Nutrition Basics

[Slowman]

After the paddle technique on the shortboard forum I thought I'd see if anyone takes note of some very basic nutrition strategies in the surf.

I have a reasonable endurance sporting background and have learnt some basic strategies that help.

First some rules of thumb...
1. if you are only planning on surfing less than 2hrs then fueling up with some carbs beforehand will help you perform at a high intensity.

2. if you are planning to surf for longer than 2hrs then the pre-surf meal should be finished 3 hours beforehand.

3. for better recovery, eat within an hour of surfing.

Why does this work? Basically out bodies store about 2 hours worth of glycogen (muscle fuel ready to burn) and after that we have to rely on stored fat as the main fuel source. The real problem is when you run out of glycogen and switch to fat it hurts, you feel exhausted and your muscles ache.

There are a complicated set of chemical reactions that take place in the blood stream and the muscles, described in very much detail by the Krebs Cycle (aka critic acid cycle) if you want to do some further reading. Anyway, what actually happens when we eat at rest is that the process of "fat storing" starts. Now because we only have one blood stream that excludes fat burning because that requires different chemicals in the blood stream, so our bodies can't do the 2 things at once.

So by switching on "fat storing" we switch off fat burning, which means we use the high octane fuel glycogen for our muscles exclusively. This means you can work harder (but don't forget you've only got about 2 hrs).

If you want to surf for longer than 2hrs then don't eat just before hand (must finish the meal 3 hours before hand) or wait until about 20 mins into your surf and then take some fuel on board. Once you start exercising and provided the body is not in fat storing mode you will burn a mixture of fat and glycogen. This means you won't suddenly fade after about 2 hrs. You'll be able to surf for much longer and gradually fade, however if you come in and eat something (gentle on the stomach, like creamed rice or even sports gel) this fuel will be converted to glycogen rather than be stored as fat. So mid session refueling will keep you going.

The blood system stays primed with these chemicals that help burn fat and also convert any new calories to glycogen for up to an hour after exercise. So any calories consumed during this window will be used to top up the glycogen supplies in the muscles. This will see you better recovered for the next surf. Beer, while providing calories does other things too that interfere with a good recovery, so scotch that one kiddies! Not at least until after you rehydrated properly too.

[heefcoate]

so i shouldn't get up from bed in the morning and go straight for a surf?
i should wait 2 hours after eating breky while your getting pitted!! :?

And i shouldn't drink beer? pffft

[stoive]

Cool,Thanks for thatt

[Revolution]

Drink night before, get tired.

Dont drink night before, dont get tired.

Simple.

[lovemuscle]

My choice b4 a surf, 1 strong coffee and two smokes..works a treat.

[Slowman]

so i shouldn't get up from bed in the morning and go straight for a surf?
i should wait 2 hours after eating breky while your getting pitted!! :?

And i shouldn't drink beer? pffft

You see straight through me, but it's 3 hours! Anyway you can do it all, it is just a matter of timing if you want to do it optimally.

My choice b4 a surf, 1 strong coffee and two smokes..works a treat.

Caffeine helps metabolise (burn) fat better. Redbull and V are full of caffeine (some call it garana [sp]), I've seen plenty of those downed before a dawn patrol. The thing is, go easy on the caffeine, use it all the time and it starts to lose the effect and has other side effects - like if you meet more than one bastard in a day, it's probably too much caffeine.

[Nick Carroll]

Slowman this is cool and all but the truth is, the serious exercise cycle stuff you're talking about doesn't match up with the surfing experience.

Surfing works like this: a short period of effort (paddling out) followed by a fair bit of doing not much (waiting for a wave). Then you catch and ride a wave and paddle out again.

For most surfers this means two minutes' variably strenuous exercise and six or eight minutes' sitting.

This is massively different to a consistent and sustained aerobic effort (ie the type that erodes all muscle glycogen over a two-hour-plus period). Trust me, I've been there and out the other side and I know the difference.

Nutrition for most surfers doesn't need to be specialised and should be based mostly on the same advice a good nutritionist would give any healthy human. So relax, crew.

Bit different for an elite pro athlete whose energy output is significantly greater.

[Slowman]

Slowman this is cool and all but the truth is, the serious exercise cycle stuff you're talking about doesn't match up with the surfing experience.

Surfing works like this: a short period of effort (paddling out) followed by a fair bit of doing not much (waiting for a wave). Then you catch and ride a wave and paddle out again.

For most surfers this means two minutes' variably strenuous exercise and six or eight minutes' sitting.

This is massively different to a consistent and sustained aerobic effort (ie the type that erodes all muscle glycogen over a two-hour-plus period). Trust me, I've been there and out the other side and I know the difference.

Nutrition for most surfers doesn't need to be specialised and should be based mostly on the same advice a good nutritionist would give any healthy human. So relax, crew.

Bit different for an elite pro athlete whose energy output is significantly greater.

Nick, yes I am aware of the more spasmodic efforts in surfing and agree it differs to say the continuous sustained effort of distance running. Nevertheless energy is expended and therefore glycogen is depleted. There are plenty of stop start sports where these strategies work and help. Mountain biking as an example is anything but a continuous steady output and yep there are even rests going downhill albeit not in the ratios you suggest above. I'd suggest paddling is mostly aerobic and only taking off might be anaerobic plenty of endurance sports include anaerobic bursts. I haven't "hit the wall" surfing like when racing tris or mountain bikes but I have had days where I have totally drained myself both surfing and in endurance events and it feels the same to me and I've done plenty of both too. The body doesn't know how it got exhausted it just gets exhausted when it runs out of energy.

