You probably eat out a lot—most travelling athletes do! Restaurants, takeaways and fast-food outlets are the main food sources for travelling athletes. In general, athletes are looking for quick, easy and tasty meals to fit into a busy workout schedule.
Travelling is a part of life for many athletes. However, it can be a challenge to find foods and beverages that meet the requirements of their nutritional goals when eating out. Some of the biggest challenges athletes face when travelling are (1) maintaining adequate hydration, (2) meeting daily vitamin and mineral needs, (3) meeting carbohydrate and protein needs, (4) balancing energy intake and (5) food safety and sanitation.
These challenges may be due to differences in nutritional needs, lack of access to familiar foods and unfamiliar preparation and cooking methods. In addition, food choices can be vast and portion sizes are not always appropriate for some athletes. Therefore, the management team must develop strategies to minimise the impact of travel on the athlete’s food and beverage intake.
Restaurants, takeaways and fast-food outlets often use oils, butter, margarine, spices and added sugars to enhance their food. But not all athletes are accustomed to consuming highly seasoned foods or foods with added fats and sugars, and this can lead to gastrointestinal complications. It can also be difficult for those athletes who need to follow a restricted diet, especially those who need to be mindful of both calorie and specific nutrient intake. In addition, when travelling to some countries, athletes need to watch out for foods like beef and red meat, which can be contaminated with clenbuterol, a performance-enhancing substance that contributes to rapid muscle growth.
More importantly, while dining out, it is difficult for the athlete to dictate the preparation and cooking methods that can alter a food’s health value. During recovery, athletes need carbohydrates and protein for growth and repair of muscle tissues. However, restaurants serve meals that do not contain these nutrients in sufficient amounts or in the right form, such as high-fat protein cuts as opposed to lean protein.
Therefore, it is important for athletes to travel with some form of protein and carbohydrate snacks, such as sports bars, fruits, ready-to-drink protein drinks and nutritional shakes.
Travelling athletes also need to be conscious of taste fatigue, especially if they choose their food from the same restaurants for several days in a row. They should choose different foods each day and should request that sauces, dressings and toppings be served “on the side.” That way, athletes can control how much they eat. In addition, athletes should choose healthy steaks, such as sirloin steaks and lean meats that are baked, braised, broiled, grilled, poached, sautéed, or steamed. Further, athletes should choose soups, dressings and sauces that are tomato, broth or oil-based and stay away from creamy options. If vegetables are ordered, they should be cooked without butter. Other tips include:
• Taking the time to study the menu, as some restaurant menus have a special section for healthier dishes.
• Reading menus for terms that can mean less fat and calories, such as baked, braised, broiled, grilled, poached, sautéed, or steamed.
• Reading menus for terms that may mean more fat and calories, e.g., breaded, fried, buttered, creamed, crisped, breaded.
• If athletes drink alcohol, they should do so in moderation, ie, no more than one drink for women and two for men, as alcohol tends to increase the appetite and provides calories without nutrients.
Food hygiene can also present various problems for the travelling athlete. When travelling internationally, most athletes are concerned about foodborne illnesses caused by inadequate health standards for food and water in some countries. Athletes do not have enough time to develop immunity to the pathogens in their destinations, hence the concern about the local health standards for food and water. Depending on the destination, athletes should only drink liquids from sealed bottles, avoid ice in drinks, choose cooked vegetables, peel all fruits, avoid all uncooked foods and unpasteurized dairy products to prevent infections. Moreover, athletes with sensitive palates should be aware of the foods available and travel with some food supplies.
Some athletes may want to indulge in the culture of the host country by trying some of the local foods. However, extreme caution should be taken with such foods and the methods and conditions of their preparation. This is important because these foods and the possible use of contaminated water can cause undesirable consequences and subsequent health problems like gastrointestinal complications and parasite infections.
While there are many challenges that can prevent travelling athletes from sticking to their sports nutrition plan, effective planning and preparation before travelling are crucial to a successful performance away from home. Whether it is at takeaways, fast food joints, or restaurants, the travelling athlete must make the wisest nutritional choices available.
Dr Marquitta Webb is a Lecturer, Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of the West Indies and Registered Dietitian.