Injury Prevention

There are many things we can do – as both athletes and non-athletes – to prevent injuries from occurring in the first place.

Below are two articles to get the ball rolling:

'Understanding Muscle Tension' and 'Nutrition for Athletes'.

Most of us – knowingly or unknowingly – suffer from muscle tension. There are a number of factors contributing to this, and I have endeavoured to give you a brief explanation of each. Following this are 14 recommendations that you can implement right now to reduce your chances of injury.

In 'Nutrition for Athletes', I will cover 4 categories:

Training
Pre-competition
During competition
Recovery from training or competition

And 3 sub-categories:

Those requiring near maximal effort for short bursts
Those requiring medium effort for 1-90 minutes
Those whose duration of effort is greater than 90 minutes

Again, while the information and recommendations are aimed at athletes, non-athletes can benefit from this knowledge as well.

At the bottom of this page are testimonials from past and current patients who have decided to take a 'proactive' approach to their health and wellbeing.

I will be placing additional information on this site over time. If you would like to be informed when this happens, please contact me by phone or email with your details.

If emailing, please put 'Injury Prevention Update' in the 'Subject' field.

Understanding Muscle Tension

Muscle tension is so common that almost everyone has a few muscles that are more tense than the rest. Factors affecting muscle tension include:

Inadequate sleep
Lack of exercise
Poor diet
Excess nervous system activity,
Not dressing warmly enough in cold weather (both inside and out)
Smoking
Inadequate rest and relaxation
Inadequate holiday time
Excess work
Too much overtime
Mental fatigue from worry, frustration, or anger
Poor posture

Factors Affecting Muscle Tension

1. Sleep

Inadequate sleep increases the activity of the nervous system, including the nerves going to the muscles, due to lack of rest and the fact that you’re pushing yourself to keep going when you’re overtired.

During sleep, extra oxygen is supplied to the muscles and this assists in the breakdown of lactic acid. When you aren’t getting enough sleep, lactic acid builds up in the muscles causing knotted "trigger points" to form. During sleep your body also heals any minor tears which occur in the muscles during the day. Without adequate sleep, you get behind in your healing, and problems build up.

2. Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise also increases the supply of oxygen to the muscles, but does it much more quickly than occurs during sleep. Low oxygen levels in the muscles from lack of exercise causes lactic acid to build up causing knotted "trigger points" to form.

Also, muscles which have become weak from lack of exercise are easily overworked causing muscle soreness which in turn leads to muscle tension. Finally, when muscle stretching is neglected the muscles become shortened, and knotted "trigger points" will develop.

3. Diet

Can a poor diet cause muscle tension? Most Certainly! The four most important factors are calcium, caffeine, phosphorus, and vegetarianism.

a) Calcium. Lack of calcium and to some degree magnesium in the diet reduces the "slide back" of the muscle fibers (in the relaxation phase of contraction), after they slide together during contraction. Some of the muscle fibers "lock" in the contracted position, causing chronic muscle tension in all your muscles (throughout the body).

b) Caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant. Too much caffeine in the diet stimulates the nerves that control muscle activity, causing the muscles to partly contract and stay that way. This, in turn, increases the muscle tension. Caffeine also has a diuretic effect, causing increased urine production. The water lost in the urine contains minerals. The most important minerals for muscle function are calcium and magnesium. The loss of calcium and magnesium due to the diuretic effect of caffeine increases muscle tension in a similar way to a diet low in calcium and magnesium, even in those with adequate calcium and magnesium in their diet. Problems caused by muscle tension are compounded by both the stimulant and diuretic effects of caffeine. In order to maintain the calcium levels in the blood, your body will dissolve ("steal") calcium from the bone marrow, and this can eventually lead to osteoporosis (thinning of the bone).

c) Phosphorus. Too much phosphorus in the diet can also contribute to muscle tension. The number one source of phosphorus in the North American diet is cola drinks. Phosphoric acid in these drinks "leeches" calcium out of our systems, making less available for muscle relaxation (as well as less available for building strong bones and teeth). Thus, cola drinks have a triple effect on muscle tension: the stimulant and diuretic effects of caffeine and the calcium loss caused by the phosphoric acid.

d) Vegetarianism. Those who follow a vegetarian diet will often be deficient in vitamin B12, making the muscles more "irritable" and more likely to be chronically tense.

