Nutrition requirements of sports persons are different than that of normal people.
In most cases nutrition of the sports persons depends on the type of sport they are involved in. each sport has uses different parts of the body and requires different levels of physical fitness and energy requirement. This is reason why sports nutrition is a science which requires proper study based on scientifically collected data.
Most of the sports persons have sports nutritionists who guide sports persons what are the immediate foods they should have after exercising as well as after their sports events. These foods generally are aimed at replenishing the lost energy to muscles.Most of the times the above are carbohydrate foods which are absorbed immediately by the body and the body can maintain its energy levels. Sports nutritionists are available to guide all sports persons to educate them regarding what they should eat so that they can enhance their performance as well as maintain require fitness level.
For people who train in muscle building and physical fitness, sports nutrition is readily available in the market, this nutrition addresses their requirement for daily dose of required nutrients so that they can build muscle power along with getting adequate amount of energy and strength.These sports nutrients have the power of nourishing and building muscle power with low fats and high calorie intake. These nutrients are available in the form of powders and bars. With powders you will require to mix these with water and drink after exercises and bars you can have them like any other chocolate bar. These are highly packed with nutrition.Since these products are mixed with nutrients, these might not be liked by all; therefore, the companies have also taken care to make these nutrients in different flavoring. So sports persons should not have any difficulty in drinking or eating these nutrients. Sports nutrition packs are made from several different types of raw materials like whey, oats, gram, etc. these materials provide nutrition as well as muscle building power. Sports nutrition packages are created by doctors’ consultation, several nutritionists decide compositions required by sports persons.Sports nutrition should include proteins, carbohydrates, iron, and vitamins. Not just that these should also include adequate fiber and other nutritional elements that are required for a healthy body.
Sports nutrition also includes eating proper balanced diet so that nutrients normally required by the body are provided to the body.
During Exercise
Consuming carbohydrates during an event helps to extend endurance performance in an athlete.
It is important to replace both fluids as well as carbohydrates for energy that sustain till the end and improves performance. This will largely depend on the type of exercise, intensity and duration.
Carbohydrates during exerciseCarbohydrate replacement is beneficial in both high intensity short duration exercises and events lasting for more than 1-2 hours.
But in the latter type which includes continuous long lasting events like swimming, running, cycling and other sport it is more important. Carbohydrate replacement during an activity will help to increase time and intensity an athlete and is able to carry out before feeling exhausted. Carbohydrates supplied during an exercise supplies additional fuel for the working muscles thus preventing fatigue and maintaining blood glucose levels.
Approximately 30-80 g of carbohydrates is recommended during an event to prevent blood glucose levels to drop and delay fatigue or 0.7 g/kg body weight per hour is recommended to extend endurance performance. This can be obtained from sport drinks, bananas or dried fruits. Some athletes may even prefer diluted fruit juices or suck on hard candies, animal crackers or energy bars that can be easily chewed and digested. Although mixtures of glucose and fructose may seem to be effective, glucose should be the primary fuel yielded from the carbohydrates consumed as fructose seems to be less effective and may cause diarrhea.
Fluid recommendationsEven partial dehydration tends to compromise a performance, thus it is necessary to drink enough fluid and maintain fluid balance. Drink enough fluids (avoid dairy) or in other words water consumption should be around 17 ounces two hours before an exercise and additional 10-15 ounces within 15-30 minutes of an event. Through out competition it is important to remain hydrated, thus drink 6-10 ounces of water or diluted sports drink every 10-20 minutes. Electrolyte replacement drinks can be consumed after one hour of exercising. For intense activity lasting longer than an hour, beverages containing carbohydrates in the concentration of 4-8 % are recommended.
Although plain water is considered appropriate for activities lasting less than an hour, 4-8% carbohydrate beverages are also suitable. It is important to replace the electrolytes lost in perspiration, 0.5-0.7 g/l of sodium is recommended for activity lasting longer than an hour. This will also help to increase the palatability of sports drinks and in turn increase fluid consumption. Athletes susceptible to hyponatremia also benefit from added sodium in the fluid replacement beverages. Adequate fluid consumption will also help the body to maintain temperature, blood circulation and proper muscle function.
Energy Levels for Athletes
When it comes to gaining energy for exercise several factors should be considered before planning a meal as it is the first nutrition priority for athletes.
For optimal athletic performance achieving energy balance is essential as it helps to maintain lean tissue mass, immune and reproductive function. Energy intake refers to energy gained in totality from food, fluids and supplement products and energy expenditure refers to the total energy expended in basal metabolism, thermal effect of food and any physical activity.
Energy intake should equal energy expenditure to achieve an energy balance. Any imbalance will interfere with the athlete’s performance.
High energy intake and low expenditure can lead excess weight gain and low energy intake and high energy expenditure can lead to loss of muscle mass, strength and endurance. In the latter situation fat and lean body mass are used as fuel for energy, moreover chronically low energy intake can precipitate many micronutrient deficiencies. The energy intake of an athlete would vary according to sex, age, body-size, fat-free mass, lifestyle, physical activity and type of sport a person is in. The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for men and women that are involved in light-moderate activity between the ages of 19-50 years are 2,900 and 2,200 respectively. The energy intake of an athlete is calculated on the basis of the intensity, duration and frequency of an exercise, also energy needed for normal daily activity and energy expenditure while performing an exercise are taken in to account. How much ever precise numeric energy intake guidelines are recommended, it is important to keep in mind to consume enough energy to maintain appropriate body weight and composition.
