Sports Foods - Dr. Liz Applegate

(Bette) Joining me now is Dr. Liz Applegate. So nice to see you again. You're so busy writing all of these books. You're so busy. The latest: Encyclopedia of Sports & Fitness Nutrition. And, of course, it says here, everything you ever needed to know about well, I guess, running and getting the right thing to get you through that run, through that exercise, through life.

(Liz) Really. It's an athletic event living each day. That's what my philosophy is. And there are some products that can help you.

(Bette) So, so what do we look for, though, when we are looking at these products?

(Liz) Well, perhaps the most widely used and the most reasonable thing for a lot of us to do, whether we're serious about our running or whether we're just like dragging it, 'Oh I gotta make it to the gym. What can I do to get myself going?' sports drinks are great. Gatorade, and there are many others out there, are formulate for use during exercise. And that means they have the right amount of carbohydrate, the right amount of fluid, and a small amount of electrolytes. And that's just a fancy name for salt dissolved in water. It's nothing exotic.

(Liz) And that actually, it helps you, it gives you better endurance. And it works. These are scientifically proven.

(Bette) Okay, and we actually hear that these sports products can actually help your muscles. Really? Is that true?

(Liz) Well, it depends on the product. What the sport drinks do is they help prevent dehydration and they give you carbohydrates to fuel your workout, to make you feel, really, more energized. To help your muscles, what you're looking for is… Water's important to keep them from cramping and they need fluids. But also, there are studies to show that you actually do need more protein when you work out. Whether you're working out in the gym or running, or you just make it to the weekends and play basketball with your friends, you need more protein than somebody that's just sitting on the couch.

(Bette) Okay. Now we see these everywhere. This can be confusing. So when it comes to the bars, what do they do for me and what do I look for?

(Liz) Well, there are so many different bars out and I have a selection here so that we can look at the different ones.

(Liz) The first really on the scene were this type of bar, the Power Bars. And we actually use that name just like Kleenex. And these are used for during exercise - high in carbohydrate, low in fat. You could eat a banana, but these are great. They're convenient. They don't smush like a banana.

(Liz) Uh, the hot thing right now are the bars for women. And these bars, um, they don't turn you into a woman or anything like that, but what they do is they have some of the nutrients that women need more of like calcium and folic acid and iron, which we tend to be low on. And they're a controlled snack, which is good. You open up a bag of cookies, you could go into a dozen, at least if I was eating. This, only 180 calories.

(Bette) Not bad. But, again, if um, if I'm going to be working out for let's say a half an hour, do I need one of these bars?

(Liz) No you don't, Bette. But if you go into that workout hungry and you're really not that motivated to do it, you really should eat something. You could grab some dried fruit, you could grab a fresh banana, or you could have one of these in your pocket or in your gym bag.

(Bette) That's a very good point. Because often times you can talk yourself out of that extra half-hour because you feel a little sluggish and this could give you that kick.

(Liz) That, or a sport drink can give you the carbohydrate energy. But what you don't want to do is eat a high protein bar while you're exercising. This has a different role. These bars really are meal replacements. So you're too busy to grab that sandwich at lunchtime. If you had one of these in your desk drawer, some dried fruit or fresh fruit, this is a meal. Now, I'm not saying you should live that way and never eat real food, but this actually can come in handy. It's another type of bar all together.

(Bette) Okay, now let's talk about things like this. Is this gonna help me go the distance?

(Liz) Protein powders; they are big for all athletes. They use them. I have parents coming to me saying, 'Should my young soccer player be using protein powder?' all the way to serious body builders. When you work out you do need more protein. You can get it from food. You can eat a soy burger, you could drink some milk, you could have some grilled chicken. It's not hard to do.

(Liz) But, for some people who are really busy, they don't wanna go out and cook real food - and a I know a lot of men who don't cook at all. Uh, this actually can be a way to go. And it's actually protein that comes from food. It's nothing special.

(Bette) But you don't want to make a habit of…

(Liz) Well, food has so much more to offer. It has a lot of other nutrients. Plus it tastes great and that's what food's about is pleasure. And so you don't have to get it from a can, but it's a way to go.

(Liz) And then, you know, we hear so much about soy - and there are some health benefits with soy. It may help reduce heart disease risk, breast cancer risk for women. And it's a way to go, again, if you choose not to eat food. But you can cook up a bowl of fresh soybeans and that's another way to do it and that's pretty enjoyable as well.

(Bette) Now, how, how expensive are these products? 'Cause these are not inexpensive, right?

(Liz) Well, they're more expensive than a whole banana. I wanna eat a fresh banana as something to eat before my workout, it is going to be less expensive than a bar. But if I… This is what I do, Bette. I'll have one or two of these strategically placed. I have one in my glove box, one in my office, and in my workout bag. And, I'll tell ya, I'm tempted, just like anybody else, if there's a vending machine with a candy bar in it. This is a better choice. So that's what I advise people to do; To have them on hand.

(Bette) Lots of good advice. Thank you so much.

(Liz) It was great. Thank you, Bette.

You can find out more about Dr. Liz Applegate at
www.lizapplegate.com You can find her books the Encyclopedia of Sports and Fitness Nutrition & Bounce your Body Beautiful at www.amazon.com