VOLUME #117 / FEBRUARY 2014
1-2. AROUND THE GLOBE: POWERBAR NEW YORK
CONFERENCE BY LOUISE CATO, ACCREDITED SPORTS
DIETITIAN
3-4. SHARING OF WISDOM: DIY SPORTS DRINKS BY
ALAN MCCUBBIN, ADVANCED SPORTS DIETITIAN
5. SUPPLEMENTS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: CREATINE
BY ALISON GARTH, ADVANCED SPORTS DIETITIAN
6. MEMBERS IN THE MEDIA
7. SDA HQ UPDATE
www.sportsdietitians.com.au
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VOLUME #117 / FEBRUARY 2014
AROUND THE GLOBE: POWERBAR NEW YORK CONFERENCE
By Louise Cato
Accredited Sports Dietitian
I was offered the opportunity to attend
the PowerBar New York conference in
November 2013, and not being one to
turn down a trip to the Big Apple/home of
peanut butter M&M’s, I enthusiastically
accepted. The PowerBar New York
conference featured an all-star cast of
speakers including Australia’s own Louise
Burke and John Hawley, as well as an international flavour with
Trent Stellingwerth, Stu Phillips, Luc Van Loon, Andy Jones,
Melinda Manore and Nanna Meya adding their own expertise.
Run alongside the New York Marathon (there were several very
sore conference delegates the next day!), the conference focused
on sports nutrition and training adaptations for the endurance
athlete.
strategies need to be individualised to the athlete and practised in
advance to the event.
Nanna Meya covered clinical issues in endurance athletes,
inclusive of both gut and bone issues. Gluten free and paleo
diets have become ‘trendy’ amongst athletes, and many report
better health and performance on gluten free diets. Whether this
is a true performance benefit or whether these athletes have
simply replaced a general poor diet with one of better nutritional
quality is unsure. The Female Athlete Triad and its components
of low energy availability, altered hormonal function and reduced
bone mineral density has been recognised for a while now, and
although a male equivalent has yet to be formalised, there are a
few studies documenting a possible interaction between low bone
mineral density and low energy availability/altered sex steroid
hormones in male athletes.
Trent Stellingwerth’s presentation focused on dietary
periodisation strategies that may assist elite endurance athletes
in increasing training intensity without increasing volume and
injury risk. Undertaking training in a fasted state or periodically
depleting CHO-availability may actually help to promote muscular
endurance adaptations.
Luc van Loon explored new concepts in the cornerstones of
nutrition for muscle protein synthesis (amount, type and timing
of protein ingestion). Recent thinking suggests protein ingestion
prior to or during exercise may be beneficial to endurance
athletes undertaking extended duration sessions (five to six
hours) which will extend the duration of muscle protein synthesis.
Nutrition recommendations to support muscle reconditioning
include: provide sufficient protein (20 – 25g) with each main meal,
co-ingest some protein during prolonged exercise, ingest 20 – 25
g protein immediately after exercise, and consume protein prior
to sleep.
Louise Burke (AIS) spoke on nutrition challenges and practical
challenges in preparation for marathon events, including a
case study example of the Olympic 50 km event. Strategies for
optimal carbohydrate and fluid intake were considered, as well as
possible supplementation protocols. The bottom line is nutrition
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VOLUME #117 / FEBRUARY 2014
John Hawley spoke on the use of caffeine as an ergogenic aid in
endurance sports and practical recommendations including:
•
The use of low doses (2 -3 mg/kg body mass);
•
The potential of caffeine gum as a delivery vehicle, which
shows improved absorption and bioavailability compared to
capsule formation of caffeine;
•
Ingestion protocols should vary depending on the intensity
and duration of the event (ie pre-event ingestion and
consumption during exercise individualised to the athlete and
event); and
•
Individual response to caffeine (responder vs non-responder)
should be considered when formulating individual protocols.
Not only did PowerBar provide top notch presentations, there
was plenty of time for discussion, socialising, dinner at some
great New York venues, and conference games in Central Park.
There were certainly a few eyebrows raised at how competitive
a dodgeball game can get! In summary it was a fantastic
conference with lots of great take home messages for working
with endurance athletes, and I recommend the PowerBar
conference to anyone who gets the opportunity to attend one.
(Surely we’re due for a southern hemisphere conference soon…?)
