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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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