Sports Nutrition 201

Jenna Waters is a Functional Nutritionist with the UT Internal Medicine Group.  She also maintains a private practice in sports nutrition.  Among her clients are the Nashville Predators and other professional teams and athletes.  She had previously served the athletic department at UT.

I sat down with Jenna at football practice at MHS this week.  Her husband is Assistant Football Coach and Head Strength Coach there.   We had talked many times before so I knew that Jenna was a vast reservoir of information about sports nutrition.

And believe me, there is a whole lot of misinformation about sports nutrition out there.  So I had a few questions for Jenna.

What's the biggest mistake in sports nutrition?  "Feeling like they only have to think about nutrition on game day.  It's an every day thing.  And believing the myth that more protein is better.  Oh, and not thinking about where their food is coming from."

We don't stop to think about additives and how our food was grown (does that pesticide really just wash off?).   Or what the long term impact might be from genetically modified food.

Sports drink or water?  "Sports drinks across the board are too sugar laden.  Check the ingredients.  Is it made with High Fructose Corn Syrup (mostly bad) or cane sugar (mostly good)?  Sports drinks are worthy during competition but not so good throughout the week.  We do need the electrolytes all week though so water is not completely adequate either."

What are the biggest differences between the nutritional demands of the athlete versus everyone else?  "The athlete that's really intentional about their nutrition will be focusing what they're eating, where it comes from, and how much.  Food for the athlete is fuel and the quality of that fuel can determine their performance."

Do different sports have different nutritional needs?  "Absolutely.  Baseline nutrition is very similar but from a competition perspective, it can be very different.  For example, the endurance athlete will prepare differently and often has to eat along the way."

What's the perfect pregame meal?  "For the average young athlete lean protein and carbs that come from a vegetable source.  A good sample meal might be grilled chicken, roasted veggies, and a side salad."

What about timing of that meal?  When should the pregame meal be consumed?  "Three to four hours before game time is ideal.  Additional snacks may be necessary closer to time and then during halftime but that depends on the athlete and the sport."

What is the latest trend in sports nutrition?  "The ketogenic diet."

(FYI, the ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high fat diet.  It relies on a shift in the body's metabolism in which the body shifts away from carbs and toward fats.)

"The idea of a fat-adapted performance athlete is valid.  It's important to have a sports nutritionist guiding the transition to this type of diet.  Use high quality fat, moderate amounts of protein, and low carbohydrates."

As a personal disclaimer, I've been on a ketogenic diet for about three years now.  I have cured my hypoglycemia and am no longer constantly hungry.  (JB)

Thanks for everything Jenna.