Healthy eating habits/Dairy for Health & Performance in Sub-elite Female Cyclists

Dairy for Health & Performance


Low fat dairy foods including milk and yoghurt are valuable, protective and abundant sources of energy and nutrition for female health and sporting performance. The interaction and roles between nutrients assist in performing a variety of essential functions within our body. These include, energy production, growth of lean muscle tissue and repair, bone and teeth structure, neural transmission and electrolyte balance. Dairy products contain less than 4% fat per serve and promote gut health and immunity. With over 10 essential nutrients including major macronutrients Protein and Carbohydrate; minerals including; Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorous and Zinc, and three essential vitamins Riboflavin, Vitamin B 12 and Vitamin A, dairy is a great choice.

Primary roles of Calcium
Adequate calcium intake is essential in maintaining skeletal bone structure and blood calcium levels. The regulation of blood calcium is important for heart and muscle contractions, nerve impulses, hormone secretions and blood pressure control.

Disease prevention: Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease characterised by weak and brittle bones. Women are more susceptible to developing this disease, especially following menopause with the associated decrease in oestrogen production. Therefore ensuring adequate calcium is consumed during adolescence when bone mass triples and following menopause is crucial to maintain strong bones.

What else can I do to maintain my bone strength?
Maintaining bone density requires adequate Vitamin D intake, which increases the absorption of calcium in the small intestine and kidneys. Adequate dietary energy intake is also very important to prevent the loss of bone. . Female cyclists can also benefit from weight bearing or plyometric training, helping to increase the density of bones.

Whey and Casein
A number of beneficial health properties can be obtained from whey, including increased iron absorption, protection against harmful bacteria and infections and protection of tooth enamel. Whey also contains 3 essential branched-chain amino acids, called leucine, isoleucine and valine. These are used by the muscle and play a significant role in muscle growth and repair. Therefore, whey has a role in increasing lean muscle mass and reducing fat mass, very important for cycling performance and body composition goals.

Casein plays a role in lowering blood pressure and helps protect teeth by binding to dental plaque.

Lactose
The main carbohydrate found in milk is called Lactose. Lactose is a great source of energy, assists calcium absorption and promotes healthy gut bacteria, protecting us from infections.

Lactose is beneficial in replenishing muscle glycogen stores and is therefore a very valuable training, or recovery snack.

Electrolytes within Dairy


Calcium, potassium, phosphorous and magnesium are important electrolytes that assist with heart and muscle contractions, nerve transmission and rehydration. Therefore, consuming dairy can be very beneficial in assisting the athlete in maintaining performance and recovery.

Recommended Dietary Intake

 * Adolescent females (14-18yr): 1300mg/day= 3.5 serves
 * Adult women (19-30yr): 1000mg/day= 2.5 serves
 * Older women (70+): 1300mg/day= 3.5 serves

What is one serve?

 * 40g (2 slices) of cheese
 * 250ml of milk
 * 200g tub of yoghurt

Why is this necessary?
Adolescent females experience a significant period of rapid skeletal growth and development, compared to adult women who are in a stage of maintenance. The increased requirement for older women reflects decreased oestrogen production following menopause, and calcium lost in the urine and bones.

There are currently no additional recommendations for female athletes regarding increased calcium requirements, unless they are experiencing a condition called amenorrhea, which Burke & Deakin recommend 1500mg/day.

Post- training or Racing Smart Snacks
For maximal lean muscle development and recovery, aim for 15-25g of high quality protein within 30minutes of exercise and 30-60g of carbohydrate.



Low Fat Dairy
Sources providing approximately 15-20g protein & 50g carbohydrate:
 * 600ml flavoured milkshake or smoothie
 * 70g of cereal with 250ml of milk
 * Chobani yoghurt, No fat (180g tub) + banana and honey on 1 slice of toast



Non-Dairy
For athletes unable to tolerate Dairy, the following options provide good sources of high quality protein, carbohydrate and calcium:


 * 70g of cereal with 250ml of calcium fortified soy milk
 * 100g of sardines/salmon with edible bones on 2 slices of wholegrain toast
 * 2 large eggs, with green leafy vegetables on wholegrain bread
 * 80g of chicken & spinach salad sandwich

Other sources of Calcium



 * Soy milk, labelled with calcium
 * Lactose free milk- ZYMIL
 * Sardines & Salmon with edible bones
 * Cereals, labelled with calcium
 * Dried figs
 * Green leafy vegetables
 * Chia
 * Almonds

Interested in learning more?
Explore and learn more about the benefits of Dairy & Sports Nutrition from the following websites:


 * Dairy Australia- Legendairy
 * SDA Nutrition Factsheets
 * AIS Nutrition Factsheets