4. Nerves

Excess activity of the nervous system can also be a contributing factor to muscle tension. This is often found in people who have too busy a schedule, or who have too many things to do and not enough time to do them all.

These people may want to "have it all" or will try to be "all things to all people". Their hectic schedule may also be due to factors beyond their control, such as a parent, spouse, or child who is ill, and requires a lot of emotional support as well as help with household chores and personal care. This often makes their already hectic schedule unbearable.

5.Cold

Exposure to cold and wind causes a loss of body heat which in turn causes us to unconsciously tense our shoulder muscles, and pull our shoulders up towards our neck. This contraction of the muscles above our shoulders produces heat to keep us warm, and protects the neck (and to some degree the head) from heat loss.

If the heat loss is great enough, we will start to shiver. If the exposure to cold continues long enough the tension and shivering will cause lactic acid to build up in the muscles, causing knotted "trigger points" to form. This can happen just as easily on a windy summer evening or indoors in the summer where cool air from the air conditioner is blowing on you, as it can outdoors in the winter, or indoors in a poorly heated building.

6.Smoking

Although smokers report short-term tension relief from smoking, the long term effect of smoking is to gradually increase muscle tension (not to mention the effect on the lungs, heart, and blood vessels).

The short-term relief of tension smokers receive is due to the analgesic or painkilling effect of nicotine. However, smoking increases the levels of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide on the blood, while at the same time decreasing the level of oxygen. Decreased oxygen in the blood causes lactic acid to build up in the muscles, causing knotted "trigger points" to form.

7.Rest and Relaxation

The effect of inadequate rest, relaxation, and holiday time on muscle tension is the same as that of excess work and overtime. You need both a mental break and a physical break from your work in order to relax.

If you don’t get an occasional break from your work, tension builds up in the muscles just like it does from lack of sleep. You will also become stale and stagnate in your work. A regular break will not only decrease your tension levels, but also make you more productive when you return.

8.Mental Fatigue

Mental fatigue from worrying, frustration, and anger can also contribute to muscle tension. Illness of a parent or other family member, financial trouble, job problems, difficulties with family relations, and any other type of unresolved problem can all contribute to mental fatigue.

The worry, frustration, or anger they produce causes an increase in activity of both the nervous system and the endocrine glands. Excess activity of the autonomic nervous system, which controls resting muscle tension, causes chronic muscle tension. Excess activity of the endocrine glands, such as the adrenals, thyroid and pituitary, during the day will carry over into the night, causing difficulty relaxing and difficulty sleeping.

Resolving the problems that are worrying, frustrating, or angering you will not only make you more energetic, but also help to reduce your muscle tension.

9.Posture

The final factor contributing to muscle tension is poor posture. When we have good posture, our spine is in a balanced position, and requires very little muscle activity to hold it upright.

Like a balanced pole which pulls very little on the guy wires that steady it, the muscles hardly have to work at all. However, when we slouch, the spine is in an unbalanced position, and requires constant muscle activity to keep it upright.

Like a tilted pole that pulls very hard on some of its guy wires, and not at all on others, the muscles are working against gravity all the time.

How to reduce Muscle Tension

The following fourteen recommendations will help you to reduce your muscle tension:

1.Diet

Eat a balanced diet with adequate calcium intake, and minimize your intake of caffeine-containing foods and beverages, such as chocolates, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and cola drinks.

Make sure you eat some fresh fruits and vegetables every day and if you’re following a vegetarian diet, make sure you have adequate protein, and take a B Complex supplement with iron, or a multivitamin with iron to make up for the vitamins and minerals you may be missing when not consuming red meat.

