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Your guide to preparing fora successful Open

______________September 2019

__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER 

The Open is once again upon us! Now is notthe time to cram in as much training aspossible. Instead, subtract non-essentials andfocus on what can bring about the greatestreturns.  One area that meets this criteria is dialling inyour fuelling practices. When we talk aboutfuel, we mean what you eat, your hydrationand your breathing. All three aspects areimportant contributors to your performancein training. They are also critical to youradaptation and recovery from that training.  This final approach to The Open is animportant time to ensure your optimise yourhealth, both physically and mentally. Qualityfood, water and breathwork once again tickthose boxes.

__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER - Nutrition

NUTRITION There are three major areas of eating well:  

Energy intake to fuel daily activity andtraining Macronutrient ratios to optimiseperformance, recovery and health.Strategies and habits to ensure nutritiongoals are easily achieved every day.

Depending on your starting point, yourgoals, your willingness to change and yoursupport network, choose 1, 2 or all 3 areasto work on! Improving any of these will helpboost your performance, recovery andoverall health.

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__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER - Nutrition

ENERGY For the purposes of pure performance,energy intake is your starting point. If you’renot getting enough energy to fuel yourworkouts and recovery, forget about anyother aspect of nutrition. In these weeksleading up to The Open, skip bodycomposition improvements and focus onperformance. In general, erring on the sideof eating MORE food will serve you betterthan eating too little. (Too little will leave youexhausted, cranky and unable to adapt tothe work you’re putting in.)

Play around with the activity levels (on thecalculator) to get an idea of the range thatwould suit you for heavier training days,lighter ones, and rest days. Remember thatthis is simply an estimate. Going forward youcan (and should) make adjustments asneeded. If you’re training at high volumes or haveabove average muscle mass, you may haveeven higher energy requirements than thecalculator suggests. For a more intuitive (longterm) method, weigh yourself daily, recordyour energy intake and then monitorchanges over time. If you’re losing weight(and especially if your energy levels are low),you need to eat more.

ACTION STEP

Use this online BMR calculator, tocalculate your energy requirements.

REMEMBER

When in doubt, eat more (not less)!

__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER - Nutrition

MACROS At its base level, food is fuel but it also altersthe internal environment of your body. Thisaffects how efficiently it performs, the type offuel it uses, and what it looks like. So whilefood IS fuel, you must also consider thesource and timing of fuel to optimise yourperformance and health. Once you have calculated your energy intaketarget (see calculator), you need to decidewhere that energy will come from(macronutrient distribution). Everyone isdifferent, but you should find yourselfsomewhere within the macro ranges below.

Genetics, daily activity, age, stress levels,current body composition, training volume,sleep, digestion and your training goals willall affect your energy requirements. Forexample, there can be a 10% difference inbasal metabolic rate across the menstrualcycle for women, and as much as a 20%variation due to sleep deprivation. Not tomention the accuracy of data entry itselfwhich will have an error of 10% at best. This is why we encourage constant trackingand regular self-evaluation of yourperformance, body composition and dailyenergy/mood levels. You must learn to listento your body and use instinct as well as datato help decide what and how much to eat.

ACTION STEP

You can use the website/app My Fitness Pal to enter an average day of eating to calculateyour current macronutrient breakdown.

25 - 35%1.8 - 2.2g/kg BW

PROTEIN

40 - 55% Enough to coverthe remaining calories(after protein and fat

accounted for)

CARBOHYDRATE

20 - 30%1g/kg BW

FAT

The % ranges refer to distribution of your overall daily calories. The grams are per kilogram of bodyweight. Carbohydrates(calories) = total daily calories - calories from protein - calories from fat.

__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER - Nutrition

Carbs rule this sport This is a glycolytic sport, meaning, we burnpredominantly glucose (carbohydrate =CHO) to drive our performance. As the sporthas evolved with greater loads moved, moreintensity generated and higher volume oftraining and competition completed, we aremore reliant on carbs than ever.  The following carb sources are high-gradefuel for your training efforts. Make most ofyour options from this list. 