Low energy intakes are a strict no-no for athletes as they would not even feel deprived or over hungry with 10-20% lower energy intake but on the contrary lose weight. Emphasis in the diet should be laid on starch intake or complex carbohydrates in the form of whole grains and cereals; proteins in the form of fish, lean meat, eggs, chicken, pulses, legumes and sprouts, and fruits and vegetables for vital nutrients and fiber. Fat intake should not be decreased below 15% of the caloric intake and focus should be on quality fats. Saturated fats and trans fats can be substituted with more healthy fats like polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. Healthy dietary changes should be inculcated in life for life time; one should keep in mind that short term diet would definitely fade off some day.
Dehydration with High Protein
DietsHigh protein diets are taken by athletes with the intension to increase the muscle mass in the body or lose weight.
But some are unknown with the fact that a high protein diet can cause silent dehydration in endurance athletes who are trained adapt greater degree of dehydration compared to an average individual. As the amount of proteins is increased in the diet it influences the hydration indices. Degree of hydration in the body is inversely proportional to the amount of protein consumed in the diet.
High-protein low carbohydrate diets followed for weight loss only work for few weeks, after which the lost weight is regained. High protein diets mainly emphasize on foods rich in proteins like eggs, meat, chicken, fish, most of which are also high in saturated fats. Also foods rich in carbohydrates are restricted like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and non fat milk products which provide other vital nutrients and fiber.
This can lead to nutritional deficiencies that are rarely for short period. A low carbohydrate diet can in turn cause loss of body fluid, incomplete fat burning and formation of ketone bodies. Follow a thumb rule - Higher the protein in the diet higher should be the water consumption.Kidney plays a very important role in filtering not only the toxins from the body but also regulating the blood pressure and the number of red blood cells in the body. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is one of the tests used to determine the kidney function. When high amount of proteins are consumed in an athletes diet, abnormal BUN levels are found in the tests. This can be explained as increased protein intake can caused nitrogen build up in the body. This nitrogen precipitates in the kidney in the form of urea that has to be eliminated from the blood via urine. This process leads to increased urination that may ultimately cause dehydration. High protein diets may have a negative impact on the kidneys posing a load on them to produce concentrated urine.
Moreover dehydration forces the kidneys to work harder to clean the waste materials from the blood. Thus whether you feel the desire to drink water or not, to is wise to increase the water intake with high protein diets to avoid dehydration. Even 2% decrease in body fluids can affect the performance of an athlete in an event and may also increase cardiovascular risks. Following a balanced diet along with regular exercise regime is the best way to stay fit and enhance performance of an athlete in an event.
Eating Guide for Vegetarian Athletes
Vegetarianism may be followed by some athletes due to various reasons.
An athlete can be vegan, ovo-vegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian or fruitarian. Vegetarian diet can be followed by an athlete for religious beliefs, ethical, economical or health reasons. Some female athletes may switch to a vegetarian diet with the aim of decreasing calories and weight that is required for some sports like gymnastics.
When an athlete becomes vegetarian his diet should be monitored carefully as occasionally this habit may develop in to an eating disorder. Although following vegetarian diets would not affect the performance of an athlete, proper planning of the diet in terms of energy, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and other micronutrients should be done. Body weight and composition should be monitored to determine if energy needs are satisfied.
Protein intakes of vegetarian athletes are often complained to be low. Animal proteins are well digested than plant based protein even though the protein quality of vegetarian diet is adequate. To compensate this incomplete digestion a 10% increase in the protein intake is recommended, in other words 1.3 to 1.8 g protein per kg body weight is recommended for vegetarian athletes. Choose proteins wisely and emphasize on the good quality proteins. This could be achieved by including plenty of low-fat dairy products, eggs and protein rich plant sources like soy. Also extra care of micronutrients like vitamin 12, vitamin D, iron, calcium, zinc and riboflavin should be taken to avoid vitamin deficiency as these nutrients are particularly high in animal products. Even though iron intakes of a vegetarian athlete is similar or higher than the omnivorous, bio-availability of iron in plant based products is low (as heam iron present in animal sources is readily absorbed by the body), thus the iron stores in a vegetarian athlete are generally low. Moreover iron requirement is increased with increase in exercise, thus possibility of low iron stores in the body is high in vegetarian athletes, especially women. Iron levels should be monitored periodically to avoid low body stores and anemia in women athletes.
Include whole-grain cereals, dark green leafy vegetables, kidney beans, rice flakes, lentils, figs and some dry fruits to get non-heam iron in the diet. Additional vitamin C should be consumed with non-heam iron to facilitate its absorption in the body. Animal products are the primary source for vitamin B12, which is one of the most common vitamins very low in the diets of vegetarian athletes. Vitamin B12 can be derived from eggs, yeast, fermented products, cheese, milk, yoghurt or vitamin B12 fortified cereals or soy milk.Registered dieticians specialized in sports nutrition are an important resource for vegetarian athletes. They can help them to plan a well balanced diet and avoid any nutritional deficiencies.
