Proper nutrition can help enhance athletic performance. A physically active lifestyle, which includes regular exercise, and eating well are the wisest ways to perform your best.
Determining The Right Diet For Each Athlete
Eating a healthy diet can provide the energy you need to finish a race or just enjoy a casual sport or activity. But, when you don’t get the right mix of nutrients, you will feel tired and perform poorly during sports, especially in golf.
The right diet depends on the intensity of the activity, total time spent training for your sport, age, sex, and specific sport, or activity.
“People tend to overestimate the number of calories they burn per workout, so it is important to avoid taking in more energy than you expend exercising,” explained Patrick Miller, a certified athletic trainer with Franciscan Health Sports Medicine.
How Many Carbohydrates Does An Athlete Need?
Carbohydrates provide energy during sustained exercise and are stored in the muscles and liver. Simple sugars may give you an immediate burst of energy, but their effect does not last very long.
Complex carbohydrates provide energy, fiber, vitamins and minerals. These foods are low in fat. Examples of complex carbohydrates include bagels, pasta, rice, and whole grain breads.
Simple sugars provide a lot of calories, but they don’t provide vitamins, minerals or other nutrients. Examples of simple sugars to avoid include candy, jams and jellies, and soft drinks.
“What matters most is the total amount of carbohydrates you eat each day,” said Miller. “To perform at your peak, a little more than half of your calories should come from carbohydrates.”
Eating Carbohydrates Before Strenuous Exercise
If you’ll be exercising for longer than an hour, you need to eat carbohydrates before you start. We recommend a cup of yogurt, a glass of fruit juice, or a whole grain English muffin with jelly.
It’s always best to limit the amount of fat you consume the hour before an athletic event, as doing so can interfere with carbohydrate breakdown in the body.
Eating Carbohydrates During Strenuous Exercise
If you’ll be doing more than an hour of intense aerobic exercise, your body also needs carbohydrates during exercise. You can satisfy this need by having 5 to 10 ounces of sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes, one-half to two-thirds cup of low-fat granola, or two to three handfuls of pretzels.
Eating Carbohydrates After Strenuous Exercise
“If you are working out heavily, you need to eat carbohydrates after exercise to rebuild the energy stored in your muscles,” explained Miller.
If you exercise or train for more than 90 minutes, more carbohydrates are necessary, ideally paired with protein. A sports bar, trail mix with nuts, or yogurt and granola will suffice.
If you work out for less than an hour, water should be constantly consumed, but you shouldn’t need any extra food if training for a shorter time.
How Much Protein Doses An Athlete Need?
Protein is important for muscle growth and repairing body tissues. The body can also use protein for energy, but only after it uses stored carbohydrates. Athletes – even bodybuilders – need only a little extra protein to support muscle growth. Athletes can easily get this by consuming more total calories.
Dangers Of Eating Too Much Protein
Most people already eat almost twice as much protein as they need for muscle development. Too much protein in the diet can lead to loss of calcium, added burden on the kidneys, increased chance for dehydration and increased body fat
Athletes who consume extra protein for fitness may not get enough carbohydrates, the most important energy source during exercise. For peak athletic performance, Miller does not recommend taking amino acid supplements, or excessively eating protein.
How Much Water And Other Fluids Does An Athlete Need?
Water is the most important nutrient for any athlete. Water and fluids keep the body hydrated and at the right temperature. An athlete’s body can lose several liters of sweat in just an hour of vigorous exercise.
Clear urine is a good sign that you have fully rehydrated. Some ideas for keeping enough fluids in your body include:
-Drink plenty of fluids with every meal
-Drink 16 ounces of water before a workout
-Continue to drink water during and after exercise
-Replace any body weight loss during exercise with an equal amount of fluids
-Children especially should drink water during strenuous sports activities
We hope these tips increase your stamina and improve enjoyment of your athletic activities.
