Nutrition in the Off Season: "Less" not "Different"
By Catherine Kruppa, MS, RD, LD

One of the great pleasures of being an endurance athlete is that most people find that exercising allows them to eat just about what they want. But what happens after your racing season is over and your weekly mileage decreases significantly? Many athletes find that they put on a few unwanted pounds that they have to work hard to get rid of before the next racing season. To be a successful athlete season after season, your nutrition during the off season is an aspect of training that should not be forgotten.

Your diet at this time of year should not be different; it should just be less. The bottom line is that you are just not burning as many calories as you were during your heavy training season. Estimating your daily calorie needs can help you to better understand your energy needs during decreased training. Use this method to estimate the range of calories you need daily.

Less active: little or no purposeful exercise
Body weight (in pounds) x 14-15 calories per pound = _____________ calories

Moderately active: approximately 45-60 minutes a day of moderate exercise, most days of the week.
Body weight (in pounds) x 16-20 calories per pound = _____________ calories

Very active: approximately 60-120 minutes a day of moderate exercise, most days of the week.
Body weight (in pounds) x 21-25 calories per pound = _____________ calories

Once you have determined your estimated calorie intake, you should analyze the composition of your diet. A well-balanced sports diet should follow the guidelines of the Food Guide Pyramid. The pyramid is comprised of 5 main food groups: breads and cereals, fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products and lean meats. The final food group on the top contains foods high in fat and/ or sugar, and foods that contain few or no nutrients. The foundation of the pyramid is composed of eating generous portions of plant-based foods, such as breads, cereal, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. These are the complex carbohydrates that provide athletes with their fuel. Consuming adequate amounts of protein in lean meat and low fat dairy products ensures that you have a well-balanced nutrition plan. Finally, your daily diet should have limited amounts of "empty calorie" foods such as sweets and fats.

If your diet does not take the form of a balanced pyramid, do not feel alone. Many athletes are shortchanging their health, as well as performance, by not paying attention to their diet. Here are some of the most common mistakes of endurance athletes.

Excluding One or More Food Groups
All foods can fit into a healthy diet. There are many reasons that athletes may be missing food groups. It could be that the foods aren't convenient, they believe that a food group is taboo, or that they just don't like those foods. Eating foods from every food group is important to make sure you are receiving all the nutrients that you need for optimal health, but it also helps to provide variety in your diet. Athletes typically struggle to eat enough fruits and vegetables. Try to include 2 servings of fruits and vegetables at eat meal. This may seem overwhelming, but it can be done with ease. At breakfast, add 1cup of frozen berries to your cereal and drink 4 oz of 100% fruit juice. For lunch choose a side of fruit with your sandwich instead of chips or French fries and start with a green salad. 1 cup of steamed vegetables can count for two servings at dinnertime.

Eating From an Upside Down Pyramid
What do you crave most after a long run? Most likely it is something that would fit into the top of the pyramid. That is not a problem if is happens only occasionally. Eating too many foods that are high in fat and sugar can become a problem when they squeeze out the healthy, nutritious foods in your diet. Those foods typically have a higher calorie content than your fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Use the 3:1 rule. For every one high fat/sugar food that you eat, try to eat 3 nutritious foods.

Eating on a Schedule
Skipping meals or going too long between meals can lead to poor choices and overindulgence. A simple way to solve this problem is to eat according to a schedule. Try not to allow yourself to go more than 4 hours between each meal and snack. This will keep you from ever getting too hungry and will provide you with a more even supply of energy thorough out the day. Plan a mid morning and a mid afternoon snack that is composed of a carbohydrate and a protein. For example, low fat yogurt with a banana or a homemade trail mix of ¼ cup of dried fruit and ¼ c. of nuts.

Eating a well-balanced sports diet does take some planning, but the end result is well worth it. You spend so much time and effort training; it only makes sense to compliment it by fueling your body right during the racing season or off-season.

Read other articles by Catherine Kruppa