Hydration for Athletes
Maintaining an appropriate fluid balance is very important for optimal performance, as a performance in an event is often impaired with progressive dehydration.
Keeping oneself hydrated during an event is just not enough, before and after exercise hydration also plays an important role. Dehydration during an event can cause serious problems like heat stroke, head injury or even loss of coordination affecting the performance of an athlete. There are heavy water and electrolytes losses while performing an exercise via sweat and urine.
To replenish these losses becomes very important as our body can not synthesize or store water that is important for almost all body functions.
Fluids and electrolyte balanceEven partial dehydration tends to compromise a performance, thus it is necessary to drink enough fluid and maintain fluid balance. Drink enough fluids (avoid dairy) or in other words water consumption should be around 17 ounces two hours before an exercise and additional 10-15 ounces within 15-30 minutes of an event.
Through out competition it is important to remain hydrated, thus drink 6-10 ounces of water or diluted sports drink every 10-20 minutes. Electrolyte replacement drinks can be consumed after one hour of exercising. For intense activity lasting longer than an hour, beverages containing carbohydrates in the concentration of 4-8 % are recommended. Although plain water is considered appropriate for activities lasting less than an hour, 4-8% carbohydrate beverages are also suitable. It is important to replace the electrolytes lost in perspiration, 0.5-0.7 g/l of sodium is recommended for activity lasting longer than an hour. This will also help to increase the palatability of sports drinks and in turn increase fluid consumption. Hyponatremia occurs when large amounts of water are consumed that leads to comparatively low levels of sodium in the blood. Athletes susceptible to hyponatremia also benefit from added sodium in the fluid replacement beverages. Adequate fluid consumption will also help the body to maintain temperature, blood circulation and proper muscle function.
Some athletes may experience mild dehydration as the fluid intake post event is often forgotten. Adding sodium in the drink can be beneficial in 2 ways, maintains osmolarity and thus desire to drink and reduce diuresis that can occur when only plain water is ingested. Fluid consumption can be up to 150% of the weight lost during an exercise. Fluid and electrolyte disturbances in an athlete can precipitate in the form of dehydration, hypohydration or hyponatremia, all of which can pose a life threat in their most severe forms. Although athletes experience dehydration more often than hypo hydration or hyponatremia, the latter two are not uncommon.
What is hyponatremia?
Excessive amounts of plain water may disturb the fluid and electrolyte levels in the body leading to hyponatremia.
Overhydration when combined with prolonged endurance exercise can develop dangerously low sodium levels in the blood, less than 135 millimoles per liter (normal plasma sodium concentration is 136-142 millimoles per liter). Osmotic balance across the blood brain barrier is disturbed due to the continuous fall of sodium concentration leading to rapid entry of water into the brain. This can lead to serious list of complications like cerebral edema, serious neurological responses like seizures, confusion or coma and even death due to ruptured brain stem.
Decrease in serum sodium concentration is directly proportional to the speed and degree – more rapid and higher fall, higher the risk of severe consequences of hyponatremia.
Symptoms of hyponatremia Early symptoms of hyponatremia include headache, puffiness, muscle cramps, slurred speech, nausea and vomiting, these are experienced when plasma sodium levels fall below 130 millimoles per liter. With increased severity, sodium concentration below 125 millimoles per liter cerebral edema, altered mental status like confusion, disorientation, seizures, respiratory distress due to pulmonary edema, coma or even death can occur.
Sodium levels should be checked when an athlete complains acute symptoms of hyponatremia and the athlete should not be rehydrated even on claims of thirst as this might worsen the situation.
Causes of hyponatremia During a high intensity long duration exercise, sodium is lost in sweat. Moreover drinking too much water can cause water retention, further diluting the sodium levels in the body. Hyponatremia is primarily caused when the water intake exceeds the amount of sweat and urinary losses. It is very important to prevent hyponatremia as it is more often self-induced. Hyponatremia has no association with low sodium diet or any nutritional deficiency; it is purely due to excessive intake of water combined with high intensity long duration exercises.
Preventing hyponatremia It is prudent to avoid over consumption of fluids and have sports drink or other salty foods rather than just emphasizing on plain water.
-Salt intake can be increased several days prior to an event, provided you are not suffering from hypertension.
-To prevent loss of sodium before an event, an athlete should avoid overhydration.
Maintain a high degree of self-discipline and learn not to exceed water consumption more than the sweat loss.
-Follow a thumb rule for high intensity long duration exercises - 1 cup fluid for every 20 minutes.
Nutrition for Winter Athletes
Some athletes may get cold weather on their nerves but some might accept this change happily considering it as a change from exercising in summer’s heat.
Exercise should be done with the help of proper nutrition and layers of dry clothing to chase away the winter chills. Metabolism in the body is increased 7 to 10 times than the resting levels while performing an aerobic exercise that is a body temperature can be raised from 98.6° to 140° F. In summer this heat is dissipated as sweat but in winter this heat helps to keep the body temperature warm.
To generate this amount of heat in the body, fuel is required that is provided by the food. The way one fuels his body in cold will help to perform better and remain safe and comfortable in cold. Proper nutrition helps to fuel the muscle tissue and regulate the body core temperature that normally drops in winter.It is important to learn the basic cold weather exercise safety, avoid frostbite and hypothermia, and dress well for cold weather exercise.
