The last week of the 2017 Crossfit Open is here, and it’s brought Thrusters with it once again! A total of 90 paired with 350 total double-unders, this workout is going to last anywhere from 7:00-40:00(time cap) which makes a nutrition strategy a little bit more complicated depending on your individual skill level! However, either way, it is an aerboic type workout so we will be breathing heavy and continuously working at using carbohydrates and fats for energy as we maintain a relatively high intensity! Here’s how the break down those meals leading up to your workout for one last week…but I also hope you’ve learned some good take-aways from fueling your body properly for workouts!
Day Before
For one last day here we will be refeeding in an effort to increase our carbohydrate intake by 50-100% to ensure our energy stores are loaded and ready to work! Maintain your typical protein and fat levels for additional fuel and muscle support. Again, keep carbohydrate sources from foods as unprocessed as possible like whole-grains, starchy vegetables, and fruits. Lastly, all I can feel when thinking about this workout is CALF CRAMP! These double-unders are going to tear us up…so make sure today and throughout the day of your workout, drink plenty of water to keep your muscles hydrated and relaxed! Another possible cause for muscle cramps is a deficiency in minerals and electrolytes such as magnesium, sodium, and potassium. Include some extra foods that contain these such as hemp seeds (they’re featured in my latest recipe Recipe: The ‘Macrofriendliest’ Bagels), table salt (a little extra Hymalayin Sea Salt sprinkle may do your body good), bananas, nuts, beans, dark leafy greens and plenty other vegetables!
AM WORKOUT
Breakfast
First and only meal of the day to fuel your 17.5; get plenty of carbohydrates (35-50g) and some proteins (25-40g) while limiting fats. This workout could be quick or super long, so think about what intensity level and time domain you suspect you’ll be in to gauge just how much energy intake you should be getting!
Pre/Intra-workout
Regardless of how long you predict this workout might take you, a quick pre-workout snack may be beneficial to keep energy levels high. 20-40g of carbohydrates in their quickest digesting, simplest form is ideal just before OR if this workout will take you closer to the 30:00 mark throughout the workout as an intra-workout supplement. Fruit juices or coconut water mixed with some BCAAs is what I would recommend.
NOON
Breakfast
You’ll need a good breakfast full of energy before this one! Aim for 40-60g of carbohydrates from slower digesting sources like vegetables, oats, or whole-grains as well as 25-40g of protein. Include 10-20g of healthy fat sources as well such as using olive oil for cooking, nuts and seeds in your oatmeal, or avocado smashed on your whole-wheat toast.
Meal 2
Aim to consume this meal about an hour or two before beginning the workout. Include 20-30g of protein, 30-60g of carbohydrates, and limit fat intake now. Our carbohydrate sources should be from faster-digesting sources now, such as fruits, snacks higher in sugar like fruit chews, rice cakes, or crackers.
Pre/Intra-workout
Regardless of how long you predict this workout might take you, a quick pre-workout snack may be beneficial to keep energy levels high. 20-40g of carbohydrates in their quickest digesting, simplest form is ideal just before OR if this workout will take you closer to the 30:00 mark throughout the workout as an intra-workout supplement. Fruit juices or coconut water mixed with some BCAAs is what I would recommend.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Breakfast
Just like previous weeks, we want to start our day with a big, healthy breakfast that will prepare our bodies well for these 10 rounds of work! Shoot for 35-60g of carbohydrates, 25-40g of protein, and 15-25g of fats. Carbohydrate sources should be slower-digesting since we have plenty of time to digest and metabolize these foods!
Meal 2
Most likely our lunch meal, this should consist of a similar breakdown of our breakfast. Balance 20-30g of proteins, 25-50g of carbohydrates (again, slower digesting sources), and 10-20g of fats. We still have some time to digest and absorb our foods so continue making good choices!
Meal 3
About 1-2 hours before working out get in one last fuel-up! Eating 25-50g of faster-digesting carbohydrates now will be important as well as 20-40g of proteins while limiting fat intake. Remember that if you’re a smaller human eat on the lower side of the ranges vs a larger human, but also take into account your activity level throughout the day; highly active job or lifestyle will need to be closer to the higher end of the range regardless of body type compared to a very sedentary lifestyle.
