Nutritional strategies for athletes who want to decrease body fat composition

Overview:

Athletes that are looking to increase lean mass while maintaining body weight will have challenges that can be overcome with proper nutritional timing. The athlete will want to choose the foods of an endomorph (lean proteins and slow absorbing carbs) while eating the volume of an ectomorph (high calorie).

Frequency:

The athlete should strive to get in 5-6 meals a day with spacing in between each meal (3-4 hours). This will require the athlete to eat breakfast every day. Eating breakfast will allow them to get the calories needed to create a positive calorie balance for the day and will help stimulate their metabolism to help them reduce body fat.

Types of food:

Because these athletes’ ability to metabolize fat is not as efficient as other somatotypes, meals should be lower in fat (except healthy fats), lean proteins, and slow absorbing carbohydrates. The food list / meal plan handout will be a good guide to the types of foods to intake.

Quantity:

In general, multiplying the athletes by 18-20 gives a good starting point. If an athlete has 150 lbs. of lean mass they would want to take in somewhere around 2700-3000 calories. This is only an estimation and assumes that the athlete is in a formal structured strength and conditioning program where body composition can be measured regularly.

Nutrient Timing:

Not all days are created equal. Days where an athlete performs strength training should include more overall calories and slow absorbing carbohydrates, while non-lift days should involve slightly less calories with less carbohydrates (especially night time). You can even look at each individual training session to determine nutritional load (lower body training sessions v. upper body training sessions). The important takeaway is that athletes need to eat according to their activity level. Below is an example of food intake for a high school athlete that is currently strength training and has 150 lbs. of lean mass.

Training Day (Lower Body)

6:30 AM Breakfast 700 Cal.

9:30 AM Snack 300 Cal.

12:30 PM Lunch 600 Cal.

3:00 PM Snack 300 Cal.

6:30 PM Dinner 600 Cal.

7:30 PM Training

10:00 Post Training Meal 500 Cal.

Recovery Shake 300 Cal.

Total 3300 Cal.

Non-Training Day

9:00 AM Breakfast 600 Cal.

12:00 PM Lunch 600 Cal.

3:00 PM Snack 300 Cal.

6:00 PM Dinner 500 Cal.

9:00 Snack 300 Cal.

Total 2300 Cal.

The important takeaway is to space out meals to prevent fat storage and eat according to activity level

Carbohydrate Loading:

Slow absorbing (low glycemic) carbohydrates should be taken in earlier in the day and before training sessions. Excess carbohydrates at night can increase fat storage and are not needed. The post workout shake (Recovery Mix) has all the fast absorbing carbs (to replenish muscle glycogen) that are needed. Meals after training sessions should incorporate lean proteins along with fruits and vegetables. Lower body workouts require more carbohydrates throughout the day, where as non-lift days do not require any carbohydrates past late afternoon.

Snacks:

Snacks are important to maintain metabolic function and help the athlete get in the extra calories needed to gain weight (if that is what their goal is). It is important not to have large meals with large gaps in-between. The athlete’s ability to metabolize food decreases when they are eating to much at one setting. Snacks earlier in the day should be protein and carbohydrate based whereas snacks after training sessions and at night should be protein and fat based.

Weight gain shake:

Not all athletes need weight gain shakes. It depends mostly on current body fat composition and desired overall weight gain. The main component in weight gain shakes is olive oil. Please see attachment for how to make the shake (if needed).

Cheat Meal:

As with anything in life, balance is necessary. All athletes trying to lose weight or get lean need to eat some of the food that they enjoy. This meal usually falls on a Sunday, and there are no restrictions as long as it doesn’t carry on the whole day. It is a cheat meal, not a cheat day.

Planning and Preparation:

It is important for the parents / family to work together to help the athlete to achieve his / her goals. This requires the parents to make sure the appropriate foods are in the house. Many times the parents will have to help the athlete prepare foods to bring to school, practice, etc. It will also require the athlete to being to prepare more for their day. Athletes will be required to get up earlier to prepare breakfast and bring snacks, lunch, and sometimes after school meals depending on their schedule.