Although water is not lost via sweat in winters, significant amounts of water is lost during respiration. It becomes important to humidify the cold air while breathing, in this process water is lost. Thus to avoid dehydration it is important for winter athletes to consciously increase the water consumption. Replacing fluids in winter becomes more important as the thirst mechanism is reduced in the cold weather causing decreased desire to drink water. Temperature of foods should be considered in winters, warm foods are prudent choice than cold foods. Although in summer cold foods are best (as they give a cool feeling and help during exercise) but in winters they can chill the body. A balanced meal with high carbohydrate intake is preferable in winters. To replace the carbohydrate stores that are used to keep the body warm and in exercising, it is important to eat continually to avoid fatigue or chills. Children are especially more prone to get fatigue and tired, thus keep handy foods ready like chocolate bars, energy bars, bananas, sandwiches, or trail mix.
Important points to keep in mind
-Avoid alcohol completely as it tends to dilate the blood vessels thereby increasing heat loss.
-Decrease caffeine consumption. Although a stimulant, it acts as a diuretic thereby further decreasing the water from the body.
-Drink plenty of water consciously.
-Eat warm or hot foods to stay warmer every 30-40 minutes (100-200 calories).
-Include foods high in complex carbohydrate.
Post Game Meal
After an event a post game meal or snack is often forgotten, but this meal plays importance in an athlete’s diet.
Carbohydrates that are stored in the body in the form of glycogen are depleted soon after an event. Human body has a limited capacity to store carbohydrates, after an activity the enzymes responsible for taking in fuel and storing it in liver and muscles are at their highest level within first 30-45 minutes. It is wise to take advantage of this period and have a nutritious post game meal.
1.5 g carbohydrate per kg body weigh at the interval of 2 hours is often recommended. For example when this amount is consumed immediately after exercise it increases the glycogen stores 6 hours post exercise compared to delayed ingestion of a post exercise meal for 2 hours. The composition and timing of a post exercise meal will largely depend on the duration, length and intensity of the exercise as this will determine the amount of glycogen depleted from the body.
For maximum benefits it is often recommended to feed 0.4 g carbohydrates per kg body weight every 15 minutes for 4 hours after a glycogen depleted state (remember this can lead to high energy load). However the time of carbohydrate intake does not affect the glycogen stores for an athlete who takes one or more days between intense training sessions. The recovery of muscle protein is also important, addition of protein along with sufficient carbohydrate in a post game meal will not only help to recover the muscle fibers but will also aid the storage of carbohydrates and promote a more anabolic hormonal profile. Carbohydrate to protein ratio is also of importance, a commonly recognized ratio is of 3:1 respectively, in other words 75 g of carbohydrates and 25 g protein from a post game meal will help an athlete to recover after an event. Glucose and sucrose have almost similar effects when consumed at the rate of 1.5 g per kg body weight for 2 hours, but fructose is less effective. 24 hours after an exercise, muscle glycogen stores are higher when high glycemic index foods are consumed than compared to low glycemic index foods. However the emphasis should be laid on an overall healthy post game meal for an athlete. Some athletes may experience mild dehydration as the fluid intake post event is often forgotten. Adding sodium in the drink can be beneficial in 2 ways, maintains osmolarity and thus desire to drink and reduce diuresis that can occur when only plain water is ingested.
Fluid consumption can be up to 150% of the weight lost during an exercise.
Pre Game Meal
A diet you consume several days before an event will affect your performance.
A pre-game meal is one of the most important meals for both endurance and power athletes that will determine whether or not an athlete will achieve his maximum potential during an event. A per-game meal allows an athlete to achieve increased muscle strength, better endurance and increased energy to perform their best. During an event the body primarily relies on the pre-existing glycogen and fat stores.
This can be achieved if a pre-game meal is consumed at proper time. A pre-game meal will help to load the body with glycogen stores and maximize strength and energy that will help optimize performance.
Carbohydrate loading – carbohydrate is the main fuel used as a source for energy during an exercise. It is important to reserve adequate carbohydrate stores in the body for an event. For this, first exercise to exhaustion should be done to deplete the carbohydrate stores from the right muscles that will be used in the event. Follow this by eating a carbohydrate rich diet (60-70% of the energy should be gained from carbohydrates) and combine this with depletion exercise 3 days before an event. Now these muscles which are loaded with used glycogen will be available for longer periods of time during an event. This process gives the right kind of energy and fiber from carbohydrates for workouts and saves amino acids for muscle building and recovery.
Following points should be kept in mind while planning a per-game meal
-Timing of a meal can make a difference, for exercise longer than 30 minutes, a per-workout snack one hour before the event or practice can be beneficial.
-Eat a meal 2-4 hours before an event this will give the body time to digest and also include good quality protein for staying in power.
-Liquid meals are emptied from the stomach more rapidly, so eating them prior to workout would help as they will provide energy as well as hydration to the body.
-Choose simple carbohydrates before an event as they are easily digested and will provide instant energy without causing any gastrointestinal distress.
-It is important to replace the fluids lost through perspiration during an exercise.
Drink enough fluids (avoid dairy) or around 17 ounces of fluid intake two hours before an exercise and additional 10-15 ounces within 15-30 minutes of an event. Through out competition it is important to remain hydrated, thus drink 3-6 ounce of water or sports drink every 10-20 minutes. Electrolyte replacement drinks can be consumed after one hour of exercising.