This is not about specialised nutrition more like some timing tricks which have some advantages depending on what you want to do. If you want to surf for 4 hours without spending the last hour feeling totally drained, or be able to sustain a high intensity (in say a comp or a quickie before work) you'd time your eating a little differently. And then of course if you want to be able to recover and have plenty of energy for another surf later there are ways of recovering better if you eat at the right time.

None of this will improve your surfing, and it is not like it counts to get you towards a finish line faster and perhaps not critical as you might argue, but it might help you make the most of your energy systems and given the right conditions, catch more waves over a shorter period, or surf for longer and catch more waves and then backup sooner and do it all over again. Golf might be another matter

[Surfin Turf]

...... eat something (gentle on the stomach, like creamed rice or even sports gel) .....

you do realise slowman you have just detroyed a time honoured tradition of gorging one's self on fresh bakery products ..... when I used to think 'surfing lifestyle' creamed rice never really came to mind before ....

[Larry]

Personally speaking, and from long experience, I have found that the complete summer food for energy is a can of tomato soup and a tablespoon of chili jam, frozen solid, and licked from a stick.

[Revolution]

wouldnt surfing be taking shit all from the whole aerobic system ?? i mean unless your paddling back from a 1km ride you aint gonna be doing to much long low intensity shit. Most fatigue in surfing is just lactic acid build up, possibly even using alact acid system with short bursts of power.

Now i wud argue your whole 'eating gently' sure is going to be better than a slab of pizza, but really wouldnt do to much for anything...

[Grooter]

Thanks for the nutrition tips. I generally eat two pieces of toast with a strong coffee before jumping in the car and I find that is enough fuel to last me for two hours. After a session I always drink a protien shake and try and get in some more carbs as I am usualy ravenous again.

I never underestimate the importance of staying fit and going to the gym regularly though. I found that really helped my surfing more than anything else.

But my biggest problem is calf muscle cramps. Happens all the bloody time after an hour or so in the surf and almost always when I jump up on a wave so I end up on one leg dangling in pain like a spastic before getting dumped.

Any advice on what to take to beat the calf muscle cramps? I know cold water is a big factor (and in Vic the water is always cold!) but surely there must be some supplement to take?

[bc]

But my biggest problem is calf muscle cramps. Happens all the bloody time after an hour or so in the surf and almost always when I jump up on a wave so I end up on one leg dangling in pain like a spastic before getting dumped.

Any advice on what to take to beat the calf muscle cramps? I know cold water is a big factor (and in Vic the water is always cold!) but surely there must be some supplement to take?

I have the same problem, also cramps in my foot when I wear fins.
Yoga seems to help to stretch/build up these muscles, and I have a couple of stretches from a Physio that seem to help a bit.

Seems to be worst in cold water/ not been surfing much/ end of session/ big wave that freaks me out (adrenaline?)

I notice i point my toes when I paddle, and by limiting that, I get some improvement.

Potassium is meant to help (bananas), but I've not noticed much of a difference.

[Revolution]

cramps = take a potassium supliment few hours b4 surf or night before. works for me fine.

Heres a question, i never see anybody stretching before a surf, but does anyone do it? Surely it would help but i just never think to...

[Natho]

For general nutrition (not just for surfing) a good easy rule of thumb =

A portion of complex carbs and protein with each meal.
A portion of fruit/ veg with each meal.
5 smaller meals per day rather than 3 big ones.
Drink plenty of water.

That's it. Now go and enjoy your surfin.

[Slowman]

wouldnt surfing be taking shit all from the whole aerobic system ?? i mean unless your paddling back from a 1km ride you aint gonna be doing to much long low intensity shit. Most fatigue in surfing is just lactic acid build up, possibly even using alact acid system with short bursts of power.

Now i wud argue your whole 'eating gently' sure is going to be better than a slab of pizza, but really wouldnt do to much for anything...

People who have heart rate monitors when they first get them do funny things with them and measure themselves doing all sorts of things. Anyway I slapped it on for a surf one day and I was pretty much around 130bpm during the paddle back out - that is well within aerobic intensity for me. I need to hit around 160bpm before I start going anaerobic. I don't doubt there will be anaerobic bursts when you take off and when the horries are looming. Anyway there's some information on going short, long and recovering, use it if you want it won't cost you anything but some thought to try.

BTW, fatigue being caused by lactic acid is one of many myths http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/16/healt ... 16run.html . Lactic acid is converted and burnt up as well, there is an effect called lactic spill over, which is when the muscles cannot convert it quickly enough due to the intensity of the exercise and it spills over into the blood stream but this just makes metabolism inefficient and you have to slowdown and let the system catch up. Once it is all cleared up and dealt with you are fine to do it all over again. Fatigue, if we are talking about the same thing is exhaustion, and it occurs when your muscles run low on fuel.

...... eat something (gentle on the stomach, like creamed rice or even sports gel) .....

you do realise slowman you have just detroyed a time honoured tradition of gorging one's self on fresh bakery products ..... when I used to think 'surfing lifestyle' creamed rice never really came to mind before ....

ST, nothing wrong with those if they are gentle on your stomach.

[Surfin Turf]

Heres a question, i never see anybody stretching before a surf, but does anyone do it? Surely it would help but i just never think to...

you're kiddin me .... you surf at mona's and you never see anyone stretching ... it's like a magnet for weekend mal riders and surf school grad's ... I have seen ridiculously long group stretching session's going on there for years ....

I do a quick leg stretch on my dodgy leg while I drink my glass of juice in the kitchen, then stretch my dodgy shoulder in the car , then stretch my mind about 30 mins after paddling out when I'm being followed around by kooks ....

[mustkillmulloway]

great idea for a thread

can we dumb it down just abit thu

i'm eating a chicken breast with a bit bread and butter now

i'll be surfing in about 4 hours

i'll mostly have a coke b4 i paddle out

what am i doing wrong or right ( no breaky...went straight for a wave)