Congratulations! You are going to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. As an athlete, you need to fine-tune your diet during tapering prior to competition. The Sport Nutrition Advisory Committee (SNAC) has developed this nutrition resource to assist you with the travel, heat, and nutrition challenges that athletes may face in Beijing.

PREPARE FOR A PODIUM FINISH

Half Way Round the World!
To prepare for the long flight, read the Long Distance Travel tip sheet and learn how to minimize jet lag while continuing a high carbohydrate training diet.

Performance in the Heat
The average temperature in Beijing is 28°C in August, with 65% humidity. This equates to 38°C with the humidex. Sweaty weather! Heat impairs performance in endurance, strength, and power sports. For guidelines on heat adaptation, talk to your Canadian Sport Centre physiologist and refer to the Canadian Sport Centre Pacific Performance Point on Heat Adaptation.

Drink Beyond Thirst
Hydration is the main nutrition challenge in Beijing. To minimize dehydration and prevent heat illness, one needs to drink high volumes of fluid and consume salt in foods and sport drinks. Refer to Exercising in the Heat? and Fluids for Athletes for practical tips by the Coaching Association of Canada to replace your sweat losses. Talk to your Canadian Sport Centre physiologist about your specific hydration needs.

HAVE A HAPPY STOMACH

Avoid Traveler’s Diarrhea and Stay Regular

• Never try new foods or drinks before a competition!
• Dine only in restaurants recommended by the Games Organizers.
• The foods, beverages, and ice in the Athletes’ Village are sanitary.
• After your competition, go ahead and experiment with new and exotic foods. Nutrition in China is a quick reference to some common Chinese foods.

Stay Regular
Dehydration in the heat and lack of vegetables and high fibre breads and cereals can lead to constipation. The Athletes’ Village will have high fibre cereals such as Fibre 1 and Bran Flakes with raisins as well as raw fruits, vegetables, and dried prunes for you to munch on. Remember to drink plenty of water to ensure you stay regular.

FUEL for Gold at the Athletes’ Village

Wow – Look at all this FOOD!
Suddenly faced with an array of attractively displayed food, who would not want to try a little of everything? The Nutrition Away from Home tip sheet provides guidance for selecting a high carbohydrate training/competition diet with adequate protein, fat, and nutrients while minimizing the chance of an upset stomach.

Control Your Portions!
To stay at your competition weight, fill your plate as you would at home. With the temptation of unlimited amounts of food, it does not take long to add a few pounds!

Choose Foods for Performance
The Athletes’ Village menus include a number of dishes that may be higher in fat and spices than is recommended before or after competition. Low fat steamed, boiled, or poached dishes are quicker to digest than creamy or fried foods. Know your tolerance for spices and ask questions about ingredients. Choose low fat and high carbohydrate meals that include bread, steamed rice, stir-fried vegetables, fruit, or low fat yogurt along with a little protein such as boiled eggs, grilled fish, or chicken. These staple foods will be available in the Athletes’ Village at most meals.

2-4 hours BEFORE your event: Eat a light carbohydrate meal with moderate protein and little fat. Drink at least 5-7 mL of fluid per kg body weight (about 300-500 mL) 4 hours prior to your event.

• Fruit
• Cereal, sandwich, rice or pasta
• Yogurt or egg
• Milk, juice, water, sport drink

1-2 hours BEFORE your event: Have a light carbohydrate snack and some fluid in the couple hours before your event. Drink another 3-5 mL of fluid per kg body weight (about 150-350 mL) if in the next hour you still have not produced any urine or if it is still bright yellow in color.

• Banana, raisins or yogurt granola bar
• Sport drink, water

DURING your event: Fluid replacement is the priority. For exercise sessions longer than an hour, consuming carbohydrate in a sport drink will help maintain your energy. For multi-event days, such as heats, eat small carbohydrate snacks like a granola bar, sport drink, and fruit.

AFTER your event: Immediately after each practice session and game, rehydrate with water or sport drink and refuel with carbohydrate rich foods to recover and prepare for your next event. Water, Powerade and Nature Valley bars will be available at most venues.

• Water, Powerade, milk, juice
• Fruit, granola bar
• sandwich, crackers, cheese

The tip sheets, Fluids and Foods BEFORE Training/Competition, Fluids and Foods DURING Training/Competition, and Fluids and Foods AFTER Training/Competition give more detail for peak performance eating. For comprehensive guidelines for health and performance in China view the published article entitled Travelling to China for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games by Milne and Shaw (Milne, CJ & Shaw MTM, 2008. Travelling to China for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Br J. Sports Med 42:321-326).

To download these tips, click here.