High Sodium Health Consequences

By Hammer Nutrition (www.hammernutrition.com)

Not only are high sodium diets bad for your health, but those who consume high amounts of sodium in their diet are guaranteed greater sodium loss rates and require greater sodium intakes during exercise. Sodium, as you probably know, drives thirst, and thirst drives drinking until excess results… definitely not a performance-enhancing scenario. Over the course of several years, we’ve repeatedly observed the following characteristics in endurance athletes who reported symptoms of severe sodium imbalance during or immediately following races/workouts:

• Dietary sodium intake above 6000mg/day.
• Fluid consumption in excess of 30oz/hr (approx 890 ml/hr).
• Food consumption in excess of 300cal/hr.
• Failure to acclimatize to hyperthermic (hot weather) conditions, including at
least one workout of 60% or greater of the event distance.

You can diminish performance inhibiting problems of excess sodium consumption by:

• Reducing your dietary intake of sodium to an upper limit of 2300 mg/day. This
not only aids performance, it’s a substantially healthier dietary procedure. Dr. Bill Misner writes, “Limiting sodium is recommended since research supports that chronic consumption of more than 2300 milligrams per day may contribute to congestive heart failure (CHF), hypertension, muscle stiffness, edema, irritability, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), liver disorders, ulcers, and cataracts.”

• Limit your fluid intake during exercise to 20-25 oz/hr (590-740 ml/hr). Refer to the article “Hydration - What you need to know” for more information on this topic.

• Consume an appropriate amount of calories during exercise. For most athletes this is an intake of 240-280/hour. Refer to the article “Proper Caloric Intake During
Endurance Exercise” for more information on this topic.

• Train two to three weeks in the same heat or humidity as the event

Bottom line: Salty foods and/or salt tablets will not cut it when it comes to electrolyte replenishment. Instead, adopt a low-sodium approach that emphasizes a balance of essential minerals that cooperatively enhance the body’s natural hormone and enzyme actions. You want a product that will provide comprehensive electrolyte support without compromising internal regulation.

For more information on proper fueling, you can go to www.hammernutrition.com and search for the The Endurance Athlete's GUIDE to SUCCESS.

Nutrition 101

Daily vs. Race Nutrition
By Lisa Sandusky M.S., L.M.T.

The amount of information on nutrition can be quite overwhelming so I am going to stick to what feel are the most important yet commonly overlooked principles. Some of this may seem simple and even obvious but when it comes time to put them to work these principles often get left behind while we are out searching for some other “magic bullet”. The last nutrition seminar I attended the Dr. summed up the entire day with 5 words….. “Eat Whole Food Some Fish”. While I will go into more detail than that, daily nutrition can really be that simple if we let it. Race nutrition can be a bit more complicated since it is highly individual. However, there are some things that will be the same across the board and those are the concepts I will go over in more detail.

Daily Nutrition Guidelines

Do NOT skip breakfast. I know….you are thinking “duh?” but listen to why. When you skip breakfast is causes a large cortisol release. Cortisol can be a destructive stress hormone which suppresses recovery and immune function by breaking down muscle tissue back into an amino acidic state. This is the exact opposite of the anabolic muscle building state you want to be, not in the catabolic breaking down state. (by the way…inadequate sleep does the same thing).

Avoid being too full or too hungry. By spacing meals throughout the day you will deter drastic peaks in blood sugar and in turn keep insulin release moderate. Also, chew your food! We are in such a culture where it’s possible to eat a meal and be so busy we didn’t chew or taste anything. Don’t make your body do what your teeth should have done. This allows for less nutrient absorption and an unsatisfied appetite so then what do you do……?? You eat more! Chew, chew, chew!

Protein

The big question here is always “how much?” The most accurate way to figure this out is if you know you % body fat. Athletes need .65-.85g per pound of lean body mass. To calculate multiply your weight x your % body fat then subtract that from the total weight, which is your lean body mass. Then take your lean body mass x .65 and .85 to get your range. Keep in mind your body can not absorb more than about 30g at a time so it’s best to have a little protein with every meal.

Example: Someone who weighs 180lb with 15% body fat; 180 x .15=27lbs; 180-27lbs= 153lbs of lean body mass; 153x.65=99.45; 153x.85=130.05 His protein intake range would be 99-130g per day

Protein sources- in order of bio-availability or the
order in which you body breaks them down into a more useable state:
*egg albumin protein (egg whites)
*whey protein isolate (bars, powders, mixes)
*lean meats, chicken, fish, milk
*soy based proteins
*Of course it’s always best to get your protein from a variety of sources.

