The Competitive Edge
 
Problem:
Athletes often look for the competitive edge to help them with their performance, whether that is in the area of nutrition, fluid intake or supplement use. With so much mis-information in the media and on the internet, research based nutrition information is especially needed by this group of individuals. With the popularity of the high protein, low carbohydrate diets, athletes need to be aware of carbohydrates as the nutrient that provides energy in the diet.

Response:
For the last three years, the Nutrition & Health field specialist has presented a sports nutrition session for a runners class at Buena Vista University. This session addresses nutrition, fluids and supplement use for the athlete in order to fuel themselves for sports performance and good health.

Impact:
Twenty-three young people attended the Sports Nutrition class at Buena Vista University in January 2005. In May 2005, the instructor sent me a letter with excerpts from reflection papers of the students. Several of their responses are as follows:

• “I also enjoyed the dietitian that spoke to our class. Some of the information she shared about eating habits and diets could be beneficial for athletes as well as people who like to stay physically active.”
• “I have learned a lot during the course of this class. Reading a nutrition label has really helped me to watch what I eat.”
• Losing that huge bottle of water after running for so long surprised me. I didn’t think we lost that much water just from running.”
• When Nancy Clark talked about how much you need to drink when exercising, she talked about how if you don’t get enough to drink you will cramp. I knew this was true but I never put that together with why I got cramps in the arches of my feet after I worked out. This has helped me greatly because I haven’t had any since then, which is awesome because they are very painful.”
• “As far as my diet, I have been watching what I eat according to the new health guidelines and what Nancy Clark told us. I’m trying to eat more whole grains, vegetables, and fruits instead of greasy, fatty, sugary, and/or sodium filled foods. I am also paying more attention to my calcium intake.  Have I lost 5-10 lbs? I don’t know.  But, I feel better, and that means more to me than numbers on a scale.”
• “Our first guest speaker was Nancy Clark. I learned a lot from her. She gave me a lot of good tips on what to eat and how much to drink. After her presentation, I have changed what I have been eating. I am now eating healthier and I feel a lot better. I have more energy, and I feel that my workouts are going better, as well.”
• “Some of the things I learned the most came from Nancy Clark, the dietitian out of Iowa State University. The nutrition part is one of the aspects that I haven’t controlled myself. It has hurt me as last summer I had to have my gall bladder removed. The doctor said it could have been a result of working out too much and not eating properly. I wasn’t drinking enough fluids and dehydrated myself, but that is a huge factor that I am trying to change."

Contact:
Nancy Clark, R.D., L.D.
ISU Families Extension / Nutrition Health Field Specialist
1121-B Hwy 18 East
Algona, IA 50511
Phone 515/295-2469; Fax 515/295-2460  
Email nanclark@iastate.edu

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