Eat three meals per day, even if one of them is only a small one. Avoid skipping meals. Eat your meals at leisure. Take at least 20 minutes for breakfast and 30 minutes for lunch and supper. Avoid eating on the run.

2.Rest

Aim for a minimum of 7.5 hours of sleep per night. This is 5 sleep cycles of 1.5 hours each. Take regular time off for personal time and recreational activities. Avoid skipping your holidays, especially self-employed people.

3.Exercise

You need three types of exercise: cardiovascular, stretching, and strengthening. Cardiovascular exercise is by far the most important. You need to exercise at 70 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate for a minimum of 10 minutes, three times per week. This will keep your heart and lungs in good shape, and supply more oxygen to your muscles in order to break down lactic acid.

Swimming, cycling, running, cross-country skiing, skating, stair-stepping, treadmill, elliptical trainer, and brisk walking are all examples of cardiovascular exercise. Choose one that you like to do, so that you will stick with it.

Regular stretching is important so that your muscles will elongate properly when you bend, and to prevent injury to your joints.

Strengthening weak muscles is also important to prevent them from being overworked in your daily activities and becoming sore.

It might even improve your appearance as well, but remember - don’t overdo it. It’s the least important of the three types of exercise to your overall health.

4. Good Posture

This helps to decrease muscle tension as well as bolster your self-esteem. There are even courses you could take in the Alexander or Mitzvah technique to improve your posture. Core strengthening techniques such as Pilates would also be helpful.

5. Regular chiropractic treatment

A regular chiropractic treatment will relieve interference in the nervous system, thus preventing excess nervous system activity which can cause muscle tension. If you are experiencing joint pain, chiropractic treatment will reduce the pain, and therefore reduce a type of muscle tension called "splinting", where the muscles tighten up around a painful joint in order to keep that painful joint from moving and causing pain.

Find out what chiropractic treatments are available.

6. Nervous system relaxation techniques

Yoga and Tai Chi are good examples of techniques that relax the nervous system. As mentioned above, chiropractic treatment will also relieve interference in the nervous system, which will help it to relax. In yoga, the stretching exercises, deep breathing, and meditation all help to relax the nervous system and therefore relax the muscles.

7. Dress warmly in cold or windy weather

This is important both indoors and out.

8.Quit smoking

You’ll feel better, and enjoy your food more. Smoking is an addiction. Get help if you need to.

9. Take up a hobby or sport

It is important to occasionally do something that is a mental diversion, and takes your mind off your worries. Sports are an excellent hobby. Not only do you get some exercise, but it is a diversion, and helps to bolster your self-esteem as well. Find a sport or hobby that you really like to do.

10. Take time for friends or volunteer activities

Friends can act as a source of emotional support. Volunteer activities are good because you get a good feeling from helping someone else, and it helps to build your self-esteem.

11. Think positive

Try to be more positive than the most negative person you meet is negative.

12. Know your limitations

Avoid putting excessive demands on yourself. This includes physical demands, mental demands, and career demands.

13. Pass on the overtime

Try to occasionally pass on the overtime. If you can’t, then try to make up for it with time off later.

14. Don’t take life too seriously

You can’t be serious all the time. Try to laugh off your anger - rent a funny video, borrow a Bill Cosby CD from the library ("Why Is There Air?" is one of my favorites), or take in a show at Yuk-Yuk’s

Reducing your muscle tension is not an easy task. There are so many factors involved that to be truly successful, you would have to follow at least half of the fourteen recommendations above. Good luck!

"There’s a lot of different ways to stretch – both right and wrong ways. I was given a lot of exercises and different techniques that were effective. I’d first be shown the stretch, then helped into the right position. I always understood how and why it was working with careful explanations of what was happening with my body."

Paul Kwatyra – University student and Varsity team swimmer

"Even for non-athletes, taking preventative measure with your health is a good way to keep problems at bay BEFORE they appear.

As for athletes, when injuries occur you can spend a LOT of time away from your sport trying to get it fixed.

If you can do something AHEAD of time to prevent that injury or problem from occurring – and taking time away from you later – then proactive measures are definitely something you should look into."

