Basic Sports Nutrition for You

Be honest – have you ever wished you were a sporting superstar? The truth is that almost everyone had. You long for that feeling when thousands of fans scream your name when you are about to win a game. Unfortunately, only those with extreme discipline, hard work and talent get to experience that. Sorry for the buzzkill.

However, talent is not the only secret of being a sports icon. Another important factor is also the way one gets their nutrition. You see, sports nutrition is different from normal nutrition because with sports nutrition, the athletes require more nutrients to keep their energy levels up during their various activities. Athletes perform strenuous activities, which is why more nutrients are needed to keep them going.

Unlike most of us, athletes lose a lot of fluids during their game, whatever it might be. And like everyone knows, dehydration is one of the biggest problems in the athletic world. Getting tired and thirsty will affect an athlete’s performance, just as it affects anyone else’s, except that it makes the life of an athlete a lot more difficult to live.

Everyone knows that an athlete’s performance is the reason why they get paid, seriously! So basically, if you are an athlete and you want to have that winning edge, then you better get that right nutrition. When you drink enough water and eat a balanced diet and also get the right sports nutrition, your body can utilise energy more efficiently. Good nutrition fuels top performance.

You can make the most of your athletic talents and have more strength, power and endurance when you get the right sports nutrition. Just like for the rest of us, your diet should be based on different factors and this should involve your age, size, physical condition and the type of sports you are engaging yourself in.

If you are an athlete, or intend to be one, you should first consult your doctor about your diet and not just decide one for yourself. They have the expertise and are extremely professional at it, which is why they can give you the right advice on your proper diet and nutrition that you should have. And now, to harp on the point of water again, as I always do on this blog.

You lose a lot of fluids every time you exercise. Just imagine the gallons of sweat you lose when you are pumping that body of yours. That is why water is the most important factor in sports nutrition. It is not the only factor, but in truth, it is the most important. It makes up about sixty percent of your body weight and is involved in almost all of your bodily processes.

As you probably already know, your body cannot produce and store water, this serves as the main reason why you should replace all fluids that you eliminate while doing your exercise, or else you will have to suffer being dehydrated. Athletes require more water than the normal eight glasses a day.

Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after any kind of sports activity to prevent over-heating and dehydration. At least try to drink the same amount of water you lose due to sweat. There are also various sports drinks that are good for longer events, which are loaded with electrolytes. Getting hydrated will definitely help boost your energy.

Eating a balanced diet is another key to sports nutrition. The right combination of calories from carbohydrates, proteins and fats gives you more energy for top performance. These nutrients perform certain roles that will help your body as you perform strenuous kinds of sports.

Carbohydrates are the most important fuel source. It should provide a minimum of sixty to a maximum of seventy percent of our calorie intake. Carbohydrates are found on almost all of the food you consume. Food rich in carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, pastas, breads, cereals, rice and many more.

Your body converts sugar and starches from carbohydrates to glucose, which is the main source of energy of the body. Your body also stores the glucose into your liver and muscles giving your body a reservoir of energy. The more carbohydrates you have, the more energy you can give out. If you run out of carbohydrates, you can also get energy form proteins and fats.

You can get your proteins from meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, nuts, dairy products and other foods. Proteins should provide a minimum of fifteen to a maximum of twenty percent of your daily calories. They are used in tissue and muscle build-up. Do not try to use it as your primary fuel source. Fat is also important, but do try to stick to healthier sources like fish.

The complex topic of sports nutrition is really beyond the scope of this short article. Athletes should get advice from their coach anyway. For most of us who are more concerned about losing weight and keeping fit but are not professional athletes, the Strategic Nutrition Guide is more than adequate for you. Check it out today!

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Also published on Medium.