-An athlete’s metabolism is generally higher than a normal individual, so use fluids with high simple sugar content with caution to avoid sudden drop and maintain blood glucose levels. A per-game meal should never be under rated as it is a very important component that will determine an athlete’s power and performance in an event.
Suggestions for Food Intake for Athletes
In order to have an optimal health and performance it is important for athletes to eat well and keep themselves hydrated.
The type of foods athletes consume has a lot of influence on the way they practice and compete. Good nutrition is required for strong body to build muscle mass and to store energy for endurance activities. In the process of gaining optimal workout and recovery, often many athletes give less time and attention to eat nutrient rich food cleverly.
Eating a balanced meal should be emphasized to gain sufficient energy and a wide range of vitamins and minerals and other important chemicals like phytochemicals occurring naturally in foods. Fad diets are becoming increasingly popular, but one should keep in mind that these often restrict consumption of certain foods and is not for life time. So try to include all the food groups in your diet in a balanced form to avoid any nutritional deficiencies and follow them regularly.
Following are some suggestions for food intake for athletes which would help them to make wiser choices.
-Carbohydrates should form the basis of energy; 55-60% of energy should be derived from carbohydrates. Include whole grains, cereals, fiber rich cereals, brown rice, whole wheat and its products, whole meal pastas and breads in your diet.
-Have at least 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Select a wide range so that they suffice the nutritional needs of vitamins, minerals and fiber in the diet. Fruits are healthy choices and makes excellent snacks especially in between training sessions. Make a meal appealing by including different colored vegetables, include salads in the meals and load your sandwiches with different vegetables.
-Include healthy proteins in the diet in the form of eggs, milk, lean meats, chicken, pulses, legumes and sprouts. 12-15% energy should be gained from proteins. Calcium intake is necessary along with vitamin D and phosphorus to maintain healthy bones of an athlete.
-Fat consumption should not exceed beyond 20-25% of the total calories. Often when athlete’s fat consumption is increased they tend to gain weight with less lean muscle mass and compromised immune function that ultimately interferes with their performance. Reduce fat consumption and focus on healthy fats; replace saturated fats and trans fats with healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Avoid fatty, oily foods, meat or chicken loaded with fat.
-Keep yourself hydrated as it is very important to replenish the water lost during an exercise. Sports drinks rich in simple carbohydrates can be selected to keep the carbohydrates in the body leveled. Have a balanced meal and include variety of foods in the diet, this will eliminate the need of taking any extra vitamins and minerals in the form of food supplements.
In most cases nutrition of the sports persons depends on the type of sport they are involved in. each sport has uses different parts of the body and requires different levels of physical fitness and energy requirement. This is reason why sports nutrition is a science which requires proper study based on scientifically collected data.
Most of the sports persons have sports nutritionists who guide sports persons what are the immediate foods they should have after exercising as well as after their sports events. These foods generally are aimed at replenishing the lost energy to muscles.Most of the times the above are carbohydrate foods which are absorbed immediately by the body and the body can maintain its energy levels. Sports nutritionists are available to guide all sports persons to educate them regarding what they should eat so that they can enhance their performance as well as maintain require fitness level.
For people who train in muscle building and physical fitness, sports nutrition is readily available in the market, this nutrition addresses their requirement for daily dose of required nutrients so that they can build muscle power along with getting adequate amount of energy and strength.These sports nutrients have the power of nourishing and building muscle power with low fats and high calorie intake. These nutrients are available in the form of powders and bars. With powders you will require to mix these with water and drink after exercises and bars you can have them like any other chocolate bar. These are highly packed with nutrition.Since these products are mixed with nutrients, these might not be liked by all; therefore, the companies have also taken care to make these nutrients in different flavoring. So sports persons should not have any difficulty in drinking or eating these nutrients. Sports nutrition packs are made from several different types of raw materials like whey, oats, gram, etc. these materials provide nutrition as well as muscle building power. Sports nutrition packages are created by doctors’ consultation, several nutritionists decide compositions required by sports persons.Sports nutrition should include proteins, carbohydrates, iron, and vitamins. Not just that these should also include adequate fiber and other nutritional elements that are required for a healthy body.
Sports nutrition also includes eating proper balanced diet so that nutrients normally required by the body are provided to the body.
During Exercise
Consuming carbohydrates during an event helps to extend endurance performance in an athlete.
It is important to replace both fluids as well as carbohydrates for energy that sustain till the end and improves performance. This will largely depend on the type of exercise, intensity and duration.
Carbohydrates during exerciseCarbohydrate replacement is beneficial in both high intensity short duration exercises and events lasting for more than 1-2 hours.
But in the latter type which includes continuous long lasting events like swimming, running, cycling and other sport it is more important. Carbohydrate replacement during an activity will help to increase time and intensity an athlete and is able to carry out before feeling exhausted. Carbohydrates supplied during an exercise supplies additional fuel for the working muscles thus preventing fatigue and maintaining blood glucose levels.