Pre/Intra-workout
Regardless of how long you predict this workout might take you, a quick pre-workout snack may be beneficial to keep energy levels high. 20-40g of carbohydrates in their quickest digesting, simplest form is ideal just before OR if this workout will take you closer to the 30:00 mark throughout the workout as an intra-workout supplement. Fruit juices or coconut water mixed with some BCAAs is what I would recommend.
Hope you all enjoy this workout x 10! Thank you for keeping up with these Nutrition Strategies from 17.1 through 17.5!! I hope you were able to maximize your performance and feel in control and confident about your food choices and eating habits during a time when Castro has so much power over the control and confidence in our fitness!!! If you have any questions or are looking for any extra help, feel free to contact me via the contact tab above, or email me at foodcertitude@gmail.com 🙂 Thanks again for reading and sharing!!!!
Our 2017 repeat has come around for 17.4 and it is 16.4! I love a chipper and am so excited for this repeat because after a strong start last year, this workout knocked down my ranking and my confidence in my handstand-push-up ability! However, hopefully another 365 days of practicing my gymnastics has paid off and I am so looking forward to retesting it! The workout lasts 13 minutes, so it will be an aerobic-type workout, requiring carbohydrates and fats for fuel. Our fueling routine will be similar to 17.1, requiring lots of heavy breathing and continuous movement!
Day Before
As always, we will be re-feeding before this workout! Carbohydrates should be increased 50-100% and our fat intake can remain the same because we will be needing all the energy we can get. Remember to include healthful, whole foods with all of your meals as you’re taking in slightly more food than usual as it is and we don’t want processed foods messing with our digestive tracks more than our nerves already will be! Continue hydrating well throughout the day, drinking to thirst and aiming to consume at least 3 blender-bottle fulls of water.
AM WORKOUT
First I want to give a shout-out to the Faithful 5:30 crew at CFOP! They’ve been crushing the 2017 Open while most of us are still in R.E.M…Keep it up you guys! Okay onto your nutrition if you are one Faithful 5:30er too!
Breakfast
Being the first and only meal before your workout, we always want to include some protein to replenish those protein-pools as well as load our bodies with some quick-digesting carbs to get our bodies ready to perform our very best! Aim for 20-30g of protein, 30-60g of carbohydrates, and limit fat intake as we don’t want the digestion and absorption of these macronutrients slowed at all!
Pre/Intra-workout
We may want to replenish ourselves some throughout the duration of this workout. As we make quick transitions from the deadlift bar to the wallballs or onto the rower, we can take a quick moment to sip some liquid, sugary carbs for energy! (Think gatorade, powerade, coconut water, fruit juice, ect.). I recommend this especially if you weren’t able to eat plenty of carbohydrates the day before or morning of.
NOON
Breakfast
We want to get a good breakfast in to start our day for this workout! Consume 20-30g of protein, 25-50g of carbohydrates, and include 10-20g of fats since we have plenty of time before we begin 17.4. Check out some of my most recent recipes for some great grab & go options if you have time to prepare them before the day you’re completing it! Carbohydrate sources should be coming from slower-digesting sources since we still have so much time before the workout.
Meal 2
Aim to consume this meal about an hour or two before beginning the workout. Include 20-30g of protein, 30-60g of carbohydrates, and limit fat intake now. Our carbohydrate sources should be from faster-digesting sources now!
Pre/Intra-workout
We may want to replenish ourselves some throughout the duration of this workout. As we make quick transitions from the deadlift bar to the wallballs or onto the rower, we can take a quick moment to sip some liquid, sugary carbs for energy! (Think gatorade, powerade, coconut water, fruit juice, ect.). I recommend this especially if you weren’t able to eat plenty of carbohydrates the day before or morning of.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Breakfast
We have all day before we’re completing this workout, but let’s start the day off right with a great, balanced breakfast! (See my recent recipe posts for ideas!) Consume about 20-30g of protein, 25-50g of carbohydrates (from slow digesting sources like vegetables and whole-grains) and include 10-20g of fats. Set the tone for your day and carry that great momentum into your evening workout!
Meal 2
Most likely our lunch meal, this should consist of a similar breakdown of our breakfast. Balance 20-30g of proteins, 25-50g of carbohydrates (again, slower digesting sources), and 10-20g of fats. We still have some time to digest and absorb our foods so continue making good choices!
