Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) highlights: Part two
Oct 26-29, 2019, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
The 2019 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo.
Speaker highlights
Protein timing: Is there an anabolic window of opportunity?
Brad Schoenfeld PhD, CUNY Lehman College
- If athletes fail to eat within 45 minutes of lifting weights, the anabolic window does not slam shut. Refueling either 1 or 3 hours post-exercise generates a similar gain in muscle protein synthesis. For the average exerciser, the effect of post-exercise protein timing on muscle growth is relatively small. For competitive body builders, the gain is also small but perhaps meaningful, so most prefer to err on the side of caution.
- Refueling with a combination of protein + carbs is best for competitive athletes who do two workouts per day. Post-exercise protein, like carbohydrate, stimulates insulin secretion. (Whey protein stimulates more insulin than white bread!). Insulin reduces muscle breakdown and enhances glycogen replacement.
- Eating more than 20 grams of protein every 3 hours (four times a day) may—or may not—contribute to more muscle mass, depending on many variables. For example, a novice weight-lifter will build more muscle than someone who has been lifting weights for six months. Vegans may need to consume a higher amount of protein to get adequate leucine, an amino acid that triggers muscle growth. Consuming 20-gram doses of protein is preferable to consuming one 80-gram dose.
The female and male athlete triad: Health and nutritional implications for recovery
Mary Jane De Souza PhD, The Pennsylvania State University
- About 9% of male athletes—as compared to about 21% of female athletes—struggle with food issues and restrict their food intake. In men, low energy availability can lead to low testosterone, poor semen quality, reduced sperm count and sperm motility. In women, it shows up as loss of regular menses (amenorrhea), hence infertility.
- Compared to female athletes, male athletes can withstand more of a severe deficit before the appearance of symptoms such as low testosterone, bone stress injuries, and reduced bone density/poor bone health. Men seem able to reverse the hormonal imbalance within days, while women can take months.
- A simple way to consume the recommended 350 additional calories per day is to break two energy bars into small bites, and nibble on them over the course of several hours.
Debate: The effects of a ketogenic diet on exercise metabolism during endurance performance
Louise Burke OAM, PhD, APD, Australian Institute of Sport
Stephen Phinney MD, PhD.,Virta Health
- A ketogenic sports diet (defined as 1.5 g protein/kg/day, <50 g carb/day, and unrestricted dietary fat)) can limit how intensely a highly competitive athlete can exercise. A study with world-class race walkers who had been on a keto-diet for three weeks indicated they were 1% slower in a 10K race, as opposed to the high-carb diet group that improved by 7%. More research is needed to determine if the results would have been different if these athletes had been keto-adapted for months, instead of just weeks.
- Keto diets are known to curb appetite and assist with loss of undesired body fat. This might be helpful for athletes in weight-focused sports.
- For some athletes, keto can be a cover-up for an eating disorder —a band-aid that reduces carb-binges but fails to deal with any underlying emotional issues.
- Keto diets come in both “good” and “bad” forms. Some keto-athletes eat 4 to 5 servings of non-starchy vegetables a day, while others eat a lot of “fat bombs”.
- Because people vary in their responses to a ketogenic diet, we have much to learn. A key issue is sustainability of the keto lifestyle and what happens with food intake and weight after the diet.
Future meetings
In 2020, FNCE will be held in Indianapolis October 17-20. Sports nutrition will again be integrated into the extensive program. The SCAN reception will offer you the opportunity to meet US sports dietitians as well as other PINES members. See you there?
Author
Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD has a private practice in the Boston-area and is author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 6th Edition (2019). She is an active member of SCAN and PINES; let her know if you plan to attend FNCE 2020! (nclarkrd@rcn.com)