Fruit (fresh, dried or frozen)Starchy tubers, such as potatoes, sweetpotatoes, yuca/cassava, taro/tapioca,plantains, parsnips, turnips, squash andpumpkinWhole, minimally-processed grains, suchas quinoa, rice, slow-cook oats, ancientgrains, etc

Other carb sources that might work well foryou

Sourdough and other minimally processedbreads as toleratedBeans and legumes as toleratedLow fat milk as tolerated

Supplementary carbs such as pre and postworkout drinks/bars can also be a usefuladdition to your arsenal. (Especially if youfind it difficult to consume the necessaryamount of carbs or total energy each dayfrom whole foods.) Examples include;

Sports drinks Sweet potato or fruit baby foodSoft fruitsCarbohydrate based energy bars

It’s common to see athletes consuming lessthan optimal sources of carbohydrates,particularly after training, because ‘they’veearned them’. Yes, it’s true in general that theyounger, leaner and more genetically giftedyou are, the less impact poor quality foodswill have on you (in the short-term). But howgood you could be if you made more effortto choose from better quality sources? If youwant to be a competitive athlete for a longtime, the choices you make now will paydividends to your goals later.  After training Aim to drink 500-750ml of water (withcarbs/protein) as soon as possible after youcomplete your training. Then drink to thirstfor the remainder of the day. Make CHO thepriority (recommended amounts are listedbelow as a range). The longer and moreintense the training, the more carbohydrates.Adding a powdered protein supplement withthe carbs not only assists in more rapidglycogen repletion, but will help you tick offyour daily protein goals easier.  Male: 40-80g CHO / 10-30g PRO Female: 30-60g CHO / 10-25g PRO

ACTION STEP #2 What's ONE small change you couldmake today to improve the quality of

your carb intake?

ACTION STEP #1 Calculate how many grams of CHO

you consume in a day and how manygrams you consume post training.

__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER - Nutrition

Turn Pro, eat your protein You are LITERALLY MADE OF PROTEIN. Yourbody uses it to build and repair cells. Youneed it to make enzymes and hormones. It isan important building block for your bones,muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. 

ACTION STEP Figure out how much protein you

consume each day, and then choosemore of your favourite protein foods to

boost your intake where needed.Protein shakes can be a helpful way to

meet your requirements if you’re unableto consume enough via whole foods.

But are you eating enough of the rightfood to get the full benefits?

Our general rule is to consume 2 grams ofprotein for every 1kg of body weight (orabout 1g/lbs of body weight). So for a 85kg (187lb) male athlete, that is170 grams per day. For a 60kg (132lb)female athlete, 120 grams per day. The common misconception is that 100% ofmeat = 100% protein - But there is water andother components to consider whencalculating your protein intake. For example,100g of chicken breast has approx 30g ofprotein, one large egg has about 6g. UseMyFitnessPal to get a good estimate ofprotein in your meals.

Here’s a list of our favourite protein foods. Ingeneral, animal sources of protein containthe most protein per gram, and are the mostbioavailable (easily absorbed).

MEAT

Red meatEggsPoultryFish

DAIRY

MilkYogurtCheeseCottage cheeseWhey Protein Powder

VEGETARIAN

TofuTempehChickpeas and beansLentilsPea/Rice/Hemp protein powder

__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER - Nutrition

Fat We know that carbohydrate is our mostessential macronutrient for performance. Butfat is vital for our health, management ofinflammation and production of hormones.

ACTION STEP Calculate your daily fat intake. Is it at

least 1g/kg?

On average, for every 10 food diarieswe see, more than half of them show

less than optimal amounts of fat.

A good reference point is 1g/kg ofbodyweight (0.45 grams/lb). There is a general consensus that this is ahealthy amount to ensure all fat reliant bodilyprocesses will operate effectively.  So for a 85kg (187lb) male athlete, that is 85grams per day. For a 60kg (132lb) female athlete, 60 gramsper day. From there, depending on your protein andcarb intake, you may or may not need toincrease this.

__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER - Nutrition

As the Boy Scouts say, ‘be prepared!’ Thereis no point in figuring out your exact energyrequirements and macronutrient profile if you constantly miss meals, your cupboard isalways bare, and you buy food on the runbecause you weren’t organised in advance.  Here are some ideas to help you maximiseyour time and ensure you always have highperformance food on hand.

The Evening Ritual Seeing as you are already in the kitchenmaking dinner, you can use any down timeto prep enough food to last you for at leastthe following day. This can include:

Make extra so that you have leftovers forlunch the next day.Put a bowl of slow cook oats on thecounter to soak overnight so they willcook faster in the morning.Do extra veggie chopping or protein prepfor another meal.Drop a big cut of meat into a slow cookerfor dinner the next day.Whip up a frittata that you can easily eatcold in the car for breakfast.Add protein and carbohydrate powdersto shaker bottles for the next day.

