Episode Details

044 Carbs are King

Published 2 years, 2 months ago

DIETARY PATTERNS FOR CROSSFIT ATHLETES

Carbs are king

Primary fuel substrates in CrossFit – blood sugar and muscle glycogen

Protein functions as the building block for muscle mass - between lean body mass and bodyweight in g/lb per day

Fat functions mainly as hormonal support as opposed to upping intramuscular triglycerides as for endurance athletes - .3-.5 g/lb per day

Replenishing blood sugar and muscle glycogen by eating carbs seems to be of utmost importance to the dietary patterns of CrossFitters.

Goal: develop a dietary pattern that meets these requirements for a CrossFit Athlete.

There are 4 factors we want to consider in food selection.

4 Carb Factors

Fiber – promotes gut health which is connected to minimizing GI distress and utilization of nutrients up to certain dosage (20-40g/day), will increase GI distress above certain dosage, lowers glycemic load, increases satiety, consider proximity to training
Volume – the space the food takes up in stomach, increases satiety, consider proximity to training
Glycemic Load – effect on blood sugar, higher glycemic load carbs more appropriate the closer you are to training
Processing – higher processing means lower chewing requirement, lower satiety, ease of use

In order to meet dietary requirements, CrossFit Athletes will require many of their carbs to come from lower fiber, higher glycemic foods.

Food Selection:

Whole grains – high fiber, high volume, high satiety, moderate glycemic load, minimal processing
Roots/tubers – high fiber (with skin), high volume, high satiety, moderate glycemic load, minimal processing
Fruit – high fiber, high volume, low to moderate glycemic load, minimal processing
White rice – low fiber, moderate volume, high glycemic load, moderate processing
Bread – low/high fiber, low volume, high glycemic load, processed
Cereal – low fiber, low volume, high-very high glycemic load, processed
Sugars – low fiber, very low volume, highest glycemic load, processed

Best Practices:

Number of meals as is practical for meeting energy needs without food volume
disrupting training e.g. 2-3 larger meals + 1 smaller meal + training food
Dose carbohydrates evenly between meals to avoid outsized effect on blood sugar and mental acuity e.g. 100g/meal x 3 meals > 300g/meal x 1 meal
WALK 10-30 minute walk after largest meals to manage blood sugar
Avoid large bolus of food in stomach within ~3 hours of bedtime or training – big breakfast, large lunch, dainty dinners preferred
Use higher glycemic carbs before/during/after training to restore blood sugar balance and mental acuity
2 servings of fruit/veg per meal – covers minimum fiber and micronutrient recommendations
Above 3-4g/kg per day, breads, cereals and sugars make up higher % of daily calories