Part 3:Precompetitive meal-Protein or Carbohydrate?

When I was in boarding school in Australia, we used to play competitive sports each Saturday morning. The usual breakfast is bacon and eggs, sometime sausages etc. Such foods ma satisfy the athlete, boarding master and parents. A meal of this type with is low carbohydrate content, actually thwarts optimal performance.

The following five reasons justify modifying or even abolishing the high-protein precompetition meal in favor of one high in carbohydrates:

1. Dietary carbohydrates replenish the significant depletion of liver and muscle glycogen from the overnight fast.
2. Carbohydrate digestion and absorption are more rapid than either protein or lipid. Thus, carbohydrate provides energy faster and reduces the feeling of fullness following a meal.
3. A high protein meal elevates resting metabolism more than a high carbohydrate meal because of protein's greater energy requirements for digestion, absorption and assimilation. This additional thermic effect could strain the body's heal-dissipating mechanisms and impair exercise performance in hot weather.
4. Protein catabolism for energy facilitates dehydration during exercise because the byproducts of amino acid breakdown require water for urinary excretion. About 50ml of water "accompanies" the excretion of each gram of urea.
5. Carbohydrate, not protein, serves as the main energy nutrient for short term anaerobic activity and high-intensity aerobic exercise.

The ideal precompetition meal maximizes muscle and liver glycogen storage and provides glucose for intestinal absorption during exercise. The meal should:

• Contain 150 to 300 g og carbohydrate
• Be consumed 3-5 hours before exercising
• Contain relatively little fat and fiber to facilitate gastric emptying and minimize gastrointestinal distress.