Meal 3
This should be about 1-2 hours before you’re heading into the gym to hit this Chipper! It should consist of 20-30g of proteins again as well as 30-50g of carbohydrates now from faster digesting sources like fruits or other sugar sources (but make healthy choices so you feel good for the workout!)
Pre/Intra-workout
We may want to replenish ourselves some throughout the duration of this workout. As we make quick transitions from the deadlift bar to the wallballs or onto the rower, we can take a quick moment to sip some liquid, sugary carbs for energy! (Think gatorade, powerade, coconut water, fruit juice, ect.). I recommend this especially if you weren’t able to eat plenty of carbohydrates the day before or morning of.
Best of luck to everyone! All we can control is our effort…and how well we fuel our bodies 🙂 So do your best with both!!
![FullSizeRender[320]](https://foodcertitude.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/fullsizerender320.jpg?w=399&h=493)
Put the dumbbells down and get your arms up! (In my best Kiki Dickson voice impression); Some heavy squat snatches and chest-to-bar have made their way into our 2017 Crossfit Open season! The workout has the potential to last from 8 minutes long up to 24 minutes long but relatively, everyone will be hitting some high-intensity, heavy snatches within either of those time frames! This style of workout changes our meal plan a bit, read on about how to prepare the day before and day of 17.3!
Day Before
This workout is going to require a slightly different demand on our body and its energy systems than the previous two workouts. This weekend, we really want to keep our heart rate low…like, as low as possible while getting the chest-to-bar work done so that we are never getting too fatigued to hit any of those heavy snatches! This means our carbohydrates won’t be the only fuel we’re using during the workout. Fats are going to come into play while we try to keep this workout as low-intensity as we can (don’t worry, it will still feel extremely high-intensity at some point).
SO the day before, we will still need to re-feed a bit to ensure our carbohydrate stores at locked and loaded and our protein pools are fully filled so we are never breaking down our own muscle fibers to create additional energy or support other working ones. Increase carbohydrates slightly less than before, more like 30%-80% higher than normal because we are also going to increase our fat intake slightly as well, adding in an additional 10-25g for the day. Why? Not because we need to fill any fat stores (we have basically an infinite amount available all throughout our body, fat jokes aside) but because we want all the calories to help us feel strong tomorrow! So carbs slightly less high as previous weeks (to manage calorie intake slightly so we aren’t taking in too many) as well as a small increase in fats. Protein intake should always be consistent amounts throughout the day.
Another note; Pre-workout supplements…it definitely has it’s time and place to help increase energy levels, promote greater performance by pushing us to move a little faster, hang on for one more rep, or pull a little harder; however, during a workout with a heavy yet technical lift, it’s going to be important that we don’t get too hyped up and frazzled, causing us to miss lifts! If you are a regular pre-workout drinker, and you know how much your body performs best with, then continue to do-you. If you are looking to get that extra bump to help you rip 265# off the floor, I do not recommend taking extra scoops because chances are you’ll never even make it to that weight because you’ll be so jazzed up you miss all your lifts at 95#!
AM WORKOUT
Breakfast
We should have a pretty consistent routine by this point if you’ve been hitting the workouts at this time each week. Hopefully you have found a breakfast that has you feeling your best! Similar to previous weeks, you should consume 30-40g of carbohydrates and 15-25g of protein before getting to the gym! We’ll want to limit fat intake if we’ll be starting our workout within 30 minutes because of its effect on slowing digestion and nutrient absorption, however if you are up early enough to have an hour or so before the workout, you can include some healthy fats.
Pre/Intra-workout
Unlike last week or the week before, we won’t be trying to move non-stop as quickly as possible. We are going to NEED to pause, rest, and calm down before attempting any heavy lifts. This gives us a good opportunity to get a quick sip. Your drink can include some quick-digesting carbs (coconut water, fruit juices) as well as BCAAs to preserve our muscle fibers since they will be generating a lot of force. If you plan to continue working up to 20 minutes or so, keeping a quick replenishing drink nearby may be helpful, especially if you aren’t able to replenish a bit of fuel immediately before.
NOON
Breakfast
Like the AM workout group, hopefully you’ve found yourself something to eat that helps you feel your best come workout time! You have some time before the workout that you can make a balanced breakfast of 35-50g carbs, 15-25g protein, and 10-20g fat.