Approximately 30-80 g of carbohydrates is recommended during an event to prevent blood glucose levels to drop and delay fatigue or 0.7 g/kg body weight per hour is recommended to extend endurance performance. This can be obtained from sport drinks, bananas or dried fruits. Some athletes may even prefer diluted fruit juices or suck on hard candies, animal crackers or energy bars that can be easily chewed and digested. Although mixtures of glucose and fructose may seem to be effective, glucose should be the primary fuel yielded from the carbohydrates consumed as fructose seems to be less effective and may cause diarrhea.
Fluid recommendationsEven partial dehydration tends to compromise a performance, thus it is necessary to drink enough fluid and maintain fluid balance. Drink enough fluids (avoid dairy) or in other words water consumption should be around 17 ounces two hours before an exercise and additional 10-15 ounces within 15-30 minutes of an event. Through out competition it is important to remain hydrated, thus drink 6-10 ounces of water or diluted sports drink every 10-20 minutes. Electrolyte replacement drinks can be consumed after one hour of exercising. For intense activity lasting longer than an hour, beverages containing carbohydrates in the concentration of 4-8 % are recommended.
Although plain water is considered appropriate for activities lasting less than an hour, 4-8% carbohydrate beverages are also suitable. It is important to replace the electrolytes lost in perspiration, 0.5-0.7 g/l of sodium is recommended for activity lasting longer than an hour. This will also help to increase the palatability of sports drinks and in turn increase fluid consumption. Athletes susceptible to hyponatremia also benefit from added sodium in the fluid replacement beverages. Adequate fluid consumption will also help the body to maintain temperature, blood circulation and proper muscle function.
Energy Levels for Athletes
When it comes to gaining energy for exercise several factors should be considered before planning a meal as it is the first nutrition priority for athletes.
For optimal athletic performance achieving energy balance is essential as it helps to maintain lean tissue mass, immune and reproductive function. Energy intake refers to energy gained in totality from food, fluids and supplement products and energy expenditure refers to the total energy expended in basal metabolism, thermal effect of food and any physical activity.
Energy intake should equal energy expenditure to achieve an energy balance. Any imbalance will interfere with the athlete’s performance.
High energy intake and low expenditure can lead excess weight gain and low energy intake and high energy expenditure can lead to loss of muscle mass, strength and endurance. In the latter situation fat and lean body mass are used as fuel for energy, moreover chronically low energy intake can precipitate many micronutrient deficiencies. The energy intake of an athlete would vary according to sex, age, body-size, fat-free mass, lifestyle, physical activity and type of sport a person is in. The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for men and women that are involved in light-moderate activity between the ages of 19-50 years are 2,900 and 2,200 respectively. The energy intake of an athlete is calculated on the basis of the intensity, duration and frequency of an exercise, also energy needed for normal daily activity and energy expenditure while performing an exercise are taken in to account. How much ever precise numeric energy intake guidelines are recommended, it is important to keep in mind to consume enough energy to maintain appropriate body weight and composition.
Low energy intakes are a strict no-no for athletes as they would not even feel deprived or over hungry with 10-20% lower energy intake but on the contrary lose weight. Emphasis in the diet should be laid on starch intake or complex carbohydrates in the form of whole grains and cereals; proteins in the form of fish, lean meat, eggs, chicken, pulses, legumes and sprouts, and fruits and vegetables for vital nutrients and fiber. Fat intake should not be decreased below 15% of the caloric intake and focus should be on quality fats. Saturated fats and trans fats can be substituted with more healthy fats like polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. Healthy dietary changes should be inculcated in life for life time; one should keep in mind that short term diet would definitely fade off some day.
Dehydration with High Protein
DietsHigh protein diets are taken by athletes with the intension to increase the muscle mass in the body or lose weight.
But some are unknown with the fact that a high protein diet can cause silent dehydration in endurance athletes who are trained adapt greater degree of dehydration compared to an average individual. As the amount of proteins is increased in the diet it influences the hydration indices. Degree of hydration in the body is inversely proportional to the amount of protein consumed in the diet.
High-protein low carbohydrate diets followed for weight loss only work for few weeks, after which the lost weight is regained. High protein diets mainly emphasize on foods rich in proteins like eggs, meat, chicken, fish, most of which are also high in saturated fats. Also foods rich in carbohydrates are restricted like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and non fat milk products which provide other vital nutrients and fiber.
This can lead to nutritional deficiencies that are rarely for short period. A low carbohydrate diet can in turn cause loss of body fluid, incomplete fat burning and formation of ketone bodies. Follow a thumb rule - Higher the protein in the diet higher should be the water consumption.Kidney plays a very important role in filtering not only the toxins from the body but also regulating the blood pressure and the number of red blood cells in the body. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is one of the tests used to determine the kidney function. When high amount of proteins are consumed in an athletes diet, abnormal BUN levels are found in the tests. This can be explained as increased protein intake can caused nitrogen build up in the body. This nitrogen precipitates in the kidney in the form of urea that has to be eliminated from the blood via urine. This process leads to increased urination that may ultimately cause dehydration. High protein diets may have a negative impact on the kidneys posing a load on them to produce concentrated urine.
Moreover dehydration forces the kidneys to work harder to clean the waste materials from the blood. Thus whether you feel the desire to drink water or not, to is wise to increase the water intake with high protein diets to avoid dehydration. Even 2% decrease in body fluids can affect the performance of an athlete in an event and may also increase cardiovascular risks. Following a balanced diet along with regular exercise regime is the best way to stay fit and enhance performance of an athlete in an event.
