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trainingNutrition: Feeding the Machineby Cynthia EngelHow often have you gloriouslysavored a crème filled chocolatecovered Krispy Kreme donut or acheeseburger with fries and a microbrew and said, “THIS is whyI workout so much – so I can eatwhatever I want! “Or what about those of you whoare convinced you should be on thecover of a fitness magazine giventhe amount of time, energy and focusyou put into working out, butyou’re still not ok with that onebulge you see every morning in themirror so you cut back on what youeat because “losing weight is simplya matter of your caloric inputbeing lower than your caloric output”?Over the course of my life as a multisportathlete, I think I’ve lived inboth of those realities just short ofan infinite number of times. Andthe reality was that I was goingnowhere in terms of improving myperformance or in terms of reducingbody fat– in fact I was gainingmore fat the less I ate and the moreI trained!And then I met with sports nutritionexpert and world championadventure racer Cathy Sassin, whotaught me through her Intrafitt program(http://www.intrafitt.com/ )that feeding your body what it isasking of you is vital for it to honorwhat you are asking of it. WhenI chose to trust this process andgave my body the right balance ofnutrients it needed to perform at itsbest, I was astounded at the instantimpact (literally!) it had on my performance,my attitude, my energylevel throughout the day and mybody composition.Maintaining proper nutrition is asimportant for an athlete as trainingand resting is in any lifestyle,regardless of intensity or performancelevel. And it is probably themost neglected or misunderstoodaspect of athletic performance.Our bodies are extraordinarilyresilient ecosystems that are constantlyseeking homeostasis or balance.When we subject them to thedaily demands of playing, workingand training, we are constantlythrowing them out of balance. Andthey are constantly finding ways tore-establish that balance so thatthey can keep doing what we askof them. In doing so, our bodiesmake adjustments to the speed thatthey choose to burn their energystores (metabolism). They also decidewhich energy stores (muscle,fat from storage (body fat) or sugarfrom our muscles, bloodstream orliver) are most efficient to burn giventhe pattern of what is coming in(food) and what we generally askthem to do for us.The key is to give your body whatit needs consistently so that it cantrust you. It wants to know thatyou will provide it with the protein,carbs, fat and water it needsto give you the energy you demandthroughout the day. When it trustsyou, then it is trusting that it willalways have the various energystores it needs, even in a crisissituation. This allows your metabolismto run faster and feeds theprotein into your heart and skeletalmuscles to grow stronger as youtrain. Whenever the macronutrients,protein, carbs and fats are inshort supply, the body moves intohoarding mode rather than usingthe fat it has stored for energy.Knowing how much protein, fat,carbs and water to eat and drinkand how often to feed your bodyare difficult to know. Here are someguidelines I learned from CathySassin and Intrafitt to get started:• We’ve all heard this…drink lotsof water throughout the day. It’strue! That alone can improve yourperformance instantly!• Eat breakfast every day. No matterwhat. And make protein a moreprominent part of it. If you are thetype that feels nauseous if you eatin the morning, start slowly witheasily digestible foods – smoothieswith protein powder in them forexample – and build up to eatingmore solid foods in the morning.The food we provide our body firstthing in the morning is what establishesthe rate at which our bodydecides it can burn energy andwhat kind it will burn throughoutthe day. This is so important!Adventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 35