Nutrition Tips for Athletes

If you are an athlete or an extremely active individual, you need a diet that can keep up with your high-performance demands and help you recover quickly afterward. This is especially true if you are doing something that takes a lot of endurance at a high-intensity level.

Anytime you are working out at this high intensity for 60 to 90 minutes, such as runners, basketball players, soccer players or any other fast-paced sport, your body needs extra fuel.

 

Here are some tips for you as an athlete:

1. Don’t be afraid of carbohydrates. 

Carbohydrates are critical to an athlete’s optimal performance and are the preferred fuel during exercise.  Carbohydrates give your body the energy it needs to work out for over an hour. Athletes should not be consuming a “low-carb”.

It doesn’t necessarily mean you need to eat a lot of bread and pasta. Carbohydrates food should make up approximately 60 percent of total calories consumed (about 350 grams of a 2,200-calorie diet). 

Healthy carbohydrates also include vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains. This is the most efficient energy source, replenishing muscle glycogen stores utilized during exercise.

2. Drink plenty of water throughout the entire day. 

Water consumption is critical to proper performance and the avoidance of injuries and problems such as heat illness. Even as little as one to two percent dehydration can have a negative impact on performance.

General guidelines include consuming 16 ounces of fluid/water two hours prior to participation, and five to 10 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise.

Intense exercise means your body will be sweating, which can lead to dehydration. For longer events or practices, a sport drink with carbohydrates should be considered.

So, drink plenty of water and sports drinks. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to get your fluids either, if you are feeling thirsty it means your body is already showing signs of dehydration.

3. Eat more protein. 

Protein is also an important aspect of an athlete’s diet and should make up about 15 percent (about 80 to 100 grams) of your diet.

Although protein doesn’t necessarily give the body energy it, it helps build muscle. Protein is utilized by our bodies to help stimulate muscle repair and growth.

Good protein sources include meats such as chicken, turkey, lean red meat, eggs, cheese, yogurt and beans. However, be careful on the amount of protein you eat, too much protein can put a strain on your kidneys.

4. Get plenty of sleep. 

Let your body recover so you feel energized the next day. Even eating all the right foods and drinking plenty of fluids won’t energize you if you are lacking sleep. Make sure you let your body catch up on sleep so you can wake up each day enthusiastic and ready to live a healthy lifestyle.

5. Don’t skip breakfast. 

We have all heard it before, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is especially true for athletes. Your body needs to be charged and ready for the day and for your training or competition.

Breakfast should be your largest meal of the day. Make sure to include the proper amount of carbohydrates, along with 12 to 16 ounces of water.

Breakfast helps energize you in the morning and keep you going strong the whole day.

6. Eat early, often and balanced. 

You should eat something within an hour of waking in the morning and then about every three hours afterward to help fuel your body while keeping your energy levels high.

You should eat the meal more often with enough portion, never eat less with large portion at once. You should have 5 meals a day with the enough calories that your body needs

Utilize between-meal snacks such as fruit, yogurt, nuts and energy bars.