Eating Guide for Vegetarian Athletes
Vegetarianism may be followed by some athletes due to various reasons.
An athlete can be vegan, ovo-vegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian or fruitarian. Vegetarian diet can be followed by an athlete for religious beliefs, ethical, economical or health reasons. Some female athletes may switch to a vegetarian diet with the aim of decreasing calories and weight that is required for some sports like gymnastics.
When an athlete becomes vegetarian his diet should be monitored carefully as occasionally this habit may develop in to an eating disorder. Although following vegetarian diets would not affect the performance of an athlete, proper planning of the diet in terms of energy, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and other micronutrients should be done. Body weight and composition should be monitored to determine if energy needs are satisfied.
Protein intakes of vegetarian athletes are often complained to be low. Animal proteins are well digested than plant based protein even though the protein quality of vegetarian diet is adequate. To compensate this incomplete digestion a 10% increase in the protein intake is recommended, in other words 1.3 to 1.8 g protein per kg body weight is recommended for vegetarian athletes. Choose proteins wisely and emphasize on the good quality proteins. This could be achieved by including plenty of low-fat dairy products, eggs and protein rich plant sources like soy. Also extra care of micronutrients like vitamin 12, vitamin D, iron, calcium, zinc and riboflavin should be taken to avoid vitamin deficiency as these nutrients are particularly high in animal products. Even though iron intakes of a vegetarian athlete is similar or higher than the omnivorous, bio-availability of iron in plant based products is low (as heam iron present in animal sources is readily absorbed by the body), thus the iron stores in a vegetarian athlete are generally low. Moreover iron requirement is increased with increase in exercise, thus possibility of low iron stores in the body is high in vegetarian athletes, especially women. Iron levels should be monitored periodically to avoid low body stores and anemia in women athletes.
Include whole-grain cereals, dark green leafy vegetables, kidney beans, rice flakes, lentils, figs and some dry fruits to get non-heam iron in the diet. Additional vitamin C should be consumed with non-heam iron to facilitate its absorption in the body. Animal products are the primary source for vitamin B12, which is one of the most common vitamins very low in the diets of vegetarian athletes. Vitamin B12 can be derived from eggs, yeast, fermented products, cheese, milk, yoghurt or vitamin B12 fortified cereals or soy milk.Registered dieticians specialized in sports nutrition are an important resource for vegetarian athletes. They can help them to plan a well balanced diet and avoid any nutritional deficiencies.
Hydration for Athletes
Maintaining an appropriate fluid balance is very important for optimal performance, as a performance in an event is often impaired with progressive dehydration.
Keeping oneself hydrated during an event is just not enough, before and after exercise hydration also plays an important role. Dehydration during an event can cause serious problems like heat stroke, head injury or even loss of coordination affecting the performance of an athlete. There are heavy water and electrolytes losses while performing an exercise via sweat and urine.
To replenish these losses becomes very important as our body can not synthesize or store water that is important for almost all body functions.
Fluids and electrolyte balanceEven partial dehydration tends to compromise a performance, thus it is necessary to drink enough fluid and maintain fluid balance. Drink enough fluids (avoid dairy) or in other words water consumption should be around 17 ounces two hours before an exercise and additional 10-15 ounces within 15-30 minutes of an event.
Through out competition it is important to remain hydrated, thus drink 6-10 ounces of water or diluted sports drink every 10-20 minutes. Electrolyte replacement drinks can be consumed after one hour of exercising. For intense activity lasting longer than an hour, beverages containing carbohydrates in the concentration of 4-8 % are recommended. Although plain water is considered appropriate for activities lasting less than an hour, 4-8% carbohydrate beverages are also suitable. It is important to replace the electrolytes lost in perspiration, 0.5-0.7 g/l of sodium is recommended for activity lasting longer than an hour. This will also help to increase the palatability of sports drinks and in turn increase fluid consumption. Hyponatremia occurs when large amounts of water are consumed that leads to comparatively low levels of sodium in the blood. Athletes susceptible to hyponatremia also benefit from added sodium in the fluid replacement beverages. Adequate fluid consumption will also help the body to maintain temperature, blood circulation and proper muscle function.
Some athletes may experience mild dehydration as the fluid intake post event is often forgotten. Adding sodium in the drink can be beneficial in 2 ways, maintains osmolarity and thus desire to drink and reduce diuresis that can occur when only plain water is ingested. Fluid consumption can be up to 150% of the weight lost during an exercise. Fluid and electrolyte disturbances in an athlete can precipitate in the form of dehydration, hypohydration or hyponatremia, all of which can pose a life threat in their most severe forms. Although athletes experience dehydration more often than hypo hydration or hyponatremia, the latter two are not uncommon.
What is hyponatremia?
Excessive amounts of plain water may disturb the fluid and electrolyte levels in the body leading to hyponatremia.
Overhydration when combined with prolonged endurance exercise can develop dangerously low sodium levels in the blood, less than 135 millimoles per liter (normal plasma sodium concentration is 136-142 millimoles per liter). Osmotic balance across the blood brain barrier is disturbed due to the continuous fall of sodium concentration leading to rapid entry of water into the brain. This can lead to serious list of complications like cerebral edema, serious neurological responses like seizures, confusion or coma and even death due to ruptured brain stem.