Meal 2
Getting closer to workout time, we want to continue including carbohydrates to have our bodies properly fueled. Eating 25-40g of carbs and 10-20g of protein should be good to hold us over through the workout. Remember to include faster digesting carbohydrates the closer to the workout we get. If you’re eating this meal with about an hour or more before the start of your workout, you can include 10-20g of fats as well.
Pre/Intra-workout
Unlike last week or the week before, we won’t be trying to move non-stop as quickly as possible. We are going to NEED to pause, rest, and calm down before attempting any heavy lifts. This gives us a good opportunity to get a quick sip. Your drink can include some quick-digesting carbs (coconut water, fruit juices) as well as BCAAs to preserve our muscle fibers since they will be generating a lot of force. If you plan to continue working up to 20 minutes or so, keeping a quick replenishing drink nearby may be helpful, especially if you aren’t able to replenish a bit of fuel immediately before.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Breakfast
With plenty of hours to digest our foods, consume your balanced breakfast of 25-40g of carbohydrates, 20-35g of protein, and 15-25g of fats. Starting your day off with plenty of healthy fuel is a great start to prepare yourself to crush 17.3! Remember, our carbohydrate sources should be from slower-digesting, complex sources such as vegetables, whole grains, oats, or some fruits.
Meal 2
Still lots of hours before our workout, we can consume a similar combination of our macronutrients with a slight increase in our carbohydrate intake now that the workout is getting closer. Carb sources can still be of the slow-digesting, complex nature. Aim for 35-50g of carbs, 15-25g of protein, and you can include 10-20g of fats as well.
Meal 3
1-3 hours before the workout, fats should be limited now and we should once again fuel up with 30-40g of carbohydrates and 10-20g of protein. The closer to the workout we are eating, the more fast-digesting type carbs we should be consuming (fruits, baked goods, sugary based foods, pasta or rice).
Pre/Intra-workout
Unlike last week or the week before, we won’t be trying to move non-stop as quickly as possible. We are going to NEED to pause, rest, and calm down before attempting any heavy lifts. This gives us a good opportunity to get a quick sip. Your drink can include some quick-digesting carbs (coconut water, fruit juices) as well as BCAAs to preserve our muscle fibers since they will be generating a lot of force. If you plan to continue working up to 20 minutes or so, keeping a quick replenishing drink nearby may be helpful, especially if you aren’t able to replenish a bit of fuel immediately before.
Remember to always stay hydrated, especially when we are increasing carbohydrate and calorie intake! It will help your digestion of this extra food as well as keeping your performance on key. Continuously consuming water throughout the day will keep you consistently hydrated and best prepared for your weekend! Best of luck!
(Below are the previous posts for 17.2, 17.1, and the intro of this Strategy series)
More dumbbells! 17.2 is a relatively quick workout (12:00 AMRAP) with a focus on your engine (along with gymnastics skills). This workout is going to be about maintaining a steady, consistent pace from the start; never spiking your heart-rate up on any of the movements so that you can move onto the next set or movement shortly after breaking. Your bar muscle-up practice has been put in over the past year, now it’s time to dial in what you can control now! So here’s how to nutritionally-prep the day before and day of your 17.2;
Day Before
As with last week, the day (or night) before completing this workout, you should increase your carbohydrate intake by 50-100% (if you eat 200g of carbs per day, aim to eat 300-400g…on the higher side if you’re a larger male human, lower side if you’re a smaller lady human). Why is this important? Carbohydrates will be our main energy source again during this high intensity workout! Fat intake can be maintained or slightly increased so that we have plentiful calories ready for energy use tomorrow! Remember to drink plenty of water with your increased carbohydrate intake!
AM WORKOUT
Breakfast:
This is the only meal you’ll be eating before this workout, so you’ll need to be sure you are getting in enough carbohydrates and proteins to provide adequate energy (and muscle maintenance demands) to get you through the workout. Fats should be limited so that our other macronutrients are digested and metabolized quickly. Aim for 30-40g carbohydrates and 15-25g protein about 1-2 hours before you plan to begin the workout!
