Diet and Nutrition for
Health and Sport
EDGU1003
Lecturer: James Barkell
Today’s lecture outcomes
• Understand recovery nutrition.
• Understand the role that hydration plays in performance and the use of electrolytes (salts)
• Learn about the use of alcohol on sports performance
• Understand the requirements involved during phases of training and how to eat to match these
requirements.
• Understand how to build muscle mass using nutrition.
Promoting Recovery
• When do we recover?
• During exercise/activity
• Training
• Between sets or blocks of exercise
• In Game
• Breaks in play
• Post exercise/activity
• Training
• Match or game
• During Travel
What is
recovery?
• Returning our body to its normal physiological
markers
Restoration
• Recovery of physiological processes within the
body such as muscle repair
Regeneration
• Adaptation to training is accelerated when
fatigued functions are restored to normal
operational levels as quickly as possible after
training.
Adaptation
Performance = Fitness -Fatigue
• Must work hard to increase fitness qualities
• Hard training is associated with fatigue
• Therefore need to “recover” from hard training to reduce fatigue to
get best performance.
Common Issues with Poor Recovery
• Over-reaching: A small to moderate
negative change in “markers”
normally only temporary–associated
with hard training.
• Over-training: A more pronounced
negative change in “markers” that is
sustained even when training is
reduced.
• Over-use: Indication of
biomechanical dysfunction due to
excessive or inefficient loading
patterns.
• Burnout: Psychologically drained
athletes lose interest and motivation
in their sport.
Groenewal et al. 2021
Recovery Time line
Parejo-Blanco et al. 2016.
Physiological
Markers of
Poor
Recovery
INCREASED MUSCLE
TENSION AND OR
TENDERNESS
INCREASED HEART RATE
OR DECREASED HEART
RATE VARIABILITY (HRV)
NEGATIVE CHANGE IN
AEROBIC AND
ANAEROBIC ABILITIES
DECREASED APPETITE INCREASED
SUSCEPTIBILITY TO
ILLNESS.
Psychological Markers of Poor Recovery
Disturbed
sleep Irritability Depression
Increased
anxiety
Increased
fatigue
Decreased
vigour
Timing of recovery Nutrition
• The intake and timing of intake of food/supplements has been shown to
affect recovery from training both in the short and long term.
• Intake of CHO’s and Protein (& creatine if warranted) immediately after
training has been shown to increase recovery (starts “anabolic processes”
and reduces “catabolic processes”) especially strength/speed type
training.
• The “window of opportunity” for the effectiveness of taking
supplements/nutrition diminishes the longer after a session before taking
in such items.
• Anti-oxidants – inverse U relationship; individual responses.
Timing of recovery Nutrition
• It is the first part of recovery.
• Some summaries of SDA and AIS recommendations:
• Adequate hydration–replace weight loss mainly with water
• Nutrition from whole foods is difficult straight after training/competition –initially it may be
easier through sports drinks in first moments after exercise or competition
• Adequate initial carbohydrate – 30-60grams –500ml sport drink=35grams of carbs or eat easy
digested carbs (1 banana = 20-25+grams)
• Adequate initial protein –10-40grams – most protein “poppers” =20-30grams
• Then appropriate whole food meal nutrition (30-90 minutes after) related to the recovery from
the training/event and as is relevant to the person and the situation
Fluids & Rehydration
• Drink fluids as soon as possible after
training or game.
• Drink 1.5 x more than what you have
lost, i.e. 1.5 litres if 1kg of body weight
decrease post training or game.
• > than 3% BW loss – electrolytes.
• Urine should be pale (see Chart).