497 AthleteProj

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Abbey Lathrop

Nutrition 497B

19 April 2012

Athlete Project

A current sophomore on the Penn State Swimming and Diving Team, MP not

only holds the school record for the 100-yard butterfly, but she took the gold medal

in the event at the 2012 Big Ten Championship this past February. Now on track to

train for the Olympic trials this coming summer, MP underwent a dietary

assessment with one goal in mind: to enhance her athletic performance. Currently

standing at 5 feet and 5.5 inches, MP weighs 136 lbs, with a percent body fat

between 20-21%. Below are listed several dietary suggestions which may help to

improve MPs athletic performance.

A typical day of practice for MP consists of a high-intensity, one and a half

hour swim session at 6am, followed by an hour-long weight lifting session. She

usually consumes half of a Balance Bar before practice, along with yogurt and a

banana post-exercise. No matter how early in the morning it is, it is crucial for MP to

eat some small amount of carbohydrate, such as a Balance Bar or Luna Bar. This is

an important source of fuel for any workout, as almost 50% of ones glycogen stores

in their muscles is completely used after just 60 minutes of exercise. Around

lunchtime (12:15pm) MP eats a meal of spaghetti with marinara sauce from the

dining commons, along with a side of carrots. In order to optimize the nutrition of

this meal three hours before her second swim practice, MP should look to

incorporate protein into the meal; this can be done easily by adding grilled chicken

breast to the pasta with marinara sauce. Immediately following her second swim

session of the day, MP consumes a full meal rich in fruits, vegetables, protein and


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carbohydrates (salad, apples, grilled chicken breast, soup). This carbohydrate meal

is necessary in order to begin replacing the glycogen that has just been used up in

the muscle, as well as beginning to repair the protein that has just been broken

down. Read nutrition labels it is recommended to eat 30 grams of protein within

the first two hours past-exercise in order to optimally repair ones muscle. If MP

does not have enough time to consume a full meal, a Protein Bar would be a great

alternative. In addition, it is not uncommon for her to indulge in a scoop of Berkey

Creamery ice cream from the dining commons. While MP has an excellent overall

knowledge of the correct timing of meals pre- and post-exercise, a recent analysis

conducted using Diet Analysis Plus shows an insufficient amount of certain

nutrients in MPs training diet necessary for her to achieve her overall goal of

enhancing her athletic performance.

MPs most recent body fat percentage test utilizing the BodPod machine

calculated her Total Energy Expenditure to be 2683 kcal/day as a very active

individual. On this typical training day MP consumed about 2100 kcal, leaving her

roughly 600 kcal short of her required energy needs necessary to perform to the

best of her ability. Ones current weight is maintained when their energy intake is

equal to their energy expenditure, leaving MP at risk of losing weight and potentially

muscle mass. An in-depth analysis ofMPs typical training diet using the Diet

Analysis Plus software revealed a few deficiencies that may contribute to her overall

inadequate calorie intake.

While she is consuming the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables

daily, it is crucial that MP increase her grain, dairy and protein intakes in order to


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enhance her athletic performance. While just 20% shy of the recommended 10 oz. of

grains per day, MP can easily meet this recommendation by substituting a bowl of

spaghetti for whole-wheat pasta and choosing whole-grain crackers to go alongside

her Laughing Cow Light Cheese as a snack. With an estimated total energy

expenditure of 2683 kcal/day, MP should consume between 270-940 kcal/day of

protein in order to fall within the recommended macronutrient range of 10-35%

total calories. Currently consuming 17% of her total calories from protein sources,

MP can increase this number slightly through simple changes; adding slices of

grilled chicken breast to a salad after practice or drinking a glass of skim milk at

breakfast will not only help MP to achieve this goal and maintain her current weight

and total muscle mass, but it will also help her increase her dairy intake.

In addition, MP is currently consuming below the recommended intake of

Vitamin D, the micronutrient essential to regulating the amount of calcium within

the body. Meeting only 3% of the recommended daily amount, MPs only sources of

Vitamin D come from yogurt and ice cream. While yogurt is a decent source of

Vitamin D, consuming Berkey Creamery ice cream leads to an excess of empty

calories and fat. However, there is no need for MP to increase her dietary intake of

Vitamin D, as she is currently taking a daily multivitamin, Centrum Women Under 50.

Each tablet contains 800 IU Vitamin D, which is 200% of the Daily Value.

On days when Penn State is competing in a dual meet against another school,

MP begins her day by consuming a Balance Bar. Immediately following a long team

warm-up in the pool, she typically eats a plain bagel with cream cheese,

accompanied by Dannon Light N Fit yogurt. All together, MPs total caloric intake


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pre-race is between 500-600 kcals. She will then go through the afternoon

swimming in 2-3 events, including the 100-yard butterfly and 400 Medley Relay,

consuming water and sometimes Gatorade between races. After the meet, MP and

her teammates typically indulge in either Chipotle or Pita Pit, both options which

will greatly lead to an increase in total kcals. However, with an absence of lunch in

MPs typical race-day diet, her total caloric intake of about 1600 kcals is not

sufficient enough to achieve her goal of enhancing her athletic performance.

Although superstition and habit have formed this specific race-day regimen over the

past several years, it may be in MPs best interest to slowly increase the amount of

macronutrients consumed between races. She should begin by guzzling an extra cup

of Gatorade between races in order to refuel the glycogen stores in her body. If no

gastrointestinal distress arises with the addition of Gatorade, the next step may be

to consume half of a Balance Bar or Luna Bar between races, to effectively restore

her bodys glycogen stores.

MP has an exceptional overall knowledge of the correct substance and timing

of meals pre-and post-exercise. She typically eats a regular meal for lunch,

consisting of sufficient carbohydrates, and finishes each workout with protein-rich

foods such as Dannon Light N Fit yogurt. However, a recentanalysis conducted

using Diet Analysis Plus showed an insufficient amount of certain nutrients in MPs

training diet necessary for her to achieve her overall goal of enhancing her athletic

performance. Small steps, including adding protein to a salad at dinner, or taking

that extra gulp of Gatorade after a race will bring MP one step closer to achieving

her main goal of enhancing her athletic performance.

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