Pre/Intra-workout:
This workout is only 12 minutes long, so there is little to no reason to need any intra-workout replenishment, especially if you eat your proper breakfast and fuel a bit before beginning the workout. Within 30 minutes before starting the workout, consume another 20-30g of carbohydrates, preferably in a simple-carbohydrate/sugary form (see The Alphabet of Pre-Workout Carb Sources for suggestions) (Other ideas include: fruit juice or coconut water mixed with some BCAAs).
NOON
Breakfast:
This is meal 1 of 2 before your workout. Aim to consume 30-50g carbohydrates from somewhat slower digesting sources (whole-grains, veggies, oats) since you have time to digest. Eat 15-25g of protein and add some healthy fats to your breakfast as well (avocados, flax seeds, nuts, eggs with yolk).
Meal 2:
For your lunch or afternoon snack, aim to consume an additional 25-35g of carbohydrates and your 15-25g of protein. Fats should be limited in this meal and carb sources can be faster-digesting sources now (fruits, breads, muffins, ect).
Pre/Intra-workout:
Being only 12 minutes long and having 2 meals prior to fuel yourself already, there is little to no reason for any intra-workout replenishment. However, within 30 minutes before starting the workout, consume another 20-30g of carbohydrates, preferably in a simple-carbohydrate/sugary form (see The Alphabet of Pre-Workout Carb Sources for suggestions) (Other ideas include: fruit juice or coconut water mixed with some BCAAs).
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Breakfast:
For meal 1 of 3 before your workout, include 30-50g of carbohydrates, 15-25g protein, and 10-25g of fats. Carbohydrate sources should be slower digesting (whole-grains, veggies, oats) since we have plenty of hours before workout time.
Meal 2:
Probably your lunch meal, this can include 30-40g of carbohydrates, 20-30g of proteins, and 10-15g of fats. Carbohydrate sources can be from slower digesting sources again since we have a couple more hours before go-time. Fats will be included in moderation as well.
Meal 3:
This can be a later lunch or an afternoon snack about 2-3 hours before heading to the gym. Include 25-35g of faster digesting carbohydrates (fruits, breads, juices) and 15-25g of proteins. Limit fats in this meal since we need too digest and metabolize our carbs and proteins quickly.
Pre/Intra-Workout:
A quick 12 minutes workout wont require us to need any intra-workout replenishment, especially if you’ve eaten a sufficient amount of carbohydrates throughout your previous 3 meals. Within 30 minutes before starting the workout, consume another 20-30g of carbohydrates, preferably in a simple-carbohydrate/sugary form (see The Alphabet of Pre-Workout Carb Sources for suggestions) (Other ideas include: fruit juice or coconut water mixed with some BCAAs).
GOOD LUCK!
(Below are the previous posts for 17.1 and intro to this Strategy Series)
It’s here! 17.1 is a workout for time with a 20:00 time cap! Approaching a nutrition strategy for these workouts, the two main things I am considering is the time domain and the type of movements. For the case of 17.1, we have the potential to work for 20:00 which makes it a longer one for the Crossfit Open and explosive type movements of dumbbell snatches and burpee box jump overs. Long duration plus high intensity calls for sufficient carbohydrate availability immediately before and/or during the workout but also a need for plentiful glycogen (stored carbs) to pull from as we reach the 10, 15, and 20 minute marks.
Remember; eat foods that you know your body will digest and handle well…no need for belly aches or multiple bathroom breaks throughout the day, your nerves will do that for you enough!; eat faster-digesting, sugary type carbs shortly before the workout and slower digesting carbs further away from it, depending what time you’re completing it.; after your workout, recovery is just as important, especially if you are planning to repeat!! Refuel your carbs with some quick-digesting sources and replenish protein within an hour after the workout. Consume slower digesting carbs and more protein 2-3 hours after the workout as well.
So friends, here’s the plan!
DAY BEFORE
You will need to refeed a bit for this workout. Consume some extra calories in the form of carbohydrates from healthy, slow digesting sources (see my post The Alphabet of Pre-Workout Carb Sources for ideas!). The more sugar-y type carbs will be best for tomorrow shortly before the workout. Today we want to resupply our carbohydrate stores within our muscles while also keeping ourselves feeling clean and healthy. We don’t want to stress our digestive system with poor food choices! We should increase our carb intake 50-100% (depending if you’re a smaller or larger human), our protein intake can remain about the same and our fat intake can remain the same or be slightly decreased. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated with our increased carbohydrate intake and get plenty of sleep the night before!