STRATEGIES FOR

SUCCESS

Sunday Prep The biggest hurdle to eating healthy is gettingcaught short without any healthy food!!Spend a day ‘hunting and gathering’ all thesupplies you need to make good food. Look up simple recipes, batch cook yourfavourites, freeze extras, and win the foodprep game. This doesn’t have to be aSunday. It can be any day where you have afew hours to shop, cook, and prepare somefood in advance. On this day, you can do things like:

Buy groceries for the week (or at leastseveral days). Stock up on easy staplessuch as canned tomatoes, frozen veggies,etc.Cook large meals that can be refrigeratedor frozen in smaller portions (e.g., stews).Cook protein in bulk (e.g., roast a coupleof chickens, grill burger patties andquality sausages, boil a dozen eggs, getthe slow cooker cranking, etc.)Wash, peel, and chop veggies ahead oftime for future meals.

__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER - Nutrition

Meal prep/delivery services There has been a rapid increase in thisservice area, which is great news for thebusy athlete! Some of the options availableinclude

Pre-portioned ingredients and recipes sothat you can cook them yourself.  Great ifyou have the time, and also if you simplyenjoy cookingReady to eat meals. Depending on thecompany, you can get breakfast, lunch,dinner and snacks, you can chooseportion size and you can customisemacronutrientsFrozen meals. Always a great idea tohave a few of these in the freezer toensure you never get caught short

Meal sharing Cook multiple servings of a meal to sharewith friends, and they in turn do the same.Cook once, get lots of different meals!

Meal Planners If you like to cook, but struggle forinspiration, try a recipe and meal planningsite like THIS. You can find recipes based on your favouritefoods, or perhaps one food group you wantto base your meal around….maybe it’s allyou have left in your fridge…. The site will then create a shopping list foryou so you don’t forget any ingredients!

__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER - Nutrition

Supplements Remember that there are still only threesupplements that have consistent, solidscientific evidence to say they can improveyour performance significantly,

Carbohydrate CreatineCaffeine

CarbohydrateWe’ve already talked about this at length butto reiterate, carbs = fuel. Eat more = domore. The consumption of carbs before andafter training should be standard practice. After workouts, anywhere from 40-100grams depending on the volume of training,usually paired up at a 4:1 ratio with protein,eg. 60 grams CHO: 15 grams PRO.

Other supplements you might considerare;

Fish oil

This list of supplements is aimed towardshealth and recovery, versus performance.Your budget and your beliefs will play a rolein whether you try these or not.   Ultimately the vast majority of dietarysupplements have no supported effects. Eventhe most effective contribute minimally tohealth and performance outcomes. The mainaim of course, is to get your real food inorder.

Creatine This molecule buffers ATP (our energycurrency) to increase power output andprevent fatigue, thus it is highlyrecommended. Take 0.1 grams per kg ofbodyweight per day from now until the endof the Open. Read more about creatineHERE.

 CaffeineEveryone’s favourite stimulant, it increasespower output and anaerobic, and maydecrease fatigue from a neural perspective. Dose at 2-6 milligrams/kg (0.9/2.7 mg/lb)bodyweight depending on tolerance. Theactual amount of coffee depends on thebrewing process. Also, pre-workout drinksare another source of caffeine, be sure tocheck for banned substances against theCrossFit Games Rules.

Curcumin

Glutamine

MagnesiumZinc

Vitamin C

__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER - Nutrition

Just remember, if you can’t make it better, you can still make it ‘less worse.’ No matterwhat situation you find yourself in, it is almost always possible to locate a form ofprotein, and some kind of carbohydrate. Veggies and good fats are likely a bonus, getthem if you can, but your main priority is always carbs and protein.  Sometimes, you just have to take it one good decision (meal) at a time.

Aim to tick these six boxes every day.

Consume adequate energy to fuel and recover from training.

Carbohydrate at all meals, in particular post workout for fasterrecovery.

Eat protein at all meals (1.8-2.2g/kg/day) for muscle proteinsynthesis and repair.

Sip water throughout the day to stay hydrated and maintain bloodvolume.

Prepare food in advance to make it easy to meet energy andmacronutrient demands.

Ensure fat (1g/kg/day minimum) and vegetables are eaten at allmeals outside of 1-2 hours of workouts. This will optimise digestion,health and recovery.

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__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER - Hydration

HYDRATION More than half of your body is made ofwater. It plays an important role in thefunctioning of vital body processes, not tomention it’s all important function as sweat tohelp you stay cool during your incrediblephysical performances! While the watercompanies tend to exaggerate, the fact isthat dehydration can significantly impactyour performance, decision-making andmental clarity.  How much water do you need? There’s no exact formula. You may needmore or less depending on your bodychemistry, how sweaty you are, the amountof veggies and fruit you eat, the weather,intensity/duration of your workouts, and soon. The recommendations on how much water todrink are varied. It will take a bit ofexperimentation, but remember that youhave your own built in guide - thirst! Drinkwhen you feel like you need it. However, intoday’s busy world, it can be easy to miss thesignals. 