Andrew Woegerer -- University student and Varsity team swimmer

"Every month I come in with something new hurting – mainly because I train a lot and tend to injure myself here and there. I practice a martial art called Aikido and we spend a lot of time learning how to fall down and sometimes I fall badly. So I’ve received treatment on my shoulders, arms, knees, ankles, hips and back. Because of this, I keep a regular schedule of maintenance treatments. I’d go every week if my insurance would pay for it!"

Rebekah Voege – Stay at home mother with 2 children

Contact me today

Nutrition For Athletes

One of the most controversial topics in every sport is what an athlete should eat in order to optimize performance and recovery. It goes without saying that different sports have different requirements.

The nutritional requirements are also different for each stage:

Training
Pre-competition
During competition
Recovery from training or competition

In order to thoroughly cover all these topics, I’ve divided the information into each of the topics listed above.
These topics are then sub-divided into three general sport types:

Those requiring near-maximal effort (above 75% Max) in bursts of a few seconds to one minute duration (typified by the sprinter in athletics).
Those requiring medium effort (60% - 75% Max) whose duration is one minute to 90 minutes (typified by the middle distance runner in athletics).
Those whose duration is greater than 90 minutes (40% to 60% Max), where endurance is the governing factor (typified by the marathon runner or triathlete).

I have purposely left out one group: those requiring maximal effort for only a few seconds (typified by the weight lifter). Their nutritional requirements are much different than the other three because they are geared more to the building of muscle mass.
For more information on the nutritional requirements of this type of sport, feel free to contact me today.

Nutrition Requirements during Training

Relative amounts of protein, carbohydrate and fat

Sprinter (25 meters to 400 meters, lasting 3 seconds to 1 minute)

In sprinting, the main energy source is the anaerobic metabolism of glucose (70 to 90% of energy), which is stored in the body as glycogen. A much smaller amount of energy comes from aerobic metabolism of fat (10 to 30%). Therefore, sprinters need a higher percentage of carbohydrates in their diet in order to ensure adequate glycogen stores.

Small amounts of fat are still required in order to meet their requirements for aerobic metabolism as well as the body’s requirement for essential fatty acids.
For sprinters, I recommend a diet where:
70% of calories come from carbohydrates
15% of calories come from protein
15% of calories come from fat

Since most people are not equipped to easily calculate percent calories in their diet, I have converted these percentages into a ratio of grams of carbohydrate to protein of 4.4:1 and a ratio of grams of fat to protein of 0.5 to 1. This way, you can check your intake by tallying totals from the number of grams listed in the nutritional labeling on your food packages.
For example:
A 73 kilogram(160 lb) male whose basic metabolic requirements are 3200 calories per day, would need to consume 550 grams of carbohydrate, 125 grams of protein, and 54 grams of fat per day just for the energy they need to go about their daily activities. Add to this the total of calories burned per day in training and competition, with protein, carbohydrate and fat divided out in the same ratios, to get the total requirements for the day.

The above recommendations for sprinters are quite different from that recommended in many sprinting texts, which often recommend the "Zone Diet" approach of 40% of calories from carbohydrate, 30% of calories from protein, and 30% of calories from fat. In these sprinting texts, it’s stated that the high protein levels are required in order to prevent the secretion of insulin which will drop the blood glucose levels.
However...
You can also prevent the secretion of insulin by following a low glycemic load diet. An excellent comprehensive table of glycemic index and glycemic load was published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2002 and is available at the following link: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/76/1/5

