|
Sure, we all know about the usual dietary suspects, like fried this and high-cholesterol
that. They’re easy to spot: If it tastes good, spit it out. But under certain conditions,
some otherwise healthy things can mess up your athletic performance, too.
- Fruit Juice/Smoothie Mania
There’s a reason juice used to be served in small glasses. Fruit-juice drinks—whether
plain ol’ O.J. or trendy smoothies sold in fancy earth-tone parlors—contain highly
concentrated simple sugar, which may cause big swings in energy levels. Immediately
afterward, you’re raring to go. But once you come down from that sugar high, you crash
and burn. Solution: Treat smoothies as a dessert, not a meal. And cut fruit juice with
mineral water.
- Nuts to Exercise
Like to fuel your workout with huge handfuls of trail mix packed with cashews, almonds or
peanuts? Could be a mistake (unless it’s a low-intensity activity like hiking). Nuts are
a good source of protein, but protein’s a negligible source of fuel during exercise. (Why
do you think elephants don’t do well in 10K’s?) Worse, nuts just sit in your gut and may
make you feel queasy. Same goes for any other high-protein source consumed while working
out.
- The Energy-Food Diet
It’s tempting to rely on energy bars (plus gels and drinks) for much of your diet.
Nowadays, lots of bars actually taste like real food—as opposed to some early
sawdust-and-glue versions—and they’re so darn convenient. You can get carbs, protein, fat,
even vitamins and minerals, all in one cute little mylar package. Late for work? Gobble a
bar for breakfast. Want to sweat at lunch? Inhale a gel and sports drink while exercising,
then eat a bar afterward at your desk. Afternoon munchies? Hmm—how about that new
cookies-and-cream-pecan-carrot-cake bar? Trouble is, for optimum health you need a
balanced diet of natural food. Energy foods are great supplements, but don’t forget those
veggies and dairy products and starches and....
- Water, Water Everywhere
“I don’t need no stinkin’ neon-colored, $1.79-a-bottle energy drinks—nothin’ wrong with
good old-fashioned free water." Actually there is, if you’re drinking nothing else during
a long endurance event in high humidity. Your body needs to replace electrolytes lost
through sweat. A sports drink will do just that, but water alone won’t. And unlike water,
energy drinks also supply carbohydrates to keep you going. What’s more, a water-only
regimen can lead to bloating, cramping, and low blood-sodium levels (a nasty condition
known hyponatremia). On those long, hot workouts, bring water and an energy drink.
- Fructose While Working Out
A big juicy orange during your run or ride sounds great, but you may regret it. Fruit is
loaded with fructose, which takes a long time to digest. It can cause gastro-intestinal
distress, gas, cramps, bloating, and the heartbreak of psoriasis. (Okay, we made that
last one up, but the others may be all too real.) You’d be better off powering your
workouts with other forms of sugar such as sucrose or glucose. Look for an energy drink
with these ingredients and no more than a small amount of fructose for taste; fructose
shouldn’t be the first ingredient listed.
|