Carbs

Complex carbs always trump simple sugars. The problem with simple sugars (check labels for sucrose & fructose) is the blood sugar spike that happens followed by a crash that in some studies show can sink to below fasting levels. Complex carbs (maltodextrin) are better able to pass through the stomach at higher concentrations, thereby delivering the maximum amount of calories without causing extreme blood sugar spikes. There is a saying that eating simple sugars is like trying to heat your house with a few newspapers on the stove while eating complex carbs is equivalent to putting a big log in the fire- it will last longer and burn more consistently. Some favorites of mine are brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and oatmeal.

Fats

Fat usually gets a bad rap because the saturated fats are too complex to be broken down and our body chooses to store them. But the poor neglected “good fats” serve a big purpose. The unsaturated (liquid at room temperature) fats balance meals, help with immune function and regulate anabolic processes that allow you to recover more efficiently. Canola, extra virgin olive oil, avocado, flaxseed can be very beneficial and even negate some of the ill effects of the “bad” fats. Omegas 3’s have many benefits, one of which is its anti-inflammatory effects. This can come in handy with all that pounding we put our body through. A couple great sources if Omega 3’s are fish oil capsules and walnuts.

Race Nutrition

Most will complete an Olympic distance event somewhere between 1:55-3:50hrs. Two hours has been proven to be the point where most will be affected by performance-affecting low blood sugar….or when you “hit the wall”. Much will depend on how much over that magic 2hr. time frame you will be out there. During the race a drink containing complex carbs is preferential. Most people will need around 20-24oz of fluid per hour while the maximum amount of calories most can absorb while racing is about 280kcal per hour after the first hour. After about 2 hrs of racing it is advisable to include a protein source as your body will start to need it as fuel at that point. If you do not ingest it your body will take it anyway……from guess
where…your own muscle tissue. So it’s best to give it what it wants by ingesting some protein at about the 1.5-2hr mark by either amino acid tablets or as part of your premixed fuel drink. It should be in a ration of 4:1 carbs to protein. After the race you will need to get in about 30g of protein and a sports drink within 30min to aid in your recovery. Lastly, the crucial thing about race nutrition is timing & practice. Many races have gone in the tank due to lack of nutrition preparation. Use your long rides and bricks to practice what you plan to do.

If you only remember one thing about daily nutrition remember the 5 words- Eat Whole Food Some Fish. (Whole foods being those that our ancestors would recognize and that God created for us). Not sure they would recognize a pop tart! Keep it simple and try not to overcomplicate things and above all have fun!!

Team Update 1-27-09

Please send me your USAT numbers asap so that I can get our club registered with USAT.

Our uniform pick-up date is tentatively schedule for Friday, March 13 around 6:30 p.m. at the YFC. The plan is to set-up the bouncy house for the kids, so that they have something to do while we get uniforms sorted out and a team picture taken. I'll firm up the details as we get closer to time, but please go ahead and mark the day on your calendar. If you still want a dry wick t-shirt, let me know as soon as you can.

Lisa's Olympic distance triathlon training program informational meeting is scheduled for tomorrow night, Wed, Jan 28, at 6:00 p.m. I believe the meeting will be held in the portable. However, it looks like it's going to be a great night, if that's the case, then plan on meeting at the picnic tables outside at Bob Sierra. Just an FYI, this is an INFORMATIONAL meeting, you will NOT be meeting each Wed to train. Even though this is an Olympic distance plan geared towards the intermediate level, BEGINNERS are encouraged to come. Lisa will explain how to adjust the program in order to fit your needs.

Jeff Feldman (5:30 a.m. Tues/Thur Master Swim Coach), will be taking charge of the Masters Swim Program. He would like to put together a swimmer email list (like we do for group fitness) to keep everyone updated on swim related issues, pool schedules, competitions, etc. If you would like to be included on this email list, let me know. Also, please pass the word along to those you know that "just swim" and wouldn't be on this email list. You can also email Jeff directly at Jeff.Feldman@tampaymca.org. He is also starting a 10:30 a.m. Saturday Master Swim. He is very excited about growing adult swimming at our facility and is open to all kinds of suggestions and input, so now is your chance to let him know what you want. He has offered to do some clinics for our group, just let me know when/if you are interested. If you are interested, day/time suggestions are welcomed. For those of you that don't know who Jeff is, here is a mini bio, that I asked him to write . . .

