Sports Nutrition

Sports Nutrition, Enhancing Athletic Performance, edited by Bill I. Campbell, CRC Press, 2014

So why wouldn’t what works for top athlete’s work for us?  Could it be that a very smart approach to eating will help us non-Olympians as the sub-title claims, “enhance athletic performance?”

Starting with the three key macronutrients – fats, carbohydrate, and protein – and explaining their proper use during strenuous activity and at rest – this book gives us a look at what makes us run, or stand up straight in between 2-hour stretches at the keyboard. If you are a vegan, maybe you were influenced by the controversial China study, so you will find the comparison of high-quality proteins eye-opening, because not all proteins, or amino acids for that matter, are created alike.  Man shall not live by soy alone saith The Mill Girl.

Also recommended is Chapter 10, beginning on page 269, “Hydration and Performance,” including sections on electrolyte balance, hormonal regulation, dehydration, and hydration strategies during exercise, all the warnings your PT coach and trainers warned about but didn’t explain in plain English.

The Mill Girl Verdict:  gets to the nitty gritty of mindful body work and nutrition – no fads, no gimmicks.  Just the protein, carb and fat facts, ‘Mam, just the facts.