Carbohydrate is usually seen as the predominant macronutrient
of interest for endurance runners, however Stu Phillips discussed
the importance of protein for endurance athletes, in particular for
its satiety properties and role in weight management. Increasing
% total energy contribution from protein in an energy restricted
diet appears to ‘rescue’ fat-free tissue losses i.e. preserve
some lean tissue mass. Protein is also seen to have adaptive
advantages for endurance athletes through promotion of the
synthesis of mitochondrial proteins and connective tissues.
www.sportsdietitians.com.au
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VOLUME #117 / FEBRUARY 2014
SHARING OF WISDOM: DIY SPORTS DRINKS
By Alan McCubbin,
Advanced Sports Dietitian and
SDA President
Sports nutrition products: they’re
convenient and perfectly packaged for
easy consumption during exercise. But
for a variety of reasons, there are many
athletes who’d prefer to make their own
sports nutrition products from scratch.
For some, it’s for philosophical reasons.
Some for reasons relating to their health (eg. those fructose
malabsorption). And for some it’s about saving money. So here
are some of the basic principles behind sports nutrition products,
and some ideas of what clients can make themselves that I’ve
gathered from various sources over the years. Most of these
are oriented towards endurance sports nutrition, because these
athletes make up the majority of my clientele.
Sports Drinks
There are five basic ingredients in sports drinks: the first is
obviously water. Second is carbohydrate – this is usually a
combination of glucose, fructose, sucrose or maltodextrin. Most
sports drinks these days use a combination of maltodextrin and
fructose – the maltodextrin chosen to reduce the sweetness, and
the fructose to provide multiple transportable carbohydrates. You
can buy all of these ingredients in their pure form:
•
•
Glucose is usually sold as dextrose. I think Glucodin powder
is frightfully expensive – instead you can buy dextrose from
homebrew stores for as little as $5/kg.
Pure fructose powder is available in supermarkets, sold under
the name of “fruit sugar”. It’s quite expensive though, and I’ve
only seen it sold in 250g boxes. Instead I tend to use sucrose.
www.sportsdietitians.com.au
•
Sucrose (regular sugar) is 50% glucose and 50% fructose,
so used strategically it can provide multiple transportable
carbohydrates much cheaper than using pure fructose.
•
Most dietitians know of maltodextrin as Polyjoule. But
like Glucodin, Polyjoule is about the most expensive way
to buy this product. Again homebrew stores will sell you
maltodextrin (sometimes labelled as “corn syrup”) for $5-8/
kg, and some supplement stores will also sell it.
The third ingredient in sports drinks is sodium. Apart from its
role in hydration, adding salt to your sports drink dampens down
the sweetness of your carbohydrate source. So if your drink is too
sweet, just add a bit of extra salt to it.
Fourth is a source of acidity such as citric acid. This provides the
characteristic “tang” of sports drinks and soft drinks. For a DIY
sports drink, you can use lemon or lime juice which also doubles
as the final element, flavour.
So how much of each ingredient? The carbohydrate will depend
on how much you want. Commercial sports drinks are typically
around 6% carbohydrate. Earlier studies showed that increasing
the carbohydrate much beyond 6% started to reduce the rate of
gastric emptying, but more recently it was shown that combining
glucose and fructose allows the carb content to increase to at
least 9% before any such effect. Regardless, if it’s not causing gut
problems (remember that the real carbohydrate concentration
when combined with gels, bars, etc. is significantly higher
anyway) then is the 6% really that important?
You can be pedantic about sodium concentrations, but I tend not
to be too particular with this when I’m training. Whatever tastes
good! The lemon or lime juice is about flavour so again add as
much or as little as you like.
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VOLUME #117 / FEBRUARY 2014
Here’s an example of a couple of recipes I make up when I’m
riding. The first one is a milder flavour (and fructose free) but if
I’m wanting multiple transportable caborhydrates, then I’ll go for
the second recipe because it contains fructose.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
If any other members have some recipes for sports foods /
drinks you’d be happy to share, we’d love to hear from you!
Recipe One
Please email alison@alisonwalshnutrition.co
In a 700mL water bottle add:
Thanks.
•
6 level Tablespoons maltodextrin powder (or substitute some
for equal amounts of glucose (dextrose) powder to make it
sweeter)
PS. A contribution to FUEL gives valuable CPD points!
