Lesson Overview: A cumulative lesson investigating nutritional concerns for athletes to be used upon completion of the nutrition unit; aligns with FACS, Health and Common Core Standards.

Step 1: Introduce students to the Power2Push initiative and athletic challenge by playing the Evans video.

Step 2: Introduce students to the essential question: How can Shaun stayed fueled when he runs?

What nutrients would he need? How much? Shaun is a Vegetarian and needs lots of protein. How can we create a nutritional program for him to use when he trains and when he runs 50 miles a day?

Step 3: Have students jot down what they already know from Nutrition as well as what they would need to research to get a solid answer. As student groups are strategizing when they come up with vocabulary terms have an elected member of their group write them on the board. Some terms they might write:

Proteins Amino Acids Metabolism Glycogen Glucose Carbohydrates

Calories Food Guide

Step 4: Have students do an annotated reading of the article “5 Nutrition Tips for Athletes”-see below. You may follow the guidelines for annotated reading you use in your class. In my classroom we highlight key points, underline key terms, circle words we are unable to define, and write notes and questions in the margins. Before an annotated reading I usually remind the class why making annotations is so helpful-not only to better understand/“digest” the material, but also makes it easier to pull out key concepts and details we found important when we use the article for projects like the one we are currently working on. Have some students share some of their annotations with the class or with a partner.

Step 5: Have students conduct necessary research into Nutritional Requirements (USDA’s myPlate) and Vegetarian sources of protein (provide them with some examples to get them started and thinking outside the box of typical soy or tofu products- ex. Bulgur 17g of protein in 1 cup). Have them type up the Nutritional Goals for Shaun and back up their goals with information and sources from the USDA and professional articles they have read.

Step 6: Using the Nutritional Goals they created have students find recipes that would help meet these goals. You could have students plan anywhere from 1 day to 1 week worth of recipes. Have them plug their ingredients into a nutrition calculator online (http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp ) to make sure their recipes will get them to the target nutrients they established for Shaun. You could then have students prepare their favorite recipe. Ex: Bulgur Tacos-see below

Bulgur Tacos-We make these every year as a vegetarian alternative. They taste very similar to ground beef tacos but are much healthier and provide important nutrients for vegetarians!

Serves 4 Ingredients

 1 cup bulgur wheat  1 cup water (have more ready if needed)  3 tbsp taco seasoning (store-bought or grind equal parts pink peppercorn, chile powder, cumin seed & coriander)  4 multigrain tortillas

Roasted Red Pepper Sour Cream

 1 red bell pepper, roasted  ¾ cup low-fat sour cream  fresh lime juice

Filling Suggestions

 avocado, red onion & romaine lettuce  fresh lime juice & cilantro leaves  salsa or diced tomatoes  sharp cheddar cheese, shredded How-to

1. Preheat oven to 350º 2. Toast bulgur wheat in sauté pan over medium heat, 3-5 minutes, swirling the pan often to assure even toasting. Watch to prevent burning 3. Roast pepper on a baking sheet at 350º for 45 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool 4. Mix 3 tbsp taco seasoning with 1 cup of water and add to the toasted bulgur. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste at 3 minutes for doneness. If water has evaporated and the bulgur is still hard, add ¼ - ½ cup more water 5. Meanwhile, puree roasted red pepper in food processor. Fold puree into sour cream and mix in lime juice Assemble Tacos 1. For a vegan taco, layer tortilla with bulgur and fillings; do not add cheese or roasted red pepper sour cream 2. If not serving vegan appetites, add cheese and serve with roasted red pepper sour cream 5 Nutrition Tips for Athletes By Peter Jaret WebMD Feature Reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH When you exercise hard for 90 minutes or more, especially if you're doing something at high intensity that takes a lot of endurance, you need a diet that can help you perform at your peak and recover quickly afterward. These five guidelines will help. 1. Load Up on Carbohydrates Carbs are an athlete's main fuel. Your body changes them to glucose, a form of sugar, and stores it in your muscles as glycogen. When you exercise, your body changes glycogen into energy. If you exercise for under 90 minutes, you have enough glycogen in your muscles, even for high-intensity activities. But if your workout is longer than that, use these strategies:

 "Carbohydrate loading for 3 or 4 days before an event can help top up your glycogen stores,” says sports dietitian Joy Dubost, PhD.  Eat a diet that gets about 70% of its calories from carbohydrates, including breads, cereals, pasta, fruit, and vegetables, to achieve maximum carbohydrate storage.  On the day of a big event, eat your last meal 3 to 4 hours before exercising, to give your stomach time to empty.  Avoid eating sugary or starchy foods within 30 minutes of starting an activity; they can speed up dehydration.  Replenish carbs, minerals, and water during long exercise sessions. Eat a snack and drink fluid every 15 to 20 minutes. Refined carbohydrates (with sugar or flour) pass quickly into the bloodstream, where they fuel working muscles. Many athletes prefer sports bars, sports drinks, or gels, since they're so convenient. But fruit and fruit juice are also excellent choices.  Reload on carbohydrates after intensive exercise, too. "Since you don't need quick energy, it's best to choose less refined carbohydrates" such as a whole-grain bagel or carrot sticks, which provide both carbohydrates and a rich array of nutrients, Dubost says. 2. Get Enough Protein, But Not Too Much Protein doesn’t provide a lot of fuel for energy. But you need it to maintain your muscles.

 Know what you need. The average person needs 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day. That's about 88 grams of protein for a 150-pound person. A strength athlete may need up to 1.7 grams per kilogram of body weight. That's about 150 grams of protein for a 200-pound athlete.  Favor foods. Getting too much protein can put a strain on your kidneys. Instead of protein supplements, eat high-quality protein, such as lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts, beans, eggs, or milk.  Drink up. "Milk is one of the best foods for recovery after an event, because it provides a good balance of protein and carbohydrates," Dubost says. Milk also has both casein and whey protein. The combination may be particularly helpful for athletes. Research shows that whey protein is absorbed quickly, which can help speed recovery immediately after an event. Casein is digested more slowly, helping to ensure long-term recovery of muscle after a grueling event. Milk also has calcium, which is important for maintaining strong bones. 3. Go Easy on Fat For long events, such as marathons, your body turns to fat for energy when carbohydrate sources run low. Most athletes get all the fat they need by following the basic dietary guideline to eat mostly unsaturated fat from foods such as nuts, avocados, olives, vegetable oils, and fatty fish like salmon and tuna. Avoid fatty foods on the day of an event, since they can upset your stomach. 4. Drink Fluids Early and Often Intense exercise, especially in hot weather, can quickly leave you dehydrated. Dehydration, in turn, can hurt your performance and, in extreme cases, threaten your life. "All high-intensity athletes should drink fluids early and often," Dubost says. "And don't wait until you're thirsty. By the time you feel parched, you may be seriously dehydrated." "One way to monitor hydration is to keep an eye on the color of your urine," says Joshua Evans, MD, a physician at Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit and an expert on dehydration. A pale yellow color means you're getting enough fluid. Bright yellow or dark urine means you're falling short. Because intense exercise makes you lose fluid quickly, it's a good idea to drink fluids before as well as during an event, Dubost says. Endurance athletes such as marathon runners or long-distance cyclists should drink 8 to 12 ounces of fluid every 10 or 15 minutes during an event. When possible, drink chilled fluids, which are more easily absorbed than room-temperature water. Chilled fluids also help cool your body down. 5. Replace Lost Electrolytes Sweating removes both fluids and electrolytes. Electrolytes help transmit nerve signals in your body. To replenish them, reach for sports drinks. If you’re also losing a lot of fluid as you sweat, dilute sports drinks with equal amounts of water to get the best balance of fluid and electrolytes.