AM WORKOUT
If you are a dedicated 5:30am-er or hitting the workout at the 9am class, this is your game plan:
BREAKFAST:
You need to be SURE to get in some fuel before attempting this workout. There is no chance to make it through this grinder if you skip breakfast. You need to be eating at least 20-35g of carbs before this workout, preferably about 30 minutes before getting to the gym (that means go to bed now so you can get up a bit earlier if needed to get some food in!) and about 15-25g of protein. Keep fats minimal since they can slow the digestion and metabolism of the other nutrients. This means your meal composition (% of total calories) should be somewhere like; protein: 30%, carbs: 50%, fats: 20%.
PRE/INTRA-WORKOUT:
Right before the workout, get in another light, quick digesting source of carbs, 15-25g if possible from some type of sugary drink (supplement, fruit juice, Powerade) if possible! This can also be sipped during the workout if you’re able to make a quick sip between transitions from the box to the dumbbell (don’t use it as an excuse to slow down though!)
NOON
If you are working out after eating 1-2 meals, this is your game plan:
BREAKFAST:
You should eat 25-40g of carbohydrates, 15-25g of protein, and include some healthy fats (10-15g) with your breakfast as well. Your meal composition should be around protein: 25%, carbs: 45%, fats: 30%. You have time to digest and metabolize a full breakfast, but stick to choices that you know will make you feel good.
MEAL 2:
Try to get in another snack around mid-morning. We don’t want to be going into our workout feeling hungry or sluggish at all so let’s be sure to keep those carb sources readily available! This snack should be composed of a slower digesting carb type (20-35g) preferably and should be about 2 hours before going to the gym. Meal should also consist of about 15-25g protein and fats can be included but minimal.
PRE/INTRA-WORKOUT:
Definitely get in something from 30 minutes to immediately before the workout. 15-25g of quick digesting, sugary carbs (supplement, juice, Powerade) so we can get our immediate energy for these explosive movements. This can also be sipped during the workout if you’re able to make a quick sip between transitions from the box to the dumbbell (don’t use it as an excuse to slow down though!)
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS!
If you are working out after 2-3 meals and in the evening, here’s your game plan:
BREAKFAST:
You will be eating similar breakfasts and meal 2s as the Noon group. You should eat 25-40g of carbohydrates, 15-25g of protein, and include some healthy fats (10-15g) with your breakfast as well. Your meal composition should be around protein: 25%, carbs: 45%, fats: 30%. You have time to digest and metabolize a full breakfast, but stick to choices that you know will make you feel good.
MEAL 2:
If this is a mid-morning snack or a lunch, be sure to include more slower digesting carbohydrates (20-35g), proteins (20-35g), and some fats (10-15g). (For ideas on carb sources, check my article The Alphabet of Pre-Workout Carb Sources).
MEAL 3:
This can be a lunch or a pre-workout meal, but should fall about 2 hours before your workout. It should consist of some faster digesting carbs (20-30g), protein (15-25g), and minimal fats. Meal composition should be a little lighter than your previous meal as we prepare to workout!
PRE/INTRA-WORKOUT:
Definitely get in something 30 minutes to immediately before the workout here. 15-25g of quick digesting, sugary carbs (supplement, juice, Powerade) so we can get our immediate energy for these explosive movements. This can also be sipped during the workout if you’re able to make a quick sip between transitions from the box to the dumbbell (don’t use it as an excuse to slow down though!)
GOOD LUCK!
(Below is the previous posted article introducing this series!)
In my previous post Eating for the Crossfit Open, I covered some general ideas about how you can be prepared for the Open by properly fueling for and recovering from the next 5 weeks. But I’ve decided to get even more detailed and offer you weekly Nutrition Strategies for each specific workout based on their time domains, required efforts, and on when you will be completing the workout (9am class, noon class, or Friday Night Lights).
