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FOUR-DAY FOOD RECORD AND ANALYSIS

Four-day food record and analysis Peter Ryan Coursera - Fundamentals of Human Nutrition

FOUR-DAY FOOD RECORD AND ANALYSIS Abstract This case-study looks at the four-day food record of a vegan individual who is involved in the sport of Olympic weightlifting. In this study the food tracking technology called myfitnesspal is used to assess the calorie intake. In the study we shall see that adequate calories, protein & other nutrients can be achieved by vegan athletes involved in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, we shall also discuss the choices of foods, spices & supplements, along with their specific uses both as potential ergogenic aids & as health promoting products. Keywords: vegan, Olympic lifting, protein, supplements

FOUR-DAY FOOD RECORD AND ANALYSIS Four-day food record and analysis. Introduction This is a case study of an Olympic weightlifter that has followed a vegan diet for more than two decades. The subject filled in a daily dietary intake questionnaire using the nutritional mapping tool myfitnesspal (myfitnesspal, 2013). All the calories, macronutrients, some vitamins & minerals & fibre were tracked during the four days. Method The subject first tried different tracking programmes found online & finally settled on myfitnesspal as it had all the foods consumed (or similar varieties) during the time being tracked. The subject tracked food on a daily basis. The food intake was then broken down & analysed by the myfitnesspal programme & the results given. Results The results showed that that calorie intake was adequate for the amount of work & goals of the subject (see figure 1). The protein was at a higher level than is usually recommended (see figure 2) For protein needs the usual calculation used is bodyweight in Kg times 0.8, which gives this subject a need of 56 grams of protein, however the subject, working with his coach believed the gains in strength were better using a higher percentage of his calories from protein. The carbohydrate intake was slightly less than recommended by analysis done by myfitnesspal (see figure 3), but as the subject is an explosive athlete, then they would need less carbohydrates than a runner or other athlete. The fat was lower than recommended (see figure 4), this is necessary for the subject to achieve his weight class for competition. Two pints of water are consumed at breakfast; one pint upon waking & one pint of herbal tea. Meals 2, 3 & 5 also both include 1 pint of water each, drank as herbal tea. There is also the

FOUR-DAY FOOD RECORD AND ANALYSIS inclusion of 1 pint of unsweetened soya milk in meals 1, 4 & 6 {meals 2, 4 & 6 are grouped together under snacks}. There is also some water consumed during training, but this is unmonitored. For a one day example of the full 6 meal eating plan including water & other fluid intake see Appendix 4. Total food intake for the four days can be seen from figures 5-8 inclusive. The first concern with the micronutrients was the sodium (see figure 9) which was above the recommended UL of 2,300mg (USDA Dietary Reference Intakes: UL for Vitamins and Elements, 2013). In some studies vegans have been shown to be low in calcium (Strhle A, 2011), but in this case the amounts are well above recommended levels (see figure 10). Due to the non-heme sources of iron consumed, this vitamin can also be a concern to vegans, but the food intake was at or above recommended levels (see figure 11). There was also extra iron intake in the form of supplementing with a multivitamin/mineral pill (see Appendix 2 on supplements). Potassium looked to be below the AI set at 4,700mg (USDA Dietary Reference Intakes: RDA and AI for Vitamins and Elements, 2013) & the diet would need some revision to hit that target (see figure 12). Vitamin A was well above recommended levels (see figure 13), although technically a vegan does not consume vitamin A from food, but beta carotene which the body converts into the usable form of the vitamin. Vitamin C was well above recommended levels (see figure 14). Fibre was also above the recommended minimum (see figure 15). Discussion Points of note are: Higher than recommended protein High sodium intake

FOUR-DAY FOOD RECORD AND ANALYSIS Low potassium intake Choices of herbs, spices, supplements & selected vitamins Comparison to myplate

Protein: The subject of this study is an Olympic lifter & trains on average 5 to 6 days per week, often several times a day & has found that higher protein appears to aid his recovery & increases his strength levels. Sodium: The sodium levels were slightly above recommended levels & some changes in food many help bring those levels down somewhat. Although the subject does monitor his blood pressure weekly & has had no issues with high blood pressure lowering to around 1,500mg per day of sodium would be something to consider. Potassium: The low potassium was something of a shock as the subjects diet is completely plant-based? This may need some further investigation to see how the levels could be raised without pushing the calories above present levels. Choices of herbs, spices, supplements & selected vitamins: Most of the herbs & spices were used to reduce inflammation, aid recovery or improve health. Ginger is eaten regularly as it could reduce inflammation & pain after exercise (Black CD, 2010). Turmeric is also an antiinflammatory that may aid in recovery from training (Shehzad A, 2012). Cinnamon improves insulin resistance, lean body mass & blood pressure (Bolin Qin, 2010). Cocoa powder is believed to have anti-inflammatory effects as well as healthy effects on the blood (Habauzit V, 2012). The amino acid L-leucine is specifically added to protein shakes as it has been speculated & shown in at least one study that adding the amino acid increases the utilisation of protein for skeletal muscle creation (Norton, L.E, 2012). The only vitamin well cover here is vitamin K2 (MK7) as that may be the least understood. Vitamin K2 (MK7), which well call vitamin K2 from now on, is thought to be only produced by bacteria, either