Important Note:
I have personally tried this high protein "Zone" diet and found it makes you very constipated due to the high protein level, which can eventually lead to problems such as diverticulitis and colon cancer. It also recommends an unhealthy high level of fat, which can eventually lead to high cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis.
The high level of protein combined with a low level of carbohydrates will also cause your glycogen stores to become depleted and lead to the formation of ketone bodies, which in turn lead to keto-acidosis, which has been known to cause race horses to die on the track. This is based on a high protein diet; however, the levels of carbohydrate in this diet are not high enough to efficiently convert dietary protein into muscle. As a result, some of the protein is wasted. It is also my opinion that the high levels of protein and fat clog the muscles, and this type of diet is the main reason that many top-level sprinters have to soak in a bath of ice water after every practice in order to keep their muscles from cramping.
I do not recommend the "40 – 30 – 30" ("Zone") diet to anyone under any circumstances whether they are a sprinter, middle distance runner, marathon runner or couch potato. Sprinters who have adequate carbohydrates in their diet, as in the ratios recommended above, do not need to carb load before competition. Those who follow fad diets like the Zone Diet, however, will need to carb load the week before a competition in order to ensure adequate carbohydrate stores for competition.

Middle Distance Runners (800 meters to half-marathon, lasting 2 minutes to 90 minutes)

In middle distance running, the main energy source is the aerobic metabolism of fat (50% to 98% of energy).
The longer the distance, the greater the contribution of aerobic metabolism.
A much smaller amount of energy comes from anaerobic metabolism of glucose (50% to 2%). The aerobic metabolism of fat also requires adequate glucose for maximum efficiency. Therefore, middle distance runners need slightly more fat and slightly less carbohydrates than sprinters.

I would recommend a diet where:
60% of calories come from carbohydrates
15% of calories come from protein
25% of calories come from fat

In this case, the ratio of grams of carbohydrate to protein is 4:1 and the ratio of grams of fat to protein of 0.75:1.
As an example, a 73 kilogram(160 lb) male middle distance runner whose basic metabolic requirements are 3200 calories per day, would have to consume 448 grams of carbohydrate, 112 grams of protein, and 84 grams of fat per day just for the energy they need to go about their daily activities.
You would then have to add to this the number of calories burned per day in training and competition, with protein, carbohydrate and fat divided out in the same ratios, to get their total requirements for the day.

This is a good general diet for any athlete whose competition lasts between 2 and 90 minutes, which encompasses the majority of sports.

It is also the diet recommended by the sports dietitian Tim Wierman in his article "Nutrition for Swimmers: Eat to Win" (Swimming Magazine 2007, Issue 4) and in his course "Eat to Compete: The Athlete’s Sports Nutrition Program". For competitions in the higher end of this range (greater than 1500 meters or longer than 4 minutes), carb loading for one to four days prior to the competition is recommended in order to avoid depletion of the glycogen stores during competition.

Marathon runner or triathlete (lasting more than 90 minutes)

In marathon running, the main energy source is almost exclusively aerobic metabolism of fat (98% to 99%). Only a small amount of energy comes from anaerobic metabolism of carbohydrates (1% to 2 %). The aerobic metabolism of fat also requires adequate glucose for maximum efficiency. Therefore, marathon runners need slightly more fat and slightly less carbohydrate than middle distance runners.

I would recommend a diet where:
55% of calories come from carbohydrates
15% of calories come from protein
30% of calories come from fat

In this case, the ratio of grams of carbohydrate to protein is 3.7:1 and the ratio of grams of fat to protein of 1: 1.

As an example, a 73 kilogram (160 lb) male marathon runner whose basic metabolic requirements are 3200 calories per day, would have to consume 377 grams of carbohydrate, 102 grams of protein, and 102 grams of fat per day just for the energy they need to go about their daily activities.

Then add to this the number of calories burned per day in training and competition, with protein, carbohydrate and fat divided out in the same ratios, to get their total requirements for the day.

In spite of the small percentage of their energy that comes from anaerobic metabolism of carbohydrates, marathon runners run the risk of depleting their glycogen stores due to the long duration of their training sessions and competitions.

Since the brain needs sugar as a source of energy, depleting your glycogen stores will cause you to become hypoglycemic and your brain will become foggy. Marathon runners in this condition have been known to lose their sense of direction and eventually pass out. For this reason you must carb load while tapering your training during the seven days before a competition, and ingest carbohydrates during the long training sessions and competitions.

