Nutrition for Master Athletes

Submitted by: Marilyn Gordon, Ed.D., RD, CSSD, LDN
Registered Dietitian, Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist

We are fortunate to live in an era where physical activity and sports are practiced well into mid-life and beyond. A master athlete can be described as someone over the age of 40 or 50 years. That still sounds fairly young considering that there are several 90 year olds running marathons, throwing the javelin, playing tennis, and teaching 4 classes of yoga a week! As we age, our nutritional needs do change and we need to be aware of these changes.

Calories. For most athletes, total calorie needs decrease usually due to the loss of muscle mass. Being active does minimize this loss but gradually over time, the extra 100 calories per day could lead to a 10 pound weight gain over the course of a year. It becomes more important to make wise food choices that contain all of the vitamins and minerals needed for good health but within a lower calorie range.

Iron. For women post menopause, iron needs decrease to the level of men; 8 mg/d. Most women will no longer need supplemental iron and can obtain adequate amounts from beef, poultry, fish, legumes, and enriched whole grains. Adequate iron stores are critical for endurance training and aerobic performance. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiencies in the United States. A long distance runner or a vegetarian master athlete would be most at risk.

Calcium. After age 50, our requirement for calcium increases to 1,200 mg/d for both men and women. Some women may need 1,500 mg per day post menopause. This amount of calcium obtained through the diet would require approximately 4 calcium rich servings per day primarily from milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, and fortified soy products. Additional calcium can be found in leafy green vegetables, fortified juices and cereals, beans, and legumes. Many women choose to supplement calcium as the food sources alone would eat up 400-500 calories per day out of her calorie budget.

Vitamin D is interesting because it is a fat soluble vitamin but also has hormonal activity. Excess is stored in the liver and typically it is referred to as the “Sunshine Vitamin” since we synthesize it through the skin when the skin is exposed to sunlight. It was always thought that we could never be deficient and advice was to never supplement for fear of toxicity. Well now that individuals do not go outdoors and expose their skin to sunlight, we see Vitamin D deficiencies both in the younger and older athletic and non-athletic populations. There are few good sources of Vitamin D in the diet. A few are fortified milk, fortified cereal, and the fattier fish; salmon and sardines. The Dietary Reference Intake for Vitamin D was recently increased to 600-800 IU per day depending on age. Many health authorities still believe that is too low. Both calcium and Vitamin D are key players in the prevention of hypertension and osteoporosis.

Magnesium is a mineral. There is a slight increase in the magnesium requirement as we age but more importantly is the several factors which may contribute to magnesium loss such as: prescription medications, poor nutrient absorption, increased losses with diarrhea, and diuretics. There was a recent Food and Drug Administration alert regarding severe magnesium deficiencies caused by proton pump inhibitor drugs which are used for heartburn and stomach ulcers. These deficiencies can lead to muscle spasms, irregular heartbeats, and convulsions. Magnesium has become important in the management of high blood pressure and bone health. For the athlete it is involved in numerous enzymatic reactions, protein synthesis, blood clotting, and energy production. Magnesium is found in many foods, the best sources being: whole grains (cereals, whole wheat bread, brown rice), legumes (Soybeans, Black Beans, Tofu, Peanut Butter), and spinach.

Lastly, adequate hydration is always important. Due to health conditions, master athletes may be taking diuretics or be on a fluid restriction. Playing sports in the heat and/or in humid conditions facilitates the loss of fluid, sodium, potassium, and other trace minerals. It is helpful to weigh prior to training and after training. The general guideline is to drink 2 cups of fluid for every pound lost. These guidelines can be discussed with your healthcare provider.