Two thousand years ago, meat was a staple of the athlete's diet. Even alcohol was accepted for use during training and before competition. It has been reported that marathon runners drank cognac to enhance performance in the 1908 Games, and at least one German long-distance walker is said to have consumed 22 glasses of beer and half a bottle of wine during competition!

At the 1904 Games in St. Louis, Mo., the gold-medal winner in the marathon was given only egg whites, brandy, strychnine, and a wet sponge to suck on over the entire 26.2-mile course. And in the 1952 Games in Helsinki, Finland, the average athlete consumed a high-fat diet with 40% of calories coming from fat, another 40% from carbohydrate, and the remaining 20% of calories from protein.

Then in the 1970s, researchers began studying trained athletes, and much of the initial research focused on hydration, sports drinks, and carbohydrate intake. In the 1980s, as the value of proteins and carbohydrate for recovery became clear, strength athletes began to more carefully consider their carbohydrate intake, and endurance athletes were better educated on the importance of protein consumption.

And in the past 25 years, hundreds of research studies have helped us to better understand the true value of sports-nutrition strategies. As a result, most of today's athletes preparing for competition are well versed in the benefits of proper hydration-as well as a healthful diet rich in carbohydrates and lean, high-quality protein, but with a limited fat intake. Best of all, we know that elite and recreational athletes alike can take advantage of a smart approach to sports nutrition before, during, and after exercise to maximize athletic performance.

As we watch the Games in London unfold this summer, we can be certain that the latest science-based nutritional strategies will be applied by the world's best athletes to help fuel amazing feats of athletic performance!  At the same time, we'll marvel as we think about just how far we've come in the field of sports nutrition over the past 2,000 years.

Let's look at the components of a healthful training diet that supports athletic performance:

* Fluids help maintain normal body temperature and deliver energy and nutrients to hardworking muscles, so it's no surprise that well-hydrated athletes perform better and can sustain longer than their poorly hydrated counterparts.

* Carbohydrate is the fuel of choice for both recreational and competitive athletes because it is the most readily available fuel for working muscles. In fact, low-carbohydrate fuel stores are a common limiting factor in high-intensity and endurance exercise.  

* Protein is essential for increasing muscle mass and strength, as well as for recovering from prolonged exercise.  

* Vitamins and minerals don't provide energy, but they're essential for converting the food you eat into energy your muscles can use.

Timing the consumption of food and drink throughout your exercise session can significantly improve hydration, energy, recovery, and the quality of individual workouts. Following this hydration and nutrition regimen before, during, and after workouts can help to optimize exercise performance and improve recovery for subsequent workouts.

BEFORE: Two to four hours before exercise, be sure to hydrate early and often, and eat healthful and nutritious carbohydrate-rich foods, including light sandwiches, pasta, salads, fruits, and nutritional bars. Consider more rapidly absorbed nutritional shakes as little as one hour before an event, depending on your individual level of digestive comfort. Continue hydrating right up to the start of an event and consider a natural caffeine boost 30 minutes prior to exercise.

DURING: Continue hydrating with small amounts of cool fluids, including water and sports drinks, every 15 to 30 minutes. For events lasting longer than an hour, consider rapidly digested carbohydrate-rich foods such as bagels, gels, bananas, apples, oranges, and nutritional bars.

AFTER: Try to consume a balanced intake of fluids, carbohydrate, and protein immediately after exercise to maximize hydration, muscle-energy refueling, muscle repair, and muscle rebuilding. The right balance of carbohydrate and protein can trigger and enhance the anabolic recovery process when consumed immediately after exercise and again an hour or two later-especially for those who have multiple daily workout sessions.

Sports nutrition-it's smart nutrition for elite athletes and smart for the athlete inside each of us.  Learn more about Shaklee Sports Nutrition Here. 

But as individuals, we all have different metabolic rates, we all live and exercise in different environments, and we all experience unique rates of sweat loss. Failure to replace lost fluids raises the risk of dehydration and increases the chance athletic performance and even health can be compromised. In addition to water, sweat contains electrolytes such as sodium and potassium that need to be replenished to support optimal fluid balance in the body.  

PREHYDRATION is a relatively new concept, but the goal is to prevent dehydration from occurring by properly hydrating and assuring normal plasma-electrolyte levels prior to exercise. Prehydrating can be accomplished by drinking water or sports drinks, and by consuming foods with a high water content several hours before exercise. Most of us can benefit by drinking two to three cups of fluid in the hours before exercise.

HYDRATION during exercise helps to prevent dehydration and electrolyte imbalances and to minimize adverse effects on athletic and mental performance. Losing as little as 2% of body weight (or just 3 pounds in a 150-pound person) during exercise has been shown to compromise athletic performance. Drinking cool liquids early and often, and opting for sports drinks that contain electrolytes and energy-sustaining carbohydrates can be beneficial. In hot and humid conditions, you should drink half a cup or more of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes that you exercise.

REHYDRATION after exercise is important to enhance the recovery process and to make up any remaining fluid or electrolyte deficits. In the hours after exercise, try to rehydrate with 2 cups of fluid (yes, 2 cups!) for every pound of weight lost during your workout. If weighing yourself is not an option, checking your urine color is a simple indicator of hydration status. A pale or clear color is usually a sign of proper hydration, whereas a dark yellow or tea-colored urine is a common indicator of dehydration.

Yours in Health,