Sports Nutrition: Optimising Athlete Training

Sports nutrition initially emerged as a niche interest for bodybuilders but in recent years, its improved nutritional guidelines support more and more competitive athletes. If you want to enhance your performance, you should know more about it.

Sports nutrition is the cornerstone of athletic success

Experts say that sports nutrition is the cornerstone of athletic success. It is composed of well-designed nutritional plans that allow athletes to perform at their finest. Essentially, it seeks to supply the right type of food, nutrients, and fluids to keep the body functioning at its peak.

You must know that sports nutrition is unique to every person and it is planned according to your goals. This means that the diet will vary every day depending on your particular energy demands.

Macronutrients supply the energy necessary to optimise body function

The energy needed for physical activity comes from food and fluid intake.  The food group that supplies energy are called macronutrients. Macronutrients include the following:

• Carbohydrates: carbohydrates can either be simple or complex. Keep in mind that carbohydrates are the most important source of energy for the human body. Simple carbohydrates include sugars found in fruits, vegetables, and milk while complex carbohydrates include whole grain bread, potatoes, and oats. Basically, the digestive system breaks down the carbohydrates and turns it into glucose (or blood sugar) that feeds energy to your organs, tissues, and cells.
• Proteins: proteins are important in muscle growth and recovery. It can either be complete or incomplete. A complete protein comprises amino acids, which includes meat, fish, poultry, and milk. An incomplete protein lacks one or more essential amino acids. Bear in mind that the body cannot produce essential amino acids so it must be supplied through the food you eat.
• Fats: fats can either be saturated or unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are found in plant sources like nuts and olive oil. Saturated fats, on the other hand, are found in animal products like red meats and including high-fat dairy.

There are supplements that can boost performance and recovery

Many athletes use supplements to boost performance and recovery. There are different forms of supplements from multivitamins and minerals like creatine, protein and “ergogenic” aids.

Before you take any form of supplement, you should ensure that you are following a healthy and balanced diet. It is crucial that you always consult accredited sports dietitian or medical doctor. These people can assess your suitability for a specific supplement.

Conclusion

Sports nutrition is not just for athletes and bodybuilders. In general, anyone leading an active lifestyle and wants to achieve some added benefits could benefit from sports nutrition. To help you decide, you should talk to experts immediately.