Summary

According to Tim Wierman (Nutrition for Swimmers: Eat to Win) the average swimmer ‘s diet consists of 46% carbohydrates, 38% fat, and 16% protein, which is too little carbohydrate and too much fat. This inadequate intake of carbohydrates will leave them short of energy when they compete.

Some young athletes will do the opposite and give up all fats because they think they only need carbohydrates. Then they eat more carbohydrates than they need, and since any calories not utilized by the body are converted to fat and stored, they gain weight.

You can look up the "Nutrition Facts" label for any food (even the ones that don’t come with a nutrition label such as oranges or bananas) at NutritionData.com, which you can access using the following link: http://www.nutritiondata.com

"Maintenance Number" Definition

The "Maintenance Number" is the number of calories an athlete needs to maintain their energy level throughout the day.
For males - it is body weight (in pounds) times 15 (lb x 15) plus the training.
For females - it is body weight (in pounds) times 13 (lb x 13) plus the training.

This will give you a good estimate of the number of calories you need to consume on a daily basis in order to maintain your weight without gaining or losing. The Training needs will depend on the sport in which you compete and even the individual event in your sport.

Example:
If you’re a swimmer the number of calories burned per hour depends on which stroke you are doing.

With any sport where you break out into a sweat, you will likely burn 300 to 700 calories per hour, depending on your weight and the level of intensity.
Every athlete should calculate their "Maintenance Number" and ensure that they are consuming adequate calories in order to maintain their present body weight and have enough energy to get through their daily activities and training. There is an excellent "calories burned calculator" at Never Say Diet.com.

You can access it at this link: http://www.neversaydiet.com/tools/calories-burned-calculator

Pre-competition Nutrition Requirements

For the pre-competition meal, we will be considering the last meal that is at least 3-4 hours immediately preceding the competition. This includes breakfast for a late morning or early afternoon competition, lunch for a late afternoon or early evening competition, and supper for a late evening or early morning competition.

The reason this meal should be eaten at least 3 – 4 hours before competition is that you want to go into competition with your fuel tank full but your stomach empty. You want your blood flow to be going to the muscles not the gut. Snack and hydration in the hour or two preceding the competition (which includes breakfast for an early-morning competition) will be covered in the section on competition/game day.

First of all, it is important to remember what you eat throughout the week preceding the event is important to ensure adequate energy stores when you start your competition.

You need to consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates, calories, proteins and fats all week long -- in the ratios mentioned above-- for the type of sport you participate in.

You can’t eat garbage all week long and then eat a stack of pancakes on Saturday morning and be set for a Saturday afternoon competition. Your body doesn’t replenish its stores of carbohydrates that fast. What your body is using on Saturday is dependent on what you put in it the week before.

One good pre-competition meal is not going to make you, but one bad pre-competition meal can break you. For the last meal (pre-competition), it is important to avoid unfamiliar foods. You don’t want to find out the hard way that "suicidal chicken wings" brings on diarrhea while you’re competing. The resultant loss of minerals, fluids, as well as concentration could be disastrous!

Similarly, for a marathon runner or triathlete, a steak the night before a race is too hard to digest and you will be sicker than a dog during the race. (I’ve seen this happen to an inexperienced competitor in the Iron Man.)

Guidelines for Pre-Competition Meal:
400 – 600 Calories
60% - 70% Carbohydrates = 68 - 103 grams
15% – 20% Protein = 15 - 23 grams
15% Fat = 7 grams

This is pretty close to what I recommend above for a sprinter’s diet.
In this case, the ratio of grams of carbohydrate to protein is 4.4:1 and the ratio of grams of fat to protein of 0.5: 1.

The carbohydrates should be low glycemic index (glycemic index less than 55, and glycemic load less than 10) such as pasta or cooked pearl barley, fresh fruits and berries (apples, oranges, peaches, pears, strawberries), dried fruits (apricots), cooked vegetables (vegetable soup), and salad.

Avoid: short grain rice, rice crackers, puffed rice cakes, potatoes (esp. mashed or baked) or potato chips, twinkies, jelly beans, corn flakes, raisins, watermelon and white bread. Chocolate, in small quantities is permitted, as are nuts in small quantities (peanuts, almonds).

