The Athletes Diet

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The Athletes Diet and dental risk
Anita Bean BSc R Nutr
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Key topics

• Nutritional guidelines for sport and exercise
• Athletes diet and dental health risk
• Sports drink hazard to teeth
• Practical advice for athletes

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Nutritional guidelines for athletes

• International Olympic Committee Consensus
  Conference on Nutrition and Sport (IOC, 2003)
• Consensus statement of the International
  Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF, 2007)

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Nutritional guidelines for athletes

• Calories Meet energy requirements for training
  (? gen population)
• Carbohydrate (? gen population)
• 5-7 g per kg BW/ day mod
• duration/low intensity daily training.
• 7-10 g per kg BW/ day
• moderate-heavy daily training
• Protein (? gen population)
• 1.2 and 1.7 g protein/ kg BW

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Nutritional guidelines for athletes

• Fluid (? gen population)
• During prolonged exercise, fluid should contain
  carbohydrate
• Specialised products
• May help athletes achieve nutrition goals
• E,g, sports drinks, carbohydrate supplements
• Pre-competition
• Increase carbohydrate 2 3 days

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During exercise gt 1 hour

• 20 60 g carb/ h
• Maintain blood sugar levels
• Delay fatigue
• Increase endurance

• Typical foods/ drinks
• Sports drinks
• High carb (energy) gels
• High carb (energy) bars
• Confectionery

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Post-exercise

• Consume 1g/ h carbohydrate lt 2 h
• Promote glycogen recovery

• Typical foods/ drinks
• Sports drinks
• Fruit drinks/ smoothies
• Carbohydrate/ cereal/ fruit bars
• Dried fruit
• Cake, biscuits, confectionery

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Risk of dental erosion is greater among athletes

• High intake of low pH drinks (sports drinks,
  fruit juices)
• Reduced saliva flow
• Frequent sipping maintains acid environment in
  mouth

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Sports drinks

• Whats in them?
• Water
• - hydration
• sugars/ glucose polymers (30 80 g/ l)
• Speed water absorption Provide fuel
• Sodium
• Palatability, fluid retention
• Acids citric acid, ascorbic acid
• Taste preservative

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But

• The pH level of a drink has minimal effect on the
  bodys capacity to absorb it

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Sports drinks hazard to teeth

• Sports drinks increase the risk of acid erosion
• Rees et al (2005) the erosive potential of five
  sports drinks. Eur J Prosthodont Restor Dent, 13
  186 - 90
• Sirimaharaj V, Brearley Messer L, Morgan MV
  (2002). Acidic diet and dental erosion among
  athletes. AustDentJ 47 228-236
• Milosevic A (1997). Sports drinks hazard to
  teeth. Br J Sports Med 31 28-30
• Sports Drinks are 30 times more erosive to teeth
  than water
• Venables MC et al (2005). Erosive effect of a new
  sports drink on dental enamel during exercise.
  Medicine Science in Sports Exercise 37 39-44

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Dental erosion among athletes

• Dietary and dental health questionnaire 508
  athletes (Univ Melbourne)
• 25 suffered from dental erosion
• Higher then average consumption of acidic foods
  and drinks
• Conclusion Athletes may be placing themselves
  unintentionally at risk of dental erosion
• (Sirimaharaj et al, 2002)

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The Stephan Curve
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Frequent drinking/ eating during exercise
prolongs the time that the pH remains below 5.5
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The pH of various drinks
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Practical advice for athletes Food

• 3 meals 2 snacks per day
• Post exercise snacks
• Sandwiches, toast, rice cakes,
• plain popcorn
• Avoid energy bars, sticky fruit bars
• Milk, flavoured milk
• During exercise
• Water if exercising lt60 min
• Avoid jelly confectionery
• If gt60 min, bananas, rice cakes instead of energy
  bars

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Practical advice for athletes Drinking

• Carb/ sports drinks only beneficial if exercising
  gt 60 min
• Dont swish around mouth
• Direct away from teeth / use sports cap
• Rinse mouth with water during break,
• and after exercise
• Chill the drink less erosive
• Chew sugar-free gum
• Visit dentist regularly
• Future drinks with higher pH, higher
• concentrations of calcium, phosphate and
  fluoride

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The Athletes Diet and dental risk
Anita Bean BSc R Nutr