03/25/11
Functional Sports Nutrition – An Introduction
While sports coaches and personal trainers of repute have been using functional training as a basis for all their clients' programs, it’s unlikely that you'll have seen the words functional, sports and nutrition grouped together before.
(Original article by Ian Craig, exercise physiologist and nutrition therapist. Adapted, with permission, by ironguides Coach Jono Rumbelow for triathletes)
(Original article by Ian Craig, exercise physiologist and nutrition therapist. Adapted, with permission, by ironguides Coach Jono Rumbelow for triathletes)
Category: Training
Posted by: editor
It’s a new concept arising from the integration of a number of different disciplines. Functional Nutrition involves the field of Nutritional Therapy, Clinical Nutrition, Nutritional Medicine, Functional Medicine, or whatever term you use for it, and is focused on integrative health.
The prevailing theory for sports nutrition is the dietetic model which analyses the nutritional adequacy of an athlete’s diet based on training demands. It assesses the quantity and balance of nutrients consumed, with the aim of striving toward optimum sports performance. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) position statement provides a good understanding of this approach.
There are 3 levels of dietary support:
a. Functional Nutrition for Health
b. Performance Nutrition
c. Supplements.
Many athletes tend to jump straight into supplements, enquiring about ergogenic aids that may assist their athletic performance, rather than starting at the beginning. The all-too familiar questions they pose to either a nutritional practitioner or their coach are things like ‘How much creatine do I need to run faster?’ or ‘Will ZMA speed my recovery?’
Performance Nutrition is where individual differences are considered, i.e. the adequate number of calories required for the athlete’s sporting endeavour, the appropriate ratios between protein, fat and carbohydrates, timing of food and drinks before, during and after exercise, and sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals.
But it is the Functional Nutrition for Health, as explained by the Institute of Functional Medicine in the United States, that most athletes get wrong. IFM, founded in 1990 by Dr Jeffrey Bland, is trying to educate people about ‘integrative medicine’, a concept that is like a spider web. If one area of your health is imbalanced, the web is damaged and chances are that other areas are affected too.
For example, it is recognised that an important function of the gastrointestinal tract is innate immunity so depletion of friendly bacteria can imbalance systemic immunity, leading to inflammation in the joints, skin irritation and even mood and behavioural changes.
Although we may be inclined to place elite athletes on a pedestal of invincibility, world-class competitors and weekend-warriors alike are human and will require attention to the regulation of body systems like immunity, digestion, blood sugar control and adrenal health. Elite athletes face added stresses that are unique to their sport.
For example, elite road cyclists may spend 4-6 hours per day on their bike. It is unlikely that they can eat enough to balance the needs of their body day after day, so the adrenal glands may be heavily relied upon to support blood sugar levels. Regular ‘withdrawals’ from the body’s bank account on a long-term basis may result in overtraining, exhaustion, hypoglycaemia and performance decrements.
An example of the importance of establishing functional health before considering performance nutrition is demonstrated by research showing that gastrointestinal problems were experienced by up to 65% of long distance runners.
Within the Functional Sports Nutrition (FSN) concept, sports people are recognised as individuals. Roger Williams coined the term ‘Biochemical Individuality’ in 1956. He recognised physiological variations among people and how these related to individual responses to the environment and unique nutritional needs. Individual differences have also been recognised in the sports nutrition field.
Paul Greenhaff, one of the original researchers into creatine supplementation, has said: “It has been suggested by some researchers, that the same supplement can produce favourable results in some individuals, neutral effects in others and occasionally detrimental effects in some”.
In sports and nutrition, many companies have done double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in order for their results to have a high level of credibility – the trouble is that in order to check if a nutrient has a certain effect on the body, a very specific research question must be asked. For example, does Vitamin C supplementation induce power increases in a 30-second cycle test?