(14.5 – Crossfit Lynchburg)
Immediately after Dave Castro announces 17.1, you will be able to find a plethora of videos and articles online surrounding how to approach the workout. Any type of movement announced will gain an additional 100 “how to get your first…” videos and exercise science geeks will strap on heart rate monitors and test rep schemes for their effect on heart rate and exertion. All of that information is definitely helpful, but no matter how souped up your race car is, if you don’t put any (or the right kind) of gas in it, you’re not going anywhere. Nutrition is such a highly important yet overlooked aspect of your performance in the Open (or your training…or your life…). After winning the 2015 Crossfit Games, Katrin Davidsdottir made a quick, low key statement in one of her post-win interviews about how her coach made her really dial in her nutrition and that it made such a positive impact on her training and her performance. I was so excited that she had mentioned that in hope of people really starting to realize the importance of dialing in their nutrition. She came back to win World’s Fittest Woman for a consecutive year after another dedicated year of training and continuing to track her foods to maintain proper macronutrient balance. It’s one of those things that you don’t really know what you’re missing until you start doing it and realize how amazing you feel and how in-reach your goals really are!
(15.1 – Crossfit Lynchburg)
Today is Monday, which means we have about 3 more days of eating & training (depending what day you’re doing the workout). In these next 3 days, you can make yourself feel more prepared and confident by eating healthy, balanced meals and staying hydrated. If you are just now realizing that you could probably afford to lose 10lbs to make burpees easier, the effects of you trying to cut back your calories to drop even 1lb now will have much greater negative effects on your performance, than instead, accepting that those 10lbs might help you lift a heavier weight when it comes up and continue to maintain your normal caloric intake.
(15.2 – Crossfit Lynchburg)
Most of us will be doing the workout on Friday (gyms typically program it as their WOD), so that means Thursday is going to be an important day for our nutrition! We have no idea what is in store yet, but we know we are going to be working at a very high intensity for a moderate length of time, pushing our bodies a little harder than usual. All of that means we will have a higher energy expenditure so we need in increase our energy intake to provide fuel for all that work! (For more detailed information on how the energy systems work – check out my Vlogs for FeNom (part 2 released tomorrow morning) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmYRoB9tpxHxzTDf4n2S8HQ). So on Thursday, aim to increase your calories by around 500 (less if you’re a smaller human, more if you’re a bigger human). Not all calories are the same though; we want this increase to come from eating more carbohydrates (aim for about 1.25-1.5x of your normal intake in grams if you’re tracking), being that they are our main source of fuel for a high intensity workout. BUT not all carbohydrates are the same either; we want the bulk of our carbohydrates to be coming from complex, natural sources such as fruits, vegetables, rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta or bread…we could have a field day with eating that many extra carbs with chips, cookies, cakes, doughnuts, ect. but those foods are not going to make us feel our best. Digestion will be messed up, sleep will be poorer, and those foods are also high in fats which we don’t need to be fueling up on right now.
(15.5 – Crossfit Lynchburg)
With this increase in carbohydrate intake, it is also very important that we drink plenty of water! Storing 1g of carbohydrates in our muscles to later be used for energy requires about 4g of water to also be stored into our muscles. That water will be pulled from our blood stream and if are not replenishing that water, we will be effected by the negative impacts of dehydration. Here’s another stat; for even 1% of dehydration (1% of body weight, so a 2lb loss of water in a 200lb person), can result in performance decreases up to 10%. When you’re trying to rank as high as you possibly can on these workouts, a 10% drop in performance is majorly detrimental! So make sure you are drinking at least about 3 blender-bottles full of water each day.
(16.4 – Crossfit Oyster Point)
When 17.1 is released, I will continue on this post with some specific nutritional recommendations for how to; eat the day before the workout (it will be 8pm when it is announced, so if you are completing it Friday, follow the rules above…if you are doing it later in the weekend or maybe repeating again Monday, you can follow the slightly more specific details); eat the morning of the workout; eat the next meal or 2 before the workout (if you are doing a noon or Friday Night Lights class). During these explanations, I will also include some information about supplementation, either right before the workout (pre), during the workout (intra), or immediately after the workout (post).
I hope you find the next 5-weeks of my Nutrition Strategies useful and help you go into each Open workout with *certitude* in your preparation! I also hope these 5-weeks are encouraging, terrifying, motivating, eye-opening, challenging, exciting, humbling, and unforgettable for you!!
If you have any additional questions or concerns you’d like covered, please Contact me and let me know!
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