The proteins should be in an easily-digestible form such as low-fat milk or yogurt (including fruit yogurt).
The fat should be unsaturated, such as a small serving of peanuts (14 peanuts = 7 grams of fat).

You can look up the "Glycemic Index" and "Glycemic Load" for any food at the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition web site, which you can access using the following link: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/76/1/5/T1

Competition / Game Day

This section includes snack and hydration at two hours prior and one hour prior to the competition (which includes breakfast for an early-morning competition) as well as nutrition during the competition, and in between heats or at intermission in a game. Two hours prior to the competition:

If you’re not competing in another event at this time, you should be consuming 200 to 400 calories, two hours prior to the competition.
This should be made up of half the carbohydrates, protein and fat of the pre-competition meal.

Approximate Servings:
40 to 50 grams of carbohydrates
9 to 11 grams of protein
3.5 grams of fat

Any food consumed at this time should be light, easy to digest, and low glycemic index (see pre-competition meal, above).
A half serving of pasta, pearl barley, long grain rice or oatmeal as tolerated. Oatmeal must be cooked and not "instant oatmeal". No bread, crackers, or meat – they are too hard to digest this close to the competition.

One hour prior to the competition:
If you’re not competing in another event at this time, you should consume 100 to 200 calories, one hour prior to the competition.
Fruits, berries, and vegetables only. These are easy to digest -- have high moisture content -- and are high in vitamins and minerals – the spark plugs you need to utilize your energy stores.

Half hour prior to the competition:
Don’t eat anything, and drink only water (sips, not gulps to prevent bloating) for the 30 minutes prior to the competition.

During the competition:
Drink only water during the competition. If the competition runs longer than 60 minutes, sip on a sports drink after 60 minutes.

Between heats or at intermission in a game:
Drink a thin recovery drink or smoothie (with ¼ to ½ the protein of milk – eg. Accelerade, either full strength or diluted by half, or Gatorade with a little whey powder added), or nibble on a sports bar with a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein (eg. a Clif Bar or Power Bar Sport), for light recovery between heats or at the intermission in a game.

Recovery Requirements (Post-Training and Post-competition)

At the end of a game or competition day you want to be a little more aggressive in your recovery nutrition than you would be between heats or at the intermission in a game. The best recovery foods have a carbohydrate to protein ratio of 4:1, are low in fat (fat to protein ratio of 0.1:1), very low in fiber (or no fiber), high in antioxidant vitamins (especially vitamins C and E), and minerals (especially magnesium). The three best grocery-store foods for this are low-fat chocolate milk (universally available, but not the most nutritious), liquid yogurt drink (such as "Yop") and Fruit Flavoured "Boost" meal replacer.

Another good choice is instant noodles (eg. Campbell’s Chicken Flavour Hearty Noodles – the other brands are way too high in fat) combined with either fruit or berries, as the noodles are high in carbohydrates but low in sugar.

A sports bar with a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein (eg. a Clif Bar or Power Bar Sport) is also a good choice where shelf stability and light weight are important. Another choice is a proprietary sports recovery drink powder, such as Endurox R4. You could also make your own recovery "smoothie" by blending milk, or yogurt together with fruits and/or berries. Blueberries, for instance, are particularly high in antioxidants. High glycemic index is acceptable in a recovery drink as quick replenishment of carbohydrate stores is very important post-exercise.

Contact Dr Millar today for more information

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Patient Reviews:

"After looking over the nutritional advice I was given, I changed my diet immediately.
As a runner, you don’t want to limit yourself. Knowing when to eat – what to eat – what NOT to eat – has definitely given me an added advantage and benefited my performance."

Magda Badura – Marathon runner

"If you have any questions about nutrition, or how to train properly – you’re always given great advice. You trust it works because he’s tried it himself."
I’ve learnt how to eat properly – what foods to eat for a competition and what not to eat."

Paul Kwatyra – University student and Varsity team swimmer