During strenuous exercise of more than 60-90 minutes, muscle glycogen (the preferred source of fuel in intense exercise) becomes depleted. Because we have a limited supply (approximately 2000 calories) of glycogen in muscle, once these glycogen stores are depleted we suffer from reduced endurance, fatigue and exhaustion. The only way to replenish this muscle glycogen is to eat and/or drink carbohydrate rich foods. It is best to find carbohydrate from as many different sources as possible in order to ensure that you eat an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals.
To roughly estimate how much carbohydrate you should eat during a day multiply your weight in Kilograms by one of the following caloric consumption recommendations based on activity level:
| Activity Level | Caloric Consumption |
|---|---|
Inactive |
27 kcal/kg of body weight |
Light activity |
30-34 kcal/kg of body weight |
Moderately active |
36-45 kcal/kg of body weight |
Very active |
47-56 kcal/kg of body weight* |
Intensely active |
56-68 kcal/kg of body weight |
EXAMPLE:
80 kg x 47 kcal/kg = 3,760 kcals per day
While active, about 60-65% of your calories should come from carbohydrate sources, so multiply your total calories by .60 to determine the number of calories of carbohydrate you should eat. (3760 x .6 = 2256 kcals of carbohydrate). Carbohydrates contain 4 kcals per gram so to determine the number of grams of carbohydrate per day then divide the number of kcals of carbohydrate per day by 4 (2256/4 = 564 g).
*Generally during the hockey season hockey players fit into the very active category since it is not a typically endurance oriented sport. One thing to consider is that intake should change on days off, or when training intensity or duration drops off. Typically it is important to reduce consumption at the end of the season when activity levels drop off substantially.
The most important time to replenish carbohydrates is within the first 15-30 minutes after exercise has ended. The rate of muscle glycogen resynthesis is greatest when 1 gram of carbohydrate per kg of body weight is eaten immediately after exercise and at 2-hour intervals thereafter. But, depending on how intense the exercise session was and how big or small you are you will need to adjust the amount of carbohydrate eaten accordingly. A good rule of thumb is to eat at least 50 g of carbohydrate right after you train and then follow up with a carbohydrate rich meal within the next 2 hours. Carbohydrate repletion is improved with the addition of a small quantity of protein so take 50-100 g of carb with 15-30 grams of protein right after you train.
| Qty | Complex Carbs | Calories | Protein Grams | Carb Grams | Fat Grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baked Potato | 145 | 3 | 34 | 0 |
| 1/2 cup | Yams, Sweet Potato | 79 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| 1/2 cup | White rice | 103 | 2 | 22 | 0 |
| 1/2 cup | Brown rice | 106 | 3 | 22 | 1 |
| 2/3 cup | Cooked oatmeal | 109 | 5 | 18 | 2 |
| 1 slice | Whole-wheat bread | 61 | 2 | 11 | 1 |
| 1 1/3 cup | Special K | 111 | 6 | 21 | 0 |
| 1 cup | Popped Popcorn | 23 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Qty | Fiberous Carbs | Calories | Protein Grams | Carb Grams | Fat Grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Spears of Asparagus | 17 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1/2 cup | Broccoli, steamed | 23 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1/2 cup | Cabbage | 16 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1 | Medium carrot | 31 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| 1/2 cup | Cauliflower, steamed | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1/2 cup | Corn, boiled | 89 | 3 | 21 | 1 |
| 1/2 cup | Cucumber | 7 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 1/2 cup | Green beans, steamed | 22 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 1/2 cup | Mushrooms | 21 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1/2 cup | Peas, boiled | 67 | 4 | 13 | 0 |
| 1/2 cup | Squash, steamed | 39 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| 1 | Raw tomato | 24 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Qty | Simple Carbs | Calories | Protein Grams | Carb Grams | Fat Grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | 81 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| 1 | Banana | 105 | 1 | 27 | 1 |
| 1/2 | Grapefruit | 37 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| 1 | Orange | 65 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| 1 | Peach | 37 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| 1 | Pear | 98 | 1 | 25 | 1 |
| 1 cup | Strawberries | 45 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
| 1 tbs. | Jam | 50 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
This information was provided by Reg Grant, Strength and Conditioning Coach for the New York Rangers.
