Age and Diet

The younger an athlete is the less effect a poor diet has on performance. The older an athlete is the more critical diet is to performance. At least that is what I have observed over the years. It’s strictly my opinion. There is no research on this topic. But I’ve seen this phenomenon in athletes of all ages and in myself as an athlete for most of my 66 years here on the planet.

I really don’t know why, but this appears to be the case.

Perhaps it’s because young athletes generally train with a higher workload than older athletes. Maybe that has something to do with it. Because they train more they also burn more calories. And burning more calories means they eat more food – perhaps mostly junk food. When eating a poor-quality diet that has lots of calories they simply may get enough of the micronutrients necessary for optimal health and performance. That’s the Wal-Mart model: A small percentage of a large volume may be the key for the younger athlete.

It also may be strictly a health issue. It could be that the young athletes’ systemic defenses are so effective that it doesn’t take much to maintain a sound body. The older athlete may simply need a greater amount of vitamins and minerals to stay healthy and physically sound. Their immune systems are weaker.

So if you’re an older athlete could you eat more junk food and just use supplements to get what your body may need? I don’t think so. There is some evidence that vitamin and mineral supplements are ineffective and may even be harmful. For example, vitamin E in food has been shown to be an effective antioxidant. But as a supplement several studies have shown no benefits. Here’s another interesting one. Beta carotene when eaten in a carrot has been shown to be quite good for your health. But when the beta carotene is removed from the carrot and taken as a supplement it actually has negative consequences for health in the form of greater risk for heart disease. If you’re taking pills to boost health and perform better you may be accomplishing nothing or even doing harm. You’re much better off getting the micronutrients you need from real food rather than supplements.

I only recommend two supplements to those I coach. The first is omega-3, usually taken in a fish oil capsule. The Western diet is poor when it comes to omega-3 and it has potential benefits not only for performance, but also for health. The other is vitamin D to be taken in the winter by athletes who live in cold places, usually above of 40-degrees north latitude. Our bodies make their own vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. But in cold weather athletes either train indoors or cover up when outside. Once summer rolls around again there is little reason to continue vitamin D. Is taking these supplements the best option? No. I’d much rather my clients got both of these from eating a lot of fish and spending time in the sun. It’s the second-best option. Are they guaranteed to produce the desired results? No. We’re still waiting for that research.

Of course, there is also no research showing that a “healthy” diet is beneficial for performance. But there are a few things the research generally agrees on when it comes to diet and health. The most obvious is the benefits of vegetables and fruits. I have absolutely no doubt that the health of an older athlete who has a poor diet will improve if he or she simply eats more of these two food groups. I’ve seen that happen. But I wouldn’t expect to see a significant difference in a younger athlete who made the same change. The older athlete may even see a positive shift in performance from eating more vegs and fruits. It may be a direct performance benefit or indirect. For example, being healthier means fewer breakdowns due to illness. That makes training more consistent. Consistent training is far more effective for performance than inconsistent training.

I suggest to the athletes I coach that 80% of what they eat should be vegetables, fruits and lean meats, especially fish, game and free-ranging animals. The other 20% are mostly foods eaten immediately before, during and right after a workout to promote performance and recovery. I also tell them they don’t have to be perfect. It’s ok to cheat a little. Just make sure that it really is only “a little.”

References

Vivekananthan DP, Penn MS, Sapp SK, Hsu A, Topol EJ. Use of antioxidant vitamins for the prevention of cardiovascular disease: meta-analysis of randomised trials 2003 Lancet 2003 June 14; 361: 2017–23

Yusuf S, Davaenis G, Pogue J, Bosch, J, Sleight P. Vitamin E supplementation and cardiovascular events in high-risk patients. The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation Study Investigators. New England Journal of Medicine 2000 Jan; 342(3):154-60

Comments

[Rebecca]

I need to thank you for your healthy eating advice. My husband has never been a fan of ANY vegetables and very little fruit and I love it all so I still cook them everyday for my two boys and I in hopes he will join in with us someday too. Since reading your blogs and your input on how it can directly benefit his training, he has become more experimental with trying new vegetables and doesn't even mind when I hide them in pureed soups and smoothies (along with flax seed meal). Sometimes it takes someone else other than his wife to encourage him to eat better, so much appreciated!

[Steve]

Joe,
This is so true. I'll be 35 in September. So I guess I'm in the category of getting older athlete. Until recently my diet has been horrible, primarily sugars and carbs. With my new goal of completing an Ironman I realized the first thing I needed to upgrade was my diet. My wife has been on me for a few years now to eat better. I believe she has commented on here as well. My problem is I just hate the taste of vegetables. Recently we received as a gift a vitamix (high speed blender). She takes fruits and vegetable and blends them together in a delicious shake for me for breakfast. I don’t ask what she puts in it and I can’t even taste the vegetables. I’ve noticed that my appetite has reduced significantly, which has allowed me to lose excess body fat. I’m not a nutritionist but I believe because my body is now getting the nutrients it has been craving for years I find my self eating less overall throughout the day. I eat less, have lost weight, and noticed no additional fatigue. Thanks for this post. I love your blog!
Steve

[HG]

Joe ,
On the subject of nutrition;
what do you encourage your cycling athletes regarding coffee? I know of some coaches that encourage dropping it as a daily habit and only use it when you really need a boost... Almost like a legal performance enhancing substance.

thanks as always!

[Dave Bar]

Joe,

Thanks for your insight on supplements. What is your take on the supplement "infinit". I have heard a lot about this lately and know several who take it and swear by it for additional protein and as a drink during training.

[Joe Friel]

Dave Bar--If we're talking about the same thing, Infinit is a company that makes custom sports drinks. You order the product online to your specifications or from their list of optional products. It's really not a supplement. Unless you are talking about a different "Infinit."

[Joe Friel]

HG--I have no problems with their drinking coffee habitually so long as it is not excessive.

[DS]

On vitamin D and sunshine, dermatologists will tell you to wear sunscreen (which dramatically reduces the body's production of vitamin D) and take a supplement. Most triathletes are overexposed and crispy, probably with ample vitamin D stores, but for those who wear sunscreen and/or cover exposed skin, vitamin-D-rich foods or supplements are a must.

[Ryan]

If you'd rather not take Omega-3 pills, you can always add flaxseed meal or oil to smoothies or other dishes.

[David]

Hi Joe.
Having recently converted to the Paleo diet after reading your training book and the Paleo diet for athletes after many years of a high carb from rice,pasta etc.
The one thing i find hard is finding the correct food for breakfast,i cannot handle eating eggs first thing in the morning.
At the moment my breakfast is a zero carb,lactose free protein shake and bananas,apples,peaches etc.
Would be interested to hear other suggestions from you Joe and other people who read your blog.
In the Paleo diet for athletes book i find there is little on breakfast eating.

[Joe Friel]

Hi David--Great question. Breakfast seems to be the sticking point for most everyone. Food selection doesn't seem to be a problem any other time of the day. But we've been taught to eat only certain foods first thing in the morning. Interestingly, the things we've been told to eat by the cereal manufacturers (Kellogg started this campaign back around turn of last century) is cereal. But you can eat anything you want. I eat leftovers from a previous meal, grilled turkey, seafood, eggs, nuts, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Most people eat a very limited number of things for bfast. People tell me they think I eat a limited number of foods but when we start comparing I eat a greater variety than them. Most have about 15 foods or so they eat all the time with much if not most of it being wheat and corn, which are quite poor for micronutrients. Good recovery foods tho.

[RamonGustav]

Congratulations! You have so much useful information, write more.