I began swimming at age nine for Carrollwood Village Swim Team. At 13 years old my body finally stopped growing at 6’5. It was also the age I started to notice significant improvements in my times. At 14, I went to the Junior Olympics. At 15, I qualified for the Junior Nationals. I was now swimming with the big boys. Age 17 took me to the Senior Nationals where I swam against a 40 year old Mark Spitz, who at that time was going for the 88 games in Seoul. I didn’t even know until race was over that I was swimming with my childhood hero. At 18, I graduated high school with two state titles under my belt which gained me a scholarship to FSU, where I swam with some really fast, talented people. Attended the NCAA’s in Buffalo New York, which is really the most competitive meet in the world. My next logical step was the 92 Olympics in Barcelona, but I missed Trials by .004 seconds. I stopped swimming at FSU after only two years. The 96 Olympics seemed just too far away. I do not wish to leave this bio on a down note, so after swimming, I joined the FSU Theater School and traded the blocks for the stage. But that is another story…

Will Schaefer will be taking a couple of new riders out on Saturday morning around 7am (basically day break) for 20 miles meeting at the Lutz Lake Fern Trailhead. The goal is to teach basic bike etiquette and safety so that you can ride safely and comfortably in a group. If interested in participating in this, please email Will directly at wschaefer@oti-solutions.com.

USA Cycling certified coach, Mike Ruiz (and Spin instructor), will be leading a ride from the Suncoast trailhead on Lutz Lake Fern at 8am on Sat, Feb 21. This is a GREAT opportunity for some free cycling coaching from a great instructor. For more information, contact Mike at mike.g.ruiz@bankofamerica.com.

Bo will be riding on Sunday at 8am from the SR54 and Suncoast Trail for about 30 miles. If interested in joining him, you can email Bo at bo22244@aol.com.

As always, it's an open invitation to whomever would like to join our Wed 9am ride in San Antonio. Our normal group is Tracy Parker, Lisa Sandusky, Kevin Miller, Tom Paggio, Paula McCarron and myself. Just let me know if you would like to be added to the Wed ride email.

If you currently have a pretty steady ride day and time and would like to invite others to join your group, let me know your approximate pace and I will be happy to pass it on.

One of our new Spinning instructors, Phillip Newman, is a veteran triathlete (all distances), certified tri coach and masters swim coach at Northwest. We have talked about possibly doing some brick workouts or run groups in either the EARLY morning or mid-morning time slot. Let me know if there is any interest here and if so, when? Phillip will be teaching on Wednesday mornings and every other Friday night. Click here for an updated tri training schedule.

For those of you that are leery about swimming in the open water, or just want a little extra practice, Bill Floyd's open water swim sessions will start on Wed, March 11 at 5:30 p.m. at the Courtney Campbell Causeway. For more information, you can email Bill directly at BFloydPres@aol.com . If you know of other open water swim opportunities, let me know and I will be happy to pass it on to the group.

Discount at Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium! Brian is going to give us the below discount at CBE, however, you need to be listed on our tri club roster in order to get the discount. If you are not sure if you are on the roster, then just email me your phone number and USAT number and I will make sure you are on the list. FYI - you will still get the discount, even if you are not a USAT member, but I do need your phone number.

The Tri Team will receive a 5% discount on bikes, 10% discount on accessories, and we will have several events throughout the year when Members can receive deeper discounts. I'll send notifications regularly.

The Tri Team can also "double up" on sale items. So if we have something on sale at 10% off, the Tri Team gets it for 20% off.

Shari Palasti asked me to pass the below information on to you about a nationally recognized speaker that will be in town. Linda Chae will speak on Wednesday evening at 7 at the Carrollwood Cultural Center and Thursday afternoon at Abby’s Health and Nutrition store at 1. Both events are free, and reservations are suggested to ensure a seat. For more information, contact Shari at spalasti@tmdtampa.com.

We don't have to look too far for inspiration! One of our new Y and tri team members, Ronnie Dickson, has an incredible story to share. If interested in reading more, please check out the below links . . .

http://lisasleisuretime.theledger.com/default.asp?item=2244623
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/08/Sports/Abandoning_the_path_o.shtml

Is anyone doing Chilly Willy on Feb 8? Right now, I have Bill Ayers and Tracy Parker listed. Let me know if anyone else will be racing it. Also, is anyone doing the Zephyrhills Sprint or the Miami Olympic on March 15?

Don't forget to register for Muddy Buddy. The race is on Saturday, May 9 at the Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney. Register soon, because it does sell out - http://www.muddybuddy.com/. This is who I have racing so far . . . let me know if I'm missing you . . .

Pete & Jill Martino - Team Exfoliating
Dayna Davidson & Gabby - Team Stupid
Ken and Linda
Linda & Jason Odom
Katie & Kevin Miller - Team Muddy Millers
Amy Hewitt & Candie Jensen
Bill & Leslie O'Neill - Team Honey
Lisa & Jack Thurber

Lastly, Sports Authority is offering their Nike Promo this weekend in conjunction with Gasparilla. If you spend $75 on Nike this Saturday, Jan 31, you get a free entry into the Gasparilla 5k or 15k.

I think that's it for now. Please send me your USAT number before you forget. THANK YOU!