I hear from a lot of athletes who love visiting their local sushi restaurant following a hard day of training or racing. The benefits of sushi seem reasonably obvious: fish is a great source of protein, many types used in sushi are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and a typical sushi dinner also provides plenty of zinc and iodine.
Beyond the nutrients, many athletes gravitate toward sushi because they perceive it to be a “clean” meal, meaning the ingredients are largely unchanged by cooking or laden with heavy sauces. The simplicity of sushi seems to be appealing because some athletes like to take a minimalist approach to nutrition; they want fresh, unadulterated, pure sources of carbohydrate, protein, and fat without the extra calories that are often added to foods in the process of making them into a finished dish.
After talking with a lot of sushi-craving athletes, I also believe the soy sauce plays a role in the attraction. Soy sauce contains so much sodium it could almost be considered liquid salt, and sodium-depleted athletes are known to crave salty foods following – and even during – workouts and competitions. One tablespoon of soy sauce has about 900mg of sodium, and while sushi itself is often a low-sodium food choice, the soy sauce/wasabi mixture most people dip it into provides the sodium that tired athletes are craving.
Yet, while athletes often seek sushi after hard workouts or competitions, how does it stack up as a recovery food? The latest research on glycogen (energy) replenishment, has led the American College of Sports Medicine to recommend an intake of 1.5g of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight within 2 hours following endurance activity. For a 150-pound person, this means 102 g of carbohydrate in the snack and meal following a workout or competition. Although the exact nutrition information on sushi varies from chef to chef, a roll (maki) usually contains ½ a cup of rice (roughly 24 grams of carbohydrate), and each piece of nigiri (fish on top of a bit of rice) contains about 1-2 tablespoons (5-6 grams of carbohydrate) of rice. Depending on the fish and vegetables included in the items you choose, 2 full rolls of maki sushi will provide all the carbohydrate and protein you need for great post-workout recovery.
On the downside, however, sushi can pack a huge number of calories into a relatively small package. Two rolls of sushi can easily top 1,000 calories, especially when you choose items that contain avocado, cream cheese, or tempura (battered and fried fish or vegetables). For instance, a Philadelphia Roll (salmon, cream cheese, rice) contains up to 40 grams of fat. Yes, some of this fat is omega-3 from the salmon, but a lot is saturated fat from the cream. There are better choices. Sashimi (raw fish served by itself) with a bowl of rice, or nigiri (fish served on a small serving of white rice, are better options to maximize the positive nutritional impact of sushi while minimizing excess fat and calories.
The Verdict:
Sushi can be a great recovery meal if you make good choices, but there doesn’t appear to be anything that makes it stand out from other recovery-oriented post-workout meals. In other words, if you like and crave sushi, go for it. If you don’t, you’re not hindering your recovery by choosing cooked fish or other lean proteins. The biggest thing athletes should add to a sushi meal is a bowl of rice, preferably brown, to increase your carbohydrate intake without having to order a ton more rolls or nigiri. I also recommend trying a seaweed salad. Though they typically contain some added sugar, they’re also really tasty and seaweed is a good source of many trace minerals.
Did you know: Traditionally, sushi is eaten by the Japanese at a time of ritual or celebration, and is not consumed as a staple of the Japanese culture. Japanese cuisine centers around either rice or noodles as the staple foods, and then adds okazu (dishes) of meat, fish, tofu and vegetables to add flavor to the staple foods. Now that’s a good idea for a recovery meal!
Top 3 Sushi Choices for Athletes:
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Sashimi/Nigiri – It’s really hard to go wrong with a piece of fish, either by itself (sashimi) or on top of a bit of rice (nigiri). Fish is a great protein source, with varying amounts of heart healthy fats. Among the best are salmon and tuna due to their high Omega-3 content.
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Rainbow Roll: This roll is made from rice, tuna, yellowtail, shrimp, salmon, and avocado, meaning it provides a rich variety of seafood on top of carbohydrate from the rice and heart healthy fats from the avocado.
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Seaweed Salad – Wakame is the seaweed used in most traditional salads. Wakame is loaded with calcium, magnesium, thiamin, and niacin. The first two aid in muscle contraction and nerve stimulation, and the latter two aid in energy metabolism. The only downside to seaweed salads is that they often contain some added sugar, but the serving size is pretty small (about 2 ounces), so it’s not too much of a problem.
Bottom 3 Choices for Athletes at Sushi Restaurants:
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“Cream Rolls”- Not all sushi rolls are created equal, especially ones held together by cream cheese. California Rolls and Philadelphia rolls have salmon and crab meat (sometimes imitation), but also have high amounts of saturated fat from the cream cheese. Better to choose rolls that have more fish or vegetables.
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Tempura – The Japanese version of fried vegetables, fish, and seaweed. Although argued as a “light batter”, it’s still deep-fried and that’s usually the kiss of death – nutritionally - for a food.
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Miso Soup – Miso soup is actually not bad, it's just not useful. It has virtually no calories and it's low in nutrients, but it can be filling and high in sodium. With the nutrient- and calorie-dense foods coming later from your meal, it may be a good idea to skip this starter.
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