unfortunately Edwards is the exception among athletes when it comes to good nutrition. More than 40% of female athletes follow diets that are downright unhealthy, says Kristine Clark, R.D., the director of the sports nutrition program at Penn State's Center for Sports Medicine. "Women are worse about sports nutrition than men," agrees Edmund R. Burke, director of the sports nutrition center at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. "They don't get enough calories, and they're often lacking in important nutrients."

The truth is, the healthier you eat today, the better your performance tomorrow. "Good nutrition is a training tool," says Clark, who is also the nutritional consultant to the U.S. women's soccer and field hockey teams. "As the competition gets steeper, every tactic should be considered."

Want to score points when it comes to giving your body the right fuel? Here are some steps to follow.

Eat enough

Too many active women either underestimate the amount of fuel they need or deliberately undereat. "Athletes think if they restrict calories and become thinner, they'll move faster and jump higher," says Jackie Berning, R.D., a nutrition consultant for the Denver Broncos and an assistant professor at the University of Colorado- Colorado Springs. But there's no evidence that women who are at a normal body weight and then lose pounds improve their performance, says Berning. Also, skimping on nutrition can leave you fizzling out before you reach the finish line.

Clearly athletes need more energy than someone who's sedentary. Most female athletes require between 2,200 and 2,400 calories a day -- more if you do sports that require a large amount of muscle mass, such as rowing or bodybuilding. To estimate your energy needs, multiply your body weight by 15 to 17 (depending on your activity level). If you're 140 pounds, that's 2,100 to 2,400 calories, plus whatever you burn during training.

Mine for minerals

If you're not eating enough, you're probably not getting enough nutrients for your health, let alone for your performance. "Many athletes' diets are low in calcium, folate, zinc and iron," says Melinda Manore, professor of nutrition at Arizona State University. Calcium, for example, is vital for building bones and also plays a role in muscle contraction; women need 1,000 milligrams of the nutrient each day (up to 1,500 if you're under age 24) from key sources like yogurt, milk and cheese, or dark-green veggies such as broccoli or kale. Iron is responsible for delivering oxygen to the muscles; active women need about 15 milligrams daily, and can get it in beef, chicken and pork, or in fortified cereals or seeds. Vegetarians, especially, are at risk for iron deficiencies (which can also make for low-energy levels), since the iron found in plant sources isn't absorbed well by the body. Although you should get all the nutrients you need from a balanced diet, taking a multivitamin can help protect you against broad deficiencies.

Figure in fat

Fat is a nutrient, not a judgment, so don't be so quick to strike it from your diet. Some studies show it may even help improve endurance. Peter Horvath, an associate professor at the State University of New York-Buffalo, found that female soccer players who increased their dietary fat from 27% to 37% of their caloric intake ran almost a mile farther than those who were on a lower-fat diet. A separate study also found that women runners who severely limited their fat intake lowered their immune systems' ability to fight off infection. You should aim to get about 30% of your total calories from fat each day. Of course you have to choose the right kind -- like the healthy monounsaturated fats of peanuts, canola oil and olive oil -- not the saturated fats found in a bacon double cheeseburger.

Your menstrual cycle can also make a difference in how your body metabolizes fat. According to Horvath, women burn fat up to 50% better at rest than men do; that effect is further magnified when they are in the second half of their cycles (days 14 to 28).

Power up with protein

Fail to get enough protein, and you'll feel it right down to your muscles; it's the nutrient we need most to build and maintain muscle mass, and is essential for effective training, says Burke. Although high-protein diets are all the rage, many women athletes miscalculate how much protein they need. Most nutritionists recommend getting about 15% of your calories from protein, or about 60 to 80 grams a day.

Put it into practice

The bottom line: Eating better equals feeling better, according to Chris Rosenbloom, director of sports nutrition for the Georgia Tech Athletic Association. "Put your body first when it comes to nutrition, and you'll perform better."

Issue date: September/October 2000

For more Sports Illustrated Women, check out our latest issue -- on newsstands now. For your FREE preview issue of SI Women click here or call 800-950-5150.

 
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