•
One pinch of salt (¼ teaspoon or less)
•
Squeeze of lemon or lime juice for taste (optional)
•
700mL water
Nutrition
Carbohydrate: 69g (or 9.9 grams per 100mL), all glucose (once
digested)
Sodium: Approx. 50mg per 100mL
Recipe Two
In a 700mL water bottle add:
•
2 level Tablespoons maltodextrin powder
•
4 level Tablespoons white sugar
•
One pinch of salt (less than ¼ teaspoon)
•
Squeeze of lemon or lime juice for taste (optional)
•
700mL water
Nutrition
Carbohydrate: 69g (or 9.9 grams per 100mL), 2:1 glucose:fructose
ratio
Sodium: Approx. 50mg per 100mL
In the next edition of FUEL, I will share with you some of my tips
and recipes for DIY Sport Snacks (energy bars and gels), so stay
tuned!
www.sportsdietitians.com.au
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SUPPLEMENTS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
CREATINE
By Alison Garth
Advanced Sports Dietitian
The current sporting climate is a timely reminder that Sports
Dietitians need to be at the forefront of supplementation practices
and be proactive with recommending appropriate supplements.
This year, we are introducing a monthly supplement review
to FUEL to keep members up-to-date on the most recent
information regarding the ever-evolving supplement world.
Although some of this information may be “old hat” to some, we
thought that a quick update is useful for everyone. This month,
we’re going to kick off the series looking at Creatine.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in skeletal
muscle (and the brain) that is sourced exogenously (from dietary
intake of meat/fish) and via endogenous synthesis. There is large
individual variation in creatine levels due to gender, age and
dietary habits (vegetarians have lower levels of muscle creatine
than meat eaters).
Creatine and performance
Creatine has a role in the regulation of cellular energy demand.
Creatine acts indirectly to maintain phosphocreatine stores to
help supply the body with ATP. Research has shown that muscle
creatine levels can be increased by up to ~20% with creatine
supplementation. Increased creatine stores can thereby enhance
fatigue resistance and lead to performance improvements during
high-intensity, brief duration (<30 second) activities separated by
a short recovery period. It should be noted individual responses to
creatine are varied with some athletes having minimal benefit to
supplementation.
Athletes that may benefit from creatine supplementation
• Athletes undertaking resistance training programs to
increase lean mass (e.g. football codes, body building).
• Athletes undertaking repeated brief, high intensity efforts
with short recovery periods (e.g. throwers, sprinters)
• Athletes participating in sports with intermittent work
patterns (e.g. team sports, racquet sports)
Recommended dosing strategy
Typical dosing strategies involve both a loading and maintenance
phase (note, saturated muscle takes approximately 4 weeks
to return to baseline levels). Each dose should be taken with a
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generous portion of carbohydrate (~50-100g) to enhance uptake
and storage of creatine in the muscles.
• Loading: 4 x 5g/day (~1 heaped teaspoon per dose)
• Maintenance: 3g/day (~1 flat teaspoon per dose)
Alternatively, you can load the muscles more slowly (over ~28days) starting off with a maintenance dose that is maintained
throughout the supplementation period. This approach maybe
useful if there are concerns about an increase in body mass or the
athlete has a history of soft tissue injury.
Potential side effects
• Acute loading is typically associated with a small weight
gain (~600-1000g) which may be counterproductive to
athletes competing in sports where power-to-weight ratio is
important
• Anecdotal reports of muscle cramps, strains and tears but
little evidence to substantiate an increased risk of these
events
Literature worth a read
There is a HUGE amount of literature regarding creatine
supplementation available on PubMED but here are just a few
from the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise
Metabolism (IJSNEM) to get you started - you can access IJSNEM
articles free with your SDA membership.
• Branch JD. Effect of creatine supplementation on body
composition and performance: a meta-analysis. Int J Sport
Nutr Exerc Metab 2003;13:198–226.
• Burke DG, Chilibeck PD, Davidson KS, Candow DG,
Farthing J, Smith-Palmer T. The effect of whey protein
supplementation with and without creatine monohydrate
combined with resistance training on lean tissue mass
and muscle strength. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2001
Sep;11(3):349-64.
