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Chapter 7: Nutrition Basics 97

Fuel Up for Your Workouts ...........................................................................

Don’t underestimate the power of food to get you through a workout and

beyond. This goes for novices and athletes alike. Several years ago, profes-

sional triathlete Brad Kearns went on a wacky diet that had one rule: Eat

nothing but fruit until noon. “I’d have a melon, a banana, and some berries,

then I’d go ride my bike for three hours and swim for an hour and a half,”

Brad told us. Three months later, he hadn’t lost any weight and was strug-

gling to finish his races. “I was so starved that I was eating peanut butter

straight from the jar,” he recalls. “It made me realize that your body doesn’t

like your messing with it. You have to eat.” You also need to drink — before,

during, and after your workout. (See the “Drink Lots and Lots of Fluids” sec-

tion later in this chapter for more about staying hydrated.) Here are some

strategies for maintaining the energy to perform your best.

Before you work out ............................................................................

Your mom may have told you not to go swimming until at least an hour after

you eat, but we tell you the opposite: If your stomach can handle it, eat

within an hour of your workout. (For some activities, such as running, you

Healthy Eating Pyramid

Red

meat,

butter

Dairy or calcium

supplement, 1-2 times/day

Fish, poultry, eggs,

0-2 times/day

Nuts, legumes, 1-3 times/day

Vegetables

(in abundance)

Whole grain foods

(at most meals)

Fruits, 2-3 times/day

Plant oils, including olive,

canola, soy, corn, sunflower,

peanut, and other vegetable oils

Daily exercise and weight control

White

rice,white

bread,

potatoes

and pasta,

sweets

Use sparingly

Alcohol in

moderation

(unless

contraindicated)

Multiple vitamins

for most

Figure 7-3:

The Healthy

Eating

Pyramid.