Strength and Nutrition: Fuel Your Muscles

Key points from a seminar at AVIV Clinics in The Villages
 
Techniques for strengthening and fueling the body are relevant to all track and field athletes. On March 7, Aaron Tribby, MS, and Kathryn Parker, RD LP/N, presented “Strength and Nutrition: Fuel Your Muscles” at AVIV Clinics in The Villages. This story summarizes their key points.
 
As with any health pursuit that’s new to you, it’s best to start slowly, monitor your body’s reaction, and check with your healthcare provider if you’re unsure about how it fits your personal situation.
 
AVIV plans to host a special seminar for our club members on Monday, March 28. Details will be announced via email as they’re confirmed.
 
--Leah Rewolinski    
 
 
STRENGTH | Aaron Tribby, head of physical performance at AVIV  
 
As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass. Two relevant causes are a decreased protein-to-muscle conversion rate, and reduced neurological signals between brain and muscle. The single best activity to strengthen muscles? Resistance training – but that doesn’t necesssarily mean weight-lifting.
 
Or, as Aaron’s PowerPoint slide said, “Does refusing to go to the gym count as resistance training?”
 
Aaron demonstrated two alternating groups of simple activities for strengthening muscle. Day 1 consists of “sit to stand” from a chair; wall push-ups; standing calf raises (just as we do in our warmups at track practice); and the bird dog yoga pose. Day 2 uses a supine glute bridge, a good morning pose, step-ups, and the bird dog pose (again).
 
Click on these links for demos:
Sit to Stand
Wall Push-Up  
Calf Raise  
Bird Dog  
Supine Glute Bridge  
Good Morning* 
Step-Ups  
 
*Aaron’s good morning pose showed hands on knees rather than behind the neck as depicted in this video.
 
Aaron recommended alternating between Day 1 and Day 2 activities 3 to 4 days per week; doing 3 to 6 sets of 12 to 20 reps, depending on your fitness level; and taking rest breaks of 30 to 90 seconds.
 
He also cited research that recommends eating complex carbohydates within 2 hours after exercising as another way of maintaining muscle mass.
 
 
NUTRITION | Kathryn Parker, AVIV dietitian
 
The nutritional building blocks of muscle are proper hydration, protein and carbohydrates.
 
Hydration guidelines depend upon your weight – anywhere from 67 ounces of water daily for a 100-pound athlete to 134 ounces for a 200-pound athlete. Get your individual recommendation from a trusted source; many exist online. Then use a measuring cup or pitcher to see exactly what that daily amount looks like. It’ll probably be an eye-opener. But don’t be intimidated; increase your intake slowly.
 
Eventually, the color of your urine can reveal whether you’re taking in enough water. First thing in the morning, your urine should be the color of the Yellow Pages. Kathryn noted wryly that we’re all old enough to know what “Yellow Pages” means. For the rest of the day, your urine should be relatively clear. If not, you may be dehydrated. Click here for a chart similar to the one Kathryn displayed. 
 
Your body needs protein to build and repair muscle. If you’re not consuming enough carbohydrates, the protein you eat will be used for energy instead, and you will lose muscle mass. Aim to get about 10 to 15 percent of your calories from protein-rich foods, including beef, poultry, seafood, nuts, seeds and dairy products.
 
Carbohydrates are essential, as noted above. Ideally, 45 to 50 percent of your intake should come from unprocessed carbohydrates: fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains and juices.*  
 
When it comes to fats, don’t try to eliminate them entirely. In fact, 25 to 30 percent of your calories can come from fat-containing foods. Omega 3-fats, found in nuts, seeds and cold-water fish, are good for your brain. Avoid saturated fats if possible, especially trans fat (indicated by the term “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” on the product label).
 
Two more guidelines:
--Always choose foods that have undergone the least amount of processing. They’ll help reduce inflammation throughout the body.
--Aim for a 4-to-1 ratio of carbs to protein, meaning 4 grams of carbohydates for every 1 gram of protein you eat.
 
 
*For more about carbohydrate intake, see Kathryn Parker’s excellent article “Carbs Are Not the Enemy” (Click here.)