Abigail Larson MS, CSCS, 2006 Olympian
Editors note: This article used by permission. First published in the August 11, 2008 Issue of SkiPost Volume 8 Number 28
You’ve heard it before, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. But if you are like many athletes breakfast is a mere afterthought if even a thought at all. But you are different than most people; you are an athlete and that makes breakfast not just important but essential for success in sport, work and/or school. Skipping breakfast slows your body’s ability to burn calories (metabolism) and brain function, and you set yourself up to raid the school vending machine by midmorning.
When your blood sugar crashes you’re not likely to make nutritionally wise choices and it’s easy to go for a quick “fix” that will send you crashing again later in the day. This “crash” will cause your training and sports performance to suffer because you won’t have the energy necessary to keep up with your well-nourished teammates and competitors. To train and compete optimally you must eat optimally from start to finish everyday. Lots of research has shown that people who eat breakfast score better on tests, perform better at work, weigh less, and have less body fat than people who don’t normally consume breakfast.
As a doctoral student in exercise physiology and nutrition and an Olympic cross-country skier, I know how hard it can be to make time for breakfast. However, without good nutritional habits I never would have had the energy to train all the hours required to make the 2006 US Olympic Cross Country Ski Team.
It’s easy to overlook breakfast when you are rushing from training to work/class, or trying to get a few extra minutes of sleep. But this bad habit can have lots of negative consequences; you will probably make poorer food choices later in the day when you get overly hungry. Also, recovery from morning training sessions is much slower without good nutrition and hydration and you risk becoming glycogen depleted (low carbohydrate stores). All this leads to less energy for training later in the day. From personal experience, I’ve found that with a little planning I can have a quick and nutritious breakfast that will kick-start my day and prepare me for my next workout.
What and how much you eat for breakfast are also important. Highly refined convenience foods such as Poptarts, sugared cereals, and Nutrigrain bars are not adequate or wholesome fuel for athletes! Every morning you should treat your body to the fuel it needs to support all the hard training you have done and will be doing later in the day. A healthy breakfast consists of a good balance among sources of carbohydrate, protein, and fat. This includes fresh fruit, whole grains, and a serving of dairy, soy, or eggs. Whole wheat bread, oatmeal, raisin bran, low-fat milk, yogurt, soy milk, and scrambled eggs can all be part of a healthy breakfast. A balance of these ingredients will ensure adequate intake of vitamins, minerals, and help you to feel full and energized throughout the morning.
It’s best to eat at least 2 hours before practice or working out. This is because after you eat, blood pools to the stomach to help you digest but when you exercise, your working muscles need that blood too. To get the most out of your workouts you want to be able to supply your muscles with the blood and oxygen they need. If you only have an hour before practice, grab something light, such as a banana, and eat your main meal within an hour of finishing your workout. Your main breakfast meal after training should be adequate to replenish muscle carbohydrate stores and help to repair muscle tissue that may have been damaged. Muscle protein breakdown often happens with resistance and intense training; this breakdown is decreased if you eat a combination of protein and carbohydrate after training. The exact amount of carbohydrate and protein needed depends on the amount of training you do and your body size.
A Few of Abby’s Breakfast Options
Abby’s Power Breakfast (also my pre-race breakfast!)
½ cup whole oats
½ cup 1% milk (or soy milk)
1 egg
½ banana, ½ cup frozen berries or ¼ cup dried fruit
Walnuts or other nuts as topping
Brown sugar or honey (optional)
Place the oats, milk, egg, and any frozen fruit in a microwave-safe bowl and mix well. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir and microwave for an additional minute. Let sit for one minute, top with dried fruit, nuts, and add additional milk or sweetener if desired.
Abby’s Crunch-Time Breakfast (also great for post-workouts)
1 cup 1% milk, soy milk, or yogurt
1 scoop protein powder (I use soy or whey protein)
1 frozen banana and/or ½ cup frozen berries
1-2 Tbs wheat germ
3-4 ice cubes
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Imagery and visualization…some thoughts for a stronger you.