The human body, though, is a non-linear, higher-order, integrated system where the effect of one nutrient will depend on the activities of many other nutrients and systems in the body as the IFM web shows. Problem is that scientists have been debating the question of what causes fatigue in the body for years. Once that has been answered, nutritional companies will have a whole lot of work to do
When assessing an athlete, a nutritionist should be considering all the body systems in a functional way. Of particular interest in will be the following areas:
• Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Support
• Inflammation
• Acid-Alkaline Balance
• Energy Pathways
Energy Pathways
Most nutritionists (and coaches for that matter) learn about the energy pathways in the body – the breakdown of glucose or glycogen by glycolysis; lactic acid production in an anaerobic environment; use of the Krebs cycle in an aerobic environment and oxidative phosphorylation to produce ATP, the chemical form of energy.
What is generally not taught or written in text books, is the reliance of these pathways on enzyme cofactors (vitamins and minerals that make the conversions possible). For example, glycolysis and the Krebs cycle rely on B-vitamins, lipoic acid and the minerals iron, magnesium and manganese. Oxidative phosphorylation additionally needs Coenzyme Q10, while fat metabolism has a requirement for l-carnitine.
So, when athletes display signs of fatigue or overtraining, it is vital that vitamin and mineral supplementation is looked at. However, thinking in an integrated way, it is important to note that these nutrients may be fractioned off to a system or pathway with more immediate needs. For example, the adrenal glands, which come under pressure during heavy training or life stresses, are reliant on B-vitamins and magnesium. Additionally, detoxification pathways are reliant on certain B-vitamins. In short, the issues surrounding nutrition are complex.
Where to from here?
Based on your needs as an athlete and your history, physical examination and possibly laboratory testing, a nutritional practitioner will set dietary recommendations. Food choices will be based on functional needs such as: digestive and detoxification, allergies and intolerances, inflammation, stress and overtraining and the social-cultural position of the athlete. In addition, performance nutrition requires adequate quantity of food for the training loads of the athlete, while also recognising individual differences in needs. Metabolic Typing is one such model that recognises varying metabolic requirements.
Most athletes will benefit from some nutritional supplements. Obvious choices might include a comprehensive multi-nutrient and antioxidant – the exact formula can be guided by the athlete’s history and test results if taken. Other possible supplements may include support for: digestion, detoxification, adrenal and sex hormones, immunity, inflammation and blood sugar. In addition, all athletes are advised to make appropriate use of sports and recovery drinks and may benefit from educated use of ergogenic aids (supplements that are purported to aid performance).
Functional Sports Nutrition is simply a concept that a suitably qualified and experienced nutritional practitioners are free to adopt. As a coach, it is vital that those athletes who want to climb the performance ladder go this route. If you are that athlete, try it and and see how your training and racing is affected.
The prevailing theory for sports nutrition is the dietetic model which analyses the nutritional adequacy of an athlete’s diet based on training demands. It assesses the quantity and balance of nutrients consumed, with the aim of striving toward optimum sports performance. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) position statement provides a good understanding of this approach.
There are 3 levels of dietary support:
a. Functional Nutrition for Health
b. Performance Nutrition
c. Supplements.
Many athletes tend to jump straight into supplements, enquiring about ergogenic aids that may assist their athletic performance, rather than starting at the beginning. The all-too familiar questions they pose to either a nutritional practitioner or their coach are things like ‘How much creatine do I need to run faster?’ or ‘Will ZMA speed my recovery?’
Performance Nutrition is where individual differences are considered, i.e. the adequate number of calories required for the athlete’s sporting endeavour, the appropriate ratios between protein, fat and carbohydrates, timing of food and drinks before, during and after exercise, and sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals.
But it is the Functional Nutrition for Health, as explained by the Institute of Functional Medicine in the United States, that most athletes get wrong. IFM, founded in 1990 by Dr Jeffrey Bland, is trying to educate people about ‘integrative medicine’, a concept that is like a spider web. If one area of your health is imbalanced, the web is damaged and chances are that other areas are affected too.
For example, it is recognised that an important function of the gastrointestinal tract is innate immunity so depletion of friendly bacteria can imbalance systemic immunity, leading to inflammation in the joints, skin irritation and even mood and behavioural changes.
Although we may be inclined to place elite athletes on a pedestal of invincibility, world-class competitors and weekend-warriors alike are human and will require attention to the regulation of body systems like immunity, digestion, blood sugar control and adrenal health. Elite athletes face added stresses that are unique to their sport.