FOUR-DAY FOOD RECORD AND ANALYSIS in food a person consumes or within the gut itself. A person can guarantee enough by eating products like natto, but if you are not eating fermented products it is unclear how much the bacteria in your stomach can create, therefore this supplement was included. It is thought to be useful for bone & arterial health (Plaza S.M, 2005). Comparison to myplate: Myplate is the latest version of the US Governments healthy eating programme. It is a plate design with various foods types put into the portions of the plate, it also has a separate circle that is reminiscent of a cup for the dairy section (see Appendix 3 Item 1). Within this plan there is also a daily eating plan that is suggested in the Your daily myplate. This itemises how many servings of each of the groups you are recommended to consume each day (see Appendix 3 Item 2). As the subject is an athlete he tends to eat a much higher quantity of food than is suggested in the myplate idea. Also he finds it harder to eat very large meals during the day, so consumes a great deal more of his calories during a large breakfast feed, then smaller feeds throughout the rest of the day as very large meals would adversely affect training. Due to this the subjects diet does not correspond very well to the myplate system of dietary regulation, but still appears to meet the majority of the subjects dietary needs. Limitation There are several limitations to this study. Short duration: The short duration doesnt really allow for food intake over a long time period to be assessed. As mentioned in Self-evaluation of diet & experience by the subject (Appendix 1), the diet changes throughout the season, as well as between winter & summer as different foods become available. A longer duration would give a more accurate picture of food intake. Assimilation: The study covers just what is eaten, not what is absorbed into the body. Having some blood work of the subject showing vitamin, mineral & other important factors like EFA levels, cholesterol & hormone levels would give researchers a better idea of what was getting

FOUR-DAY FOOD RECORD AND ANALYSIS into the subject compared to the food consumed. This would make a useful adjunct to the study results, but the subject had no recent blood work available to include. Lack of information: Although myfitnesspal was very good at including foods, the actual analysis tools were considerably less than some other services available. It did not appear to have separate omega-3, omega-6 measurements & only limited vitamins & minerals to look at. Only one subject: You can draw no conclusions from a single case-study. If your goal was to see how the diets of vegan strength athletes compare to vegetarian or omnivore diets you would need many more subjects. Also vegans come in many forms with some eating only raw food, others eating low protein, while other eat very high green leafy vegetable content, so you would have to categorise vegans according to their eating habits as their diets often look very different. Supplements not included: As seen on Appendix 2 many supplementary vitamins, minerals & other products were used, these were not included in the calculations of dietary intake. For a more complete look at the subjects intake these should be included. Meal planning limited: Using myfitnesspal the option was only to have three meals & a snack. As the subject eats 6 meals a day, the snack section had to become a combined version of all three of the smaller meals & so defining what was eaten at what time becomes very hard. To overcome this limitation there is an example of one day of an actual diet as eaten in Appendix 4. References Black CD et al, Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reduces muscle pain caused by eccentric exercise. J Pain. 2010 Sep;11(9):894-903. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2009.12.013. Epub 2010 Apr 24. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20418184 , Retrieved 28 January 2013. Bolin Qin et al, Cinnamon: Potential Role in the Prevention of Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2010 May; 4(3): 685693. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901047/, Retrieved 28 January 2013. Habauzit V, Morand C. Evidence for a protective effect of polyphenols-containing foods on cardiovascular health: an update for clinicians. Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2012 Mar;3(2):87106. doi: 10.1177/2040622311430006. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23251771 , Retrieved 28 January 2013. Myfitnesspal (2013), http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ , Retrieved 28 January, 2013. Norton, L.E et al, Leucine content of dietary proteins is a determinant of postprandial skeletal muscle protein synthesis in adult rats. Nutrition & Metabolism 2012, 9:67. http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/pdf/1743-7075-9-67.pdf , Retrieved 28 January 2013.

