Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine
June 17, 2007

Most athletes know that lack of fluids weakens and tires them, so they take adequate amount of fluids, before, during and after competitions. However, many do not know how much they need extra calories. They often are told incorrectly that the human body as so much fat on board that lack of calories is not a significant problem. Researchers at the University of Wales in the United Kingdom found that moderate calorie restriction two days prior to competition slows down endurance far more than reduced fluid intake over that same period (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, February 2007).

Moderate dehydration does not harm performance until a person becomes severely dehydrated. On the other hand, lack of calories stops you cold in your tracks. Dehydration does not limit endurance until a person loses enough fluid to decrease blood volume, which takes a long time.

However, endurance during exercise depends on having enough sugar stored in your muscles. When you exercise, you get energy from fat and sugar stored in muscles, fat and sugar from the bloodstream, and to a lesser extent, from protein.

When your muscles run out of their stored sugar, they can hurt and you will find it more difficult to coordinate them. This happens no matter how much energy you have stored in body fat, which is virtually limitless during almost all athletic events. So a major nutritional principle of endurance exercise is to store as much sugar in muscles as possible and preserve that sugar supply for as long as possible. When you reduce calorie intake, you reduce your stored muscle sugar supply, so you should never fast or reduce calorie intake prior to athletic competition. In a few sports, athletes must lose weight so they can compete in a lower weight class, but they can compensate to some extent by eating as much as possible just before they start their competition.

If you're experiencing mild soreness after workouts, don't reach for the heating pad. Experts at the Mayo Clinic say that for the best relief, you should choose an ice pack instead! Apply a cool compress to the sore area for 20 minutes, every four to six hours, for the first few days. Remember, never put an ice pad or pack directly on your skin or you could get frostbite; rather, wrap the cool compress in a towel, then apply. After the pain and swelling subsides (usually within two to three days), begin heat therapy — applying warm compresses for 20 minutes, three times a day.

If your soreness gets worse or doesn't go away, it could be the sign of a more serious problem, so call your doctor. And remember, the goal of any exercise is to get a good workout, not to torture your body. If you're too sore for comfort on a regular basis, take the intensity down a notch! You'll still get a great workout, without as much risk of injury!