By: Nikki Nies 
Part of my internship includes providing nutrition counseling to a particular Benedictine sport’s team. I was luckily enough to get assigned to work with the men’s track team. Prior to starting work with the team, we were warned by the outgoing interns that a lot of the sports coaches weren’t responsive to the services that we had to offer. Yet, as I said, I lucked out as the track coach not only acknowledges the role nutrition plays in his athletes performance, but has actively sought information. It’s been great to work with my co-manager, Amanda, as we’ve gotten to know the athletes better and be able to cater to their needs. Although, school’s currently out of session, the coach recently inquired out post recovery items that he could purchase for his team. Obviously, nutrient value and cost were at the top of his list in regards to how to prioritize the different bars and supplements. All the products listed below have been approved by the NCAA for use.
| Product | Price | Nutrient Content | Serving |
| Myoplex Chocolate Milk | 4 pack/$8.29 atWalgreens4 pack/$7.99 at drugstore.com24 pack/$46.26 at abbottstore.com | 20 g of protein; 20 g of carb | 1-11 fluid oz. bottle |
| Carnation Instant Breakfast | 10 pack/$4.24 atWalmart22 pack/$14.99 on candyland Store.com | 10 g of protein; 41 g of protein | 1-8 fluid oz bottle |
| Muscle Milk Powder Mix | 5.29#/$24.96 | 2 scoops=20 g protein; 45 g of carb4 scoops: 40 g protein; 91 g of carb | |
| Muscle Milk | 4 pack/$10.89; $2.72/bottle12 pack/$30.99; 24 pack/$43.97 | 18 g of protein; 27 g of carb | 11 fluid oz. |
| Clif Bars | 12 count box/$13.49 at vitacost.com12 count box/$12.99 at AllStarHealth.com | 9 g of protein and 44 g of carbs | |
| Gatorade G Series Recover | 4 pack/$12.99 at ShopFoodEx.com 12 case/$60.95 | 20 g of protein; 45 g of carb | 11.16 oz. |
| Gatorade 03 Recover | 12 pack/$24.49 | Kiwi Strawberry: 8 g of protein; 7 gofcarbTropical Orange: 8 g of protein; 20 g of carbMixed Berry: 8 g of protein; 7 g of carb | 8 fluid oz. |
| Gatorade Endurance Carb Energy Drink | 20 pack/$45.80 10 pack/$25.50 at Niagara Cycle Works | 30 g of carb; 0 g of protein | 1 pouch |
Protein provides the building blocks, but carbs provide the energy to do the rebuilding. It’s implied protein alone will end up being partly burned to provide energy, which could be true based on when athletes have eaten last. A product is considered adequate for the team, if it’s got a good mixture of protein to carb ratio (3-4 carbohydrates :1 Protein). Additionally, to keep costs down, there are some great foods that can be incorporated into one’s diet as well!
- Chocolate milk
- Sandwich with 2 slices of bread and 1-2 oz. of meat or cheese and some lettuce
- Greek yogurt and a banana
- Grilled chicken sandwich
- Smoothies–i.e. mix of OJ and vanilla protein powder
For the shorter, easier work out, it’s suggested to use products that provide ~30 g of carbs (i.e. Gatorade endurance carb energy drink). For higher intensity workouts, ~60 g of carbs may fare better. For post strength-training, to increase protein to 20-30 grams (i.e. Myoplex chocolate milk; Gatorade G Series Recover). It’s hard to persuade anybody to use something with less than 20 grams of protein. It’s also hoped they worked hard enough to need it! There’s more muscle damage in strength training and there’s a lot of marketing around needing protein. A study led by Lynch et al., 2013 compared the use of complex protein ready-to-drink beverage (VPX), with approximately a 1:4 CHO to PRO ratio and isocaloric carbohydrate beverage (iCHO) after a performance test. Use of the VPX may provide a recovery advantage as it relates to repeated-bout performance compared to an iCHO-only beverage.
Additionally, a study by Ivy et al., 2002 looked at the glycogen content within the vastus lateralis pre-exercise and 4 hrs. post-exercise. They suggested the Cho:pro compared to carb only supplementation replenished glycogen stores more effectively, which is important to mitigate tissue damage, inflammatory markers, and upregulate the Akt/PKB pathway for MPS. For any gluten free needs, I had directed the coach to Harris Whole Health. I learned a lot about post work out products and options through this research. I’m glad I was able to help the coach find some products that met the teams’ need. Perhaps, you’ve walked away feeling informed too! Sources: http://winforumblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/lowfat-chocolate-milk-or-refuel.html
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