Decrease in serum sodium concentration is directly proportional to the speed and degree – more rapid and higher fall, higher the risk of severe consequences of hyponatremia.
Symptoms of hyponatremia Early symptoms of hyponatremia include headache, puffiness, muscle cramps, slurred speech, nausea and vomiting, these are experienced when plasma sodium levels fall below 130 millimoles per liter. With increased severity, sodium concentration below 125 millimoles per liter cerebral edema, altered mental status like confusion, disorientation, seizures, respiratory distress due to pulmonary edema, coma or even death can occur.
Sodium levels should be checked when an athlete complains acute symptoms of hyponatremia and the athlete should not be rehydrated even on claims of thirst as this might worsen the situation.
Causes of hyponatremia During a high intensity long duration exercise, sodium is lost in sweat. Moreover drinking too much water can cause water retention, further diluting the sodium levels in the body. Hyponatremia is primarily caused when the water intake exceeds the amount of sweat and urinary losses. It is very important to prevent hyponatremia as it is more often self-induced. Hyponatremia has no association with low sodium diet or any nutritional deficiency; it is purely due to excessive intake of water combined with high intensity long duration exercises.
Preventing hyponatremia It is prudent to avoid over consumption of fluids and have sports drink or other salty foods rather than just emphasizing on plain water.
-Salt intake can be increased several days prior to an event, provided you are not suffering from hypertension.
-To prevent loss of sodium before an event, an athlete should avoid overhydration.
Maintain a high degree of self-discipline and learn not to exceed water consumption more than the sweat loss.
-Follow a thumb rule for high intensity long duration exercises - 1 cup fluid for every 20 minutes.
Nutrition for Winter Athletes
Some athletes may get cold weather on their nerves but some might accept this change happily considering it as a change from exercising in summer’s heat.
Exercise should be done with the help of proper nutrition and layers of dry clothing to chase away the winter chills. Metabolism in the body is increased 7 to 10 times than the resting levels while performing an aerobic exercise that is a body temperature can be raised from 98.6° to 140° F. In summer this heat is dissipated as sweat but in winter this heat helps to keep the body temperature warm.
To generate this amount of heat in the body, fuel is required that is provided by the food. The way one fuels his body in cold will help to perform better and remain safe and comfortable in cold. Proper nutrition helps to fuel the muscle tissue and regulate the body core temperature that normally drops in winter.It is important to learn the basic cold weather exercise safety, avoid frostbite and hypothermia, and dress well for cold weather exercise.
Although water is not lost via sweat in winters, significant amounts of water is lost during respiration. It becomes important to humidify the cold air while breathing, in this process water is lost. Thus to avoid dehydration it is important for winter athletes to consciously increase the water consumption. Replacing fluids in winter becomes more important as the thirst mechanism is reduced in the cold weather causing decreased desire to drink water. Temperature of foods should be considered in winters, warm foods are prudent choice than cold foods. Although in summer cold foods are best (as they give a cool feeling and help during exercise) but in winters they can chill the body. A balanced meal with high carbohydrate intake is preferable in winters. To replace the carbohydrate stores that are used to keep the body warm and in exercising, it is important to eat continually to avoid fatigue or chills. Children are especially more prone to get fatigue and tired, thus keep handy foods ready like chocolate bars, energy bars, bananas, sandwiches, or trail mix.
Important points to keep in mind
-Avoid alcohol completely as it tends to dilate the blood vessels thereby increasing heat loss.
-Decrease caffeine consumption. Although a stimulant, it acts as a diuretic thereby further decreasing the water from the body.
-Drink plenty of water consciously.
-Eat warm or hot foods to stay warmer every 30-40 minutes (100-200 calories).
-Include foods high in complex carbohydrate.
Post Game Meal
After an event a post game meal or snack is often forgotten, but this meal plays importance in an athlete’s diet.
Carbohydrates that are stored in the body in the form of glycogen are depleted soon after an event. Human body has a limited capacity to store carbohydrates, after an activity the enzymes responsible for taking in fuel and storing it in liver and muscles are at their highest level within first 30-45 minutes. It is wise to take advantage of this period and have a nutritious post game meal.
1.5 g carbohydrate per kg body weigh at the interval of 2 hours is often recommended. For example when this amount is consumed immediately after exercise it increases the glycogen stores 6 hours post exercise compared to delayed ingestion of a post exercise meal for 2 hours. The composition and timing of a post exercise meal will largely depend on the duration, length and intensity of the exercise as this will determine the amount of glycogen depleted from the body.
For maximum benefits it is often recommended to feed 0.4 g carbohydrates per kg body weight every 15 minutes for 4 hours after a glycogen depleted state (remember this can lead to high energy load). However the time of carbohydrate intake does not affect the glycogen stores for an athlete who takes one or more days between intense training sessions. The recovery of muscle protein is also important, addition of protein along with sufficient carbohydrate in a post game meal will not only help to recover the muscle fibers but will also aid the storage of carbohydrates and promote a more anabolic hormonal profile. Carbohydrate to protein ratio is also of importance, a commonly recognized ratio is of 3:1 respectively, in other words 75 g of carbohydrates and 25 g protein from a post game meal will help an athlete to recover after an event. Glucose and sucrose have almost similar effects when consumed at the rate of 1