Food and Nutrition

Let’s talk about nutrition – how do we fuel these wonderful bodies for our lives, our training and – our race!

Well, food IS fuel! What the heck does that mean?

The human body is amazing! It truly is!  We grow, we regenerate, we function – all based on a vast number of chemical reactions and the breakdown and processing of food! We really are a product of what we eat! As athletes – we want to prime our bodies to be able to help us do these amazing things and feel great! We want to fuel and nourish our bodies! 

What is a healthy diet? 

We want to focus on fueling and nourishing our bodies.
Most research and literature today will tell you to focus on Whole foods, and get protein with every meal. 

At Rocket Revolution, we focus on whole foods and science to help us make the right choices for fuel and nutrition. 

So – what do we recommend for ‘Good Nutrition’?

Focus on WHOLE FOODS. 

Eat More of:

Eat less of: 

Focus on the three main pillars of nutrition:

Protein

We need essential proteins (amino acids) to help our bodies repair and recover – and that’s a daily need! Our bodies can make some proteins – but a lot have to come from food, so get enough lean protein! Oh and eating protein – it fills you up – takes a while (and energy!) to digest, helps regulate blood sugar and – actually can help you to loose weight! Don’t skimp on protein!

Good protein source: lean meat, fish, yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, some whole grains (eg quinoa), hemp seeds

Carbohydrates / Vegetables 

Eat the rainbow – it really IS true! Vegetables are that magic sauce – they contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and other phytonutrients that help our body mobilize the things it needs for healthy metabolism, immune function, lowering inflammation, repair and more!  Oh – and they are slow to digest and make us feel full too!
We may include whole grains and more starchy vegetables to provide more carbohydrates – especially after exercise. 

Healthy Fat

We NEED fat to help us do just about anything in our bodies – support metabolism, cell signaling, the health of various body tissues, immunity, hormone production, and the absorption of many nutrients (such as vitamins A and D)

Plant fats are considered ‘healthy fat’ (unsaturated) – generally, animal fats (saturated)are considered unhealthy with properties that cause heart disease – and of course Trans Fats are bad (watch for those in any processed foods).
Good sources of healthy fat:  nuts, seeds, fatty fish, pasture raised / grass fed lean animal protein, olives, avocados, olive oil, coconut oil

• nuts, seeds (hemp, flax, and chia are especially nutritious), 
• fish, seaweed, 
• pasture-raised/grass-fed animals/eggs, 
• olives, 
• avocado, 
• coconut, 
• cacao nibs.
• nuts, seeds (hemp, flax, and chia are especially nutritious), 
• fish, seaweed, 
• pasture-raised/grass-fed animals/eggs, 
• olives, 
• avocado, 
• coconut, 
• cacao nibs.

• nuts, seeds (hemp, flax, and chia are especially nutritious), 
• fish, seaweed, 
• pasture-raised/grass-fed animals/eggs, 
• olives, 
• avocado, 
• coconut, 
• cacao nibs.

PN Nutrition have a concept of an ‘Anytime Meal’ that shows us how to make up a general plate:

Nutrition for Athletes

We athletes are a special bunch! We need just a little bit more of some things to keep our bodies humming 

In general – 

We need more protein to help our bodies repair and recover. 

We need more carbohydrates to help fuel our workouts and recover.  Adding some whole grains or sweet potatoes are great ways to do that! 

Vegetables – vitamins and nutrients are very important to help us recover. 

So its key for athletes to get a well-balanced diet based primarily on Whole Food choices, leveraging the 3 pillars of nutrition!

PN Nutrition has a post-workout plate for athletes after an intense workout (where we add in some good carbohydrate sources to aid recovery):

Athletes and Training

Now one thing we emphasize to our people is that nutrition and training is very specific, and you have to try things out to find what works for you. But here are some general guidelines. 

Before Training:

For exercise efforts of les than an hour, you can take in some light food about 1-2 hours beforehand (or your regularly scheduled meal) 

During training

Generally, we say – for efforts around an hour or more – you want to take in about half of the energy you expend. 

I’ll use myself as an example for nutrition strategy here, and you can adapt for your specific needs or preferences!

For duathlon training –I probably wouldn’t eat anything on the bike portion, other than my favorite hydration (water or an electrolyte mix). But you could take a bar (RX, Snaak, etc) or your favorite cookie and take small bites at a time if you find you run out of energy. 

For running – you might want to consider taking your favorite gel – I use honey stinger. If I’m walking the run – I might take in bites of my favorite protein bar or a banana every 10-15 minutes. (I am a fan of RX bars or Snaak bars)

A big key point is to make sure if you are eating bars or a banana etc – take in a bite at a time only every 10 mins or so. Don’t put a lot of food in your stomach all at once. 

After Training:

For longer efforts in particular – try and get some protein and healthy fat within about 30 minutes of exercise. Examples might include – boiled eggs, 10-20 nuts, a protein shake. 

And – don’t forget to drink!!! 

Race Day Nutrition:

First things first – NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY! Try out any race nutrition strategy before the actual race to make sure you handle it well

Night before the race:

Make sure you are well hydrated – and have a nutritious meal the night before. Don’t try something new (leave that new restaurant you have been wanting to try for a different evening!)  

Morning before the race 

1-2 hours before having a light meal – I go with yogurt or a banana. You want things that are easily digestible so that you aren’t taking up valuable energy digesting food! 

During the race – also easily digestible food. I might take something like Scratch or Nuun endurance in my water bottles and sip on it during the ride – just enough to give me a little boost. And for the run, my go to are gels – one as I start the run or leave transition.

After the race – get some protein and healthy fat within 30 minutes of finishing and make sure you drink lots of water (with electrolytes if it’s hot).

And celebrate because  –  YOU ARE AN ATHLETE!!!