• Preen D, Dawson B, Goodman C, Beilby J, Ching S. Creatine
supplementation: a comparison of loading and maintenance
protocols on creatine uptake by human skeletal muscle. Int J
Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2003; 13(1):97-111
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VOLUME #117 / FEBRUARY 2014
MEMBERS IN THE MEDIA
Meal Myths
Emily Eaton, Accredited Sports Dietitian
Read more: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/lifestyle/health/a/20729971/
Fry an egg on the road? Nah, just a bad yolk that cracks another myth
Kate Pumpa, Accredited Sports Dietitian
Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/fry-an-egg-on-the-road-nah-just-a-bad-yolk-that-cracks-another-myth20140117-310rx.html#ixzz2re2K8iIh
Parents blamed for allowing overweighed children too much television time
Lorna Garden, Accredited Sports Dietitian
Read more: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/parents-blamed-for-allowing-overweighed-children-too-muchtelevision-time/story-fnihsrf2-1226800145092
How to kick bad food habits
Tara Diversi, Accredited Sports Dietitian
Read more: http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/cook/how-to-kick-bad-food-habits-20140101-305vm.html
Sticking to healthy eating in 2014
Lorna Garden, Accredited Sports Dietitian
Read more: http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2014/01/sticking-to-healthy-eating-in-2014.html
www.sportsdietitians.com.au
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VOLUME #117 / FEBRUARY 2014
SDA HQ UPDATE
2014 CONFERENCES
BOARD PLANNING DAY
Have you been planning your 2014 Conference attendance over
the break? Here are some important dates where SDA will be
present. If you’re planning on attending any of these conferences,
let us know as we’d love your help on our SDA Stand.
We always look forward to getting the SDA Board together for the
annual strategy and planning week-end. This time, there were
three new faces around the table (Mike, Louise & Simone Austin).
13-14 February Supplements Symposium – Canberra, ACT
10-12 April
ESSA Conference – Adelaide, SA
15-17 May DAA Conference - Brisbane, QLD
15-18 October
SMA Conference – Canberra, ACT
2014 EDUCATION COURSES
Our first Nutrition for Exercise & Sport Course kicks off in Sydney
on 22 February. We’re planning 13 across the country in 2014.
If you’re interested in presenting at one of these, please email
Liza. You can check the dates and locations on our website under
Education > Public Courses.
Registrations for our 2014 Sports Nutrition Course are now
open to members. Scheduled for 9-12 May in Canberra, ACT,
this will be the only SNC for the year. Remember that part of the
application process now includes a letter of recommendation
from a mentor or supervisor.
STATE COORDINATORS
This year, we took the opportunity to further upskill Board
members in Finance, Risk & Governance training with a one
day workshop delivered by the Australian Institute of Company
Directors (AICD). Outcomes from this session included
establishing a Finance, Audit & Risk Committee and helping the
board understand various levels of risk that could impact the
business and having appropriate plans in place to mitigate those.
Day two was spent refining our Vision and Values, given our
agreed focus activities to better engage committee athletes as our
target audience. The 2014 list of projects include extending our
Research Grant Initiative; continuing to develop the knowledge,
skills and attributes of our members to be exceptional sports
dietitians; contributing content to major sporting magazines and
websites (eg. BikeExchange, Australian Triathlon Magazine &
Runner’s World); confirming brand raising activities and channels
to promote these and scope and develop a new website.
Hope 2014 is off to a great start – looking forward to another
outstanding year supporting you.
Team SDA
SDA extends our special thanks to our state coordinators, who
are always busy behind the scenes planning interesting state
branch meetings. These events are easy PD points (5 points just
for attending) so keep an eye on the Members Information > State
Info & Meeting section for dates & venues for 2014. Here are the
contact details for your state:
SDA VISION:
Accredited Sports Dietitians are recognised as an integral
part of a committed athlete’s team helping them to achieve
their health & performance goals.
WA
Felicity Willis
willisfelicity@hotmail.com
SA/NT
Steph Gaskell
gask09@hotmail.com
VIC
Kath Shone
katherineshone@yahoo.com.au
SDA VALUES:
TAS
Gaye Rutherford
gayerutherford@bigpond.com
Empower people through collaboration to achieve
ACT
Louise Cato
louise.cato@gmail.com
Educate ourselves to learn and share
NSW
Zahra Munas /
Jo Slater
zmunas@mail.com /
joslater_@hotmail.com
Strive for excellence to be the best we can be
QLD
Lara Cambridge
laramccambridge@hotmail.com
www.sportsdietitians.com.au
Integrity in everything we deliver
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VOLUME #117 / FEBRUARY 2014
CONTACT US
Please contact us at info@sportsdietitians.com.au
for any of the following:
• Comments and feedback
• Change of contact details
• Enquiries regarding membership
POSTAL ADDRESS:
Sports Dietitians Australia Sports House
Level 2, 375 Albert Road South Melbourne, VIC 3206
Phone: +61 3 9926 1336 Fax: +61 3 9926 1338
Website: www.sportsdietitians.com.au
www.sportsdietitians.com.au
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