Ask the Experts: Dr. Rick Kattouf on caloric needs for athletes
Monday, July 13, 2009 at 3:33PM 
Question: I’m a 5'4, 47 year old female, and I've noticed since picking up running that my nutritional needs are changing from when I didn't run to now. (Picked up running mid-March to move off a plateau and it worked.) I was working out with weights before.
Currently I weigh 130-133 but would like to be 125. Any suggestions? I do really well for a while then I get bored or lazy and that's when my weight doesn't move. I believe the planning of nutrition is actually the hardest part.
Direction please? Thanks!
Answer: Thank you for your question.
Nutrition planning can be challenging for the athlete to do for himself/herself. The first thing I recommend is getting your body fat%. This will be important in determining one's caloric needs. Body fat scales are an easy and accurate way to measure this. Also, be sure to get a BF scale that also measures water%. This is extremely important because you need to be sure the weight you are losing is not water weight, as this would be counterproductive to your needs and goals.
When I design meal plans for an athlete, a number of factors must be examined: needs and goals of the athlete, body fat%, body water%, TEF (Thermic Effect of Food), and BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate).
Once these are established, I then align the following for the athlete: proper nutrient timing, proper eating frequency, proper macronutrient combination (carbohydrates, protein, and fat), and proper daily caloric consumption.
I share the above with you to show that in order to properly determine one's caloric needs, it is much more in depth than a simple answer such as 'calories in versus calories out.'
Total calories is just a very small piece of the puzzle, but a good place to start. Step one would be to determine your BMR. The aforementioned body fat scales will give you this number (be sure this is one of the features). One major key is to be sure you are not eating too few calories. For example, if one's BMR is 1300 calories, and the athlete only takes in 1,000 calories, this will create too large a deficit (especially on training days), and the athlete will not lose the desired body fat/weight.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rick Kattouf II
http://www.teamkattouf.com
Author of Forever Fit
Wellness and Nutrition Consultant
Sports Nutrition Consultant
Many qualified experts on training and nutrition use TrainingPeaks to help manage their business. Now, a select few are offering professional training and nutrition advice on our blog. The views expressed here are the opinions of the experts and as such do not represent the official position of TrainingPeaks. Read on to learn more about Dr. Rick Kattouf, and submit a question of your own below!
About the author: Dr. Rick Kattouf II is the author of Forever Fit, CEO and Founder of TeamKattouf, Inc., Sports Nutrition Consultant, Wellness and Nutrition Consultant, and a Motivational Speaker. Rick is a 3x age group duathlon national champion, 4x Team USA duathlete, 3x USAT All-American duathlete, and a 2x Inside Triathlon magazine All-American duathlete. Rick can be contacted at www.teamkattouf.com.
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Reader Comments (3)
Rick,
What scale do you recommend being most accurate?
Thanks,
Diane Stokes
I have a scale that measures weight and body fat% but not the others. Which scales do you recommend?
Hello Diane and Sue, I tend to lean towards the Tanita scales, www.tanita.com, www.thecompetitiveedge.com. My wife Gail and I have the BC-554 model. I find these scales to be quite accurate. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rick Kattouf II
Author of Forever Fit
www.teamkattouf.com