FOUR-DAY FOOD RECORD AND ANALYSIS Plaza S.M, Lamson D.W. Vitamin K2 in bone metabolism and osteoporosis. Alternative Medicine Review : a Journal of Clinical Therapeutic [2005, 10(1):24-35]. http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/15771560/reload=0;jsessionid=AzfAvojCHjeBT9FuHTf 8.20 .Retrieved 28 January 2013. Shehzad A et al, Curcumin in inflammatory diseases. Biofactors. 2012 Dec 22. doi: 10.1002/biof.1066. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23281076 , Retrieved 28 January 2013. Strhle A et al, Diet-dependent net endogenous acid load of vegan diets in relation to food groups and bone health-related nutrients: results from the German Vegan Study. Ann Nutr Metab. 2011;59(2-4):117-26. doi: 10.1159/000331572. Epub 2011 Dec 2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22142775 Retrieved January 2013. USDA Dietary Reference Intakes: RDA and AI for Vitamins and Elements, http://iom.edu/Activities/Nutrition/SummaryDRIs/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/ DRIs/RDA%20and%20AIs_Vitamin%20and%20Elements.pdf , Retrieved 28 January 2013. USDA Dietary Reference Intakes: UL for Vitamins and Elements, http://iom.edu/Activities/Nutrition/SummaryDRIs/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/ DRIs/ULs%20for%20Vitamins%20and%20Elements.pdf , Retrieved 28 January 2013. Appendix 1 Self-evaluation of diet & experience by the subject It took me a while to find a tracker that actually had the foods in it I ate! After several abortive attempts I finally tried myfitnesspal which allowed me to get everything in. I did have to change the odd brand, but it appeared to be to a very similar brand, so I believe the estimate is fairly accurate. My meal plans are very similar each day. I do on occasion swap protein powders & different vegetables throughout the season. A major change occurs between summer & winter, over the warmer months meal 3 will become a bean-based salad rather than a soup. The water intake is going to be somewhat less than I actually consume as I spent some time training each day & use water as needed. I cannot exactly monitor that as I am focussed on my training. I train as an Olympic lifter so as you can imagine I train 5-6 days a week, often several times a day for several hours at a time. So the drinks included (either plain water or herbal teas) I drink with my food, not during training where I do drink water. My carbs & fat may have come up a little low & my protein a little high, but Im an explosive athlete, needing to do only one or at most a very few reps, therefore I dont need the carbohydrates of say a runner, but protein for rebuilding & enough fats to be healthy & also to keep me in my weight class. So my diet is shaped to reflect this.

FOUR-DAY FOOD RECORD AND ANALYSIS Performance is my main goal, so as long as Im fuelling myself enough Im happy. A bad time can be as you head towards contest & you hit the heaviest training cycles where you are over-reaching which I define as training beyond your recovery, but not yet dipping into true over-training then eating becomes hard as although you are training flat out, you simply cannot eat that much. In those times I include extra junk food just to get calories in me, also more liquid feeds are an option if I just need a quick fix. Appendix 2 Supplements Vit B complex (including B12) Vitamin K2 Multivit/min pill DHA/EPA pills (from algae) Glucosamine HCl MSM Vitamin D3 (vegan version from vitashine) Appendix 3 Myplate

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Item 1 Myplate

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Item 2 Your daily myplate Appendix 4 Actual eating plan Meal 1 15 gram flax seed 30 gram pea powder 5 grams Spirulina 5 grams Chlorella 5 grams Moringa 8 grams wheat grass 1.25 grams kelp powder 5 grams fresh ginger root 5grams cocoa powder 5 grams cinnamon 5 grams turmeric

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FOUR-DAY FOOD RECORD AND ANALYSIS 10 grams l-leucine 10 grams L-glutamine 2.5 grams L-lysine 2 wholemeal bagels 10 grams peanut butter 5 grams low sodium yeast extract 1 banana 1 pint unsweetened soya milk 2 pints of water

Meal 2 (snack) 2 ryvita slices 2 rice cakes 2 corn cakes 5 grams peanut butter 5 grams low sodium yeast extract 1 Banana 1 apple 5 grams houmous Pint of water

Meal 3 100 grams lima bean 50 grams kale 100 grams carrots 150 grams butternut squash or 150 grams swede 5 grams fresh ginger root

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FOUR-DAY FOOD RECORD AND ANALYSIS 5 grams cinnamon Pint of water

Meal 4 (snack) 30 grams pea protein powder 1 pint unsweetened soya milk 1 banana

Meal 5 200 grams potato or 100 gram quinoa 50 grams Kale 100 grams tofu Pint of water 5 grams yeast flakes 40 grams peas

Meal 6 (snack) 30 grams pea protein powder 1 pint unsweetened soya milk 5 grams peanut butter

Tables and figures

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Figure 1 Calories Consumed

Figure 2 Protein Consumed

Figure 3 Carbohydrates Consumed

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Figure 4 Fat Consumed

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Figure 5 Food intake 25 January

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Figure 6 Food intake 26 January

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Figure 7 Food intake 27 January

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Figure 8 Food intake 28 January

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Figure 9 Sodium consumed

Figure 10 Calcium consumed

Figure 11 Iron Consumed

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Figure 12 Potassium consumed

Figure 13 Vitamin A consumed

Figure 14 Vitamin C consumed

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Figure 15 Fibre consumed