For example, elite road cyclists may spend 4-6 hours per day on their bike. It is unlikely that they can eat enough to balance the needs of their body day after day, so the adrenal glands may be heavily relied upon to support blood sugar levels. Regular ‘withdrawals’ from the body’s bank account on a long-term basis may result in overtraining, exhaustion, hypoglycaemia and performance decrements.
An example of the importance of establishing functional health before considering performance nutrition is demonstrated by research showing that gastrointestinal problems were experienced by up to 65% of long distance runners.
Within the Functional Sports Nutrition (FSN) concept, sports people are recognised as individuals. Roger Williams coined the term ‘Biochemical Individuality’ in 1956. He recognised physiological variations among people and how these related to individual responses to the environment and unique nutritional needs. Individual differences have also been recognised in the sports nutrition field.
Paul Greenhaff, one of the original researchers into creatine supplementation, has said: “It has been suggested by some researchers, that the same supplement can produce favourable results in some individuals, neutral effects in others and occasionally detrimental effects in some”.
In sports and nutrition, many companies have done double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in order for their results to have a high level of credibility – the trouble is that in order to check if a nutrient has a certain effect on the body, a very specific research question must be asked. For example, does Vitamin C supplementation induce power increases in a 30-second cycle test?
The human body, though, is a non-linear, higher-order, integrated system where the effect of one nutrient will depend on the activities of many other nutrients and systems in the body as the IFM web shows. Problem is that scientists have been debating the question of what causes fatigue in the body for years. Once that has been answered, nutritional companies will have a whole lot of work to do
When assessing an athlete, a nutritionist should be considering all the body systems in a functional way. Of particular interest in will be the following areas:
• Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Support
• Inflammation
• Acid-Alkaline Balance
• Energy Pathways
Energy Pathways
Most nutritionists (and coaches for that matter) learn about the energy pathways in the body – the breakdown of glucose or glycogen by glycolysis; lactic acid production in an anaerobic environment; use of the Krebs cycle in an aerobic environment and oxidative phosphorylation to produce ATP, the chemical form of energy.
What is generally not taught or written in text books, is the reliance of these pathways on enzyme cofactors (vitamins and minerals that make the conversions possible). For example, glycolysis and the Krebs cycle rely on B-vitamins, lipoic acid and the minerals iron, magnesium and manganese. Oxidative phosphorylation additionally needs Coenzyme Q10, while fat metabolism has a requirement for l-carnitine.
So, when athletes display signs of fatigue or overtraining, it is vital that vitamin and mineral supplementation is looked at. However, thinking in an integrated way, it is important to note that these nutrients may be fractioned off to a system or pathway with more immediate needs. For example, the adrenal glands, which come under pressure during heavy training or life stresses, are reliant on B-vitamins and magnesium. Additionally, detoxification pathways are reliant on certain B-vitamins. In short, the issues surrounding nutrition are complex.
Where to from here?
Based on your needs as an athlete and your history, physical examination and possibly laboratory testing, a nutritional practitioner will set dietary recommendations. Food choices will be based on functional needs such as: digestive and detoxification, allergies and intolerances, inflammation, stress and overtraining and the social-cultural position of the athlete. In addition, performance nutrition requires adequate quantity of food for the training loads of the athlete, while also recognising individual differences in needs. Metabolic Typing is one such model that recognises varying metabolic requirements.
Most athletes will benefit from some nutritional supplements. Obvious choices might include a comprehensive multi-nutrient and antioxidant – the exact formula can be guided by the athlete’s history and test results if taken. Other possible supplements may include support for: digestion, detoxification, adrenal and sex hormones, immunity, inflammation and blood sugar. In addition, all athletes are advised to make appropriate use of sports and recovery drinks and may benefit from educated use of ergogenic aids (supplements that are purported to aid performance).
Functional Sports Nutrition is simply a concept that a suitably qualified and experienced nutritional practitioners are free to adopt. As a coach, it is vital that those athletes who want to climb the performance ladder go this route. If you are that athlete, try it and and see how your training and racing is affected.