Carbs: Debunking The Myths

by Courtenay Schurman - Dancespirit

60-20-20

Known as 60-20-20, here's an ideal nutrition plan for dancers.

Just as every rule has an exception, every nutrition strategy, or diet, will work for some and fail for others. It's also important to remember that most popular diets target the general public, not the serious dancer. Non-athletes need a bare minimum of 50-100 grams of carbohydrates per day (the amount found in one baked potato) to support normal body functions. Dancers need significantly more than that for sustained energy during long rehearsals.

Without enough carbs the body destroys lean muscle tissue for energy, resulting in decreased metabolic rate -- the last thing dancers want. Daniel Gastelu and Dr. Fred Hatfield, authors of Dynamic Nutrition For Maximum Performance, suggest that what seems to work best for most dancers is a plan that includes a blend of 55-60 percent carbs, 20-25 percent protein and 20 percent fat. Thomas Incledon, MS, RD, agrees "as long as the calorie values are high enough to fuel the demand of their active lifestyle. However, if the individual is ingesting insufficient calories per day, then using a percentage-based system may result in inadequate nutrients in the diet." Let's explore which carbohydrates will provide the best fuel for you.

Carbs' Two Faces

"Sugar: Friend Or Foe?" in the March 2001 issue of DS addresses the issue of sugars, the simple carbohydrate form that includes brown sugar, molasses, fructose and honey or other substances commonly found in foods such as candy, pastries, colas, ice cream and cookies. Many of those foods provide "empty" calories that lack significant nutrients, but supply energy. They tend to provide an initial burst of energy and then leave you craving more as your energy levels sag.

Complex carbohydrates include starchy or fibrous foods that rank low on the Glycemic Index. This index compares how quickly a carbohydrate raises blood glucose versus white bread (or glucose, in some studies). Foods with a high Glycemic Index rating, like sugars, are very quickly converted into energy and will not leave you feeling satisfied for long. Raw foods, such as fruits and vegetables or foods high in fiber, such as wheat breads and bran cereals, rank lower on the Glycemic Index. These take more time for the body to digest, providing you with sustained energy.

Low-GI foods should constitute about 45 percent of your total caloric intake and are the ones you want to consume a few hours before your classes or rehearsals, as well as throughout the day. Finally, combining high-GI carbohydrates with protein, fat or low-GI foods lowers a meal's total GI and leaves you feeling satisfied for longer. See page 124 for ratings of common snack carbohydrates.

Will Carbs Make Me Fat?

Any food eaten in the appropriate serving size will not make you gain weight, but calories in excess of your body's metabolic needs will, whether they come from fat, carbohydrates or protein. Often it's fat-laden goodies piled on top of carbs that are the weight culprit, such as sour cream on potatoes, butter on bread and cream sauces over pasta.

Identifying realistic portion sizes for carbohydrates can be challenging. A single serving of pasta (2 oz. dry) is 220 calories. Most restaurants serve you two or three times that, plus all the bread you can consume. Cereal boxes usually suggest a serving size of one ounce, but depending on the cereal, quantities can range from 1/4 cup of raisin granola (123 calories), to one cup of corn flakes (110 calories). Learn what constitutes a serving and pay close attention to food labels.

Eating For Yourself

The ideal meal to eat before dancing is the one that works best for you. If you find that having any solid food in your system 90 minutes before a recital leaves you feeling nauseated, a fruit smoothie consisting of carbs and protein in liquid form may be easier on your butterfly-filled stomach. Another dancer may need to eat a piece of wheat toast with boysenberry jam and yogurt. A third may prefer leftover thick-crust vegetarian pizza with nonfat cheese.

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