When you’re training, sweating or in a reallyhot climate — be sure to:

Consume above the minimumrecommendations. Consider pre-hydratingbefore the session (drink a bit more thanusual), and sip water through yourtraining session.Consider adding an electrolytesupplement in your water, such as Nuunor Nuun Endurance. (A good naturaloption: coconut water with a pinch of seasalt). Electrolyte supplements with a littlebit of sugar help hydrate you moreeffectively.

Weigh yourself before and after training fora week or two. This gives you a good idea ofhow much water weight you lose bysweating. You can then use this information to sethydration goals. Remember to hydrate withwater and with electrolytes, such as sea saltor supplement mixed in.

ACTION STEP Make sure you always get your water in:

Wake up and immediately have a glass of water. Adding a splash of lemon juice andsome sea salt ramps up the hydration process! Carry a water bottle with you, keep one at your desk and/or in your car.Use a water drinking app such as Waterminder. If you struggle to remember, apps likethis can help you form a water drinking habit.Post workout is a great time to drink deep.Don't like water? Not that uncommon actually….. Try cold fruit teas, sparkling water,or adding a splash of lemon/lime juice to your glass.

Our recommendations for the minimumrequirements are 30ml of water, per kgof bodyweight. So a 60kg female shoulddrink at least 1800ml of water per day.

__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER - Breathing

BREATHING Ultimately, breathing is the ultimate fuelsource for performance, as our aerobicenergy system is dependent on oxygen andCO2. When you push your body to maximalperformance in conditioning pieces, whetherin training or competition, it is often a feelingof shortness of breath (together with musclefatigue) that slows you down or makes youstop. If your respiratory muscles are poorlytrained, when you reach your anaerobicthreshold in a workout, a reflex (metaboloreflex) kicks in. This shunts blood from theworking muscles of your legs and arms toyour respiratory muscles (so that you cancontinue to breathe = maintain survival). Asa result, you will slow down or have to rest.This means that the stronger and moreefficient your respiratory muscles are, thelonger you can continue to exercise. Air hunger is the sensation of being “starvedfor air.” You feel like you must take a bigbreath in, and this is one of the fastest waysfor the metabolo reflex to kick in andshutdown your ability to continue. But just asyou can train your respiratory musclecapacity and strength, you can also learn toget more comfortable with the threat of airhunger.

If either your inhalation or exhalation (orboth) takes less than 10-seconds it is likelythat your respiratory biochemistry hassignificant room for improvement and mightbe impairing your recovery. We would liketo see both of these at least 30-seconds andeventually closer to 60-seconds. Thisindicates a level of control of yourdiaphragm and functionality of yourrespiratory biochemistry.

ACTION STEP Test your breathing

Functional inhale / exhale test (VIDEO)

Standing, take as long an inhale(breath in) through your nose aspossible. Time how long you can makeit.Repeat step 1, this time focus on exhale(breath out). Once again, time howlong you can make it.

Perform these tests without preparation(any excessive breath in or out), startingfrom your normal breathing pattern.

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The goal of training your breathing, froma performance perspective, is to allowyou to maintain better movement for

longer (and therefore kick ass and takenames).

__________________________________________PART #1FUEL BETTER - Breathing

Training to breathe better 

1. Inspiratory muscle awareness.Diaphragm drill 1 + 2. (VIDEO)

ACTION STEPYou can incorporate these drills into

your warm-ups.  Perform 3 reps of each diaphragm drilland then work through the breathingladders. Then, you can try this breathingfocused general warm up on an Assaultbike, utilising nasal (nose) breathingonly:  Women start @46 RPM, men @50 RPM.From there, increase the RPMs by 1 or 2every minute, nose breathing (in and out)throughout. See how high up you can climb beforeyou cannot continue with nose breathinganymore. This warm up should take you 10 to 20-minutes (depending on your ability andjumps you made each minute).

4. Nasal breathing - practicing this canimprove your CO2 tolerance, pacingcontrol and aerobic capacity.

2. Walking breath ladder → 1 up to 10and back down, matching breath withyour steps. This is an excellent way to do breathtraining on the way to gym etc. (VIDEO)

3. Assault Bike / Running breathingladder → 1 up to 10 and back down,matching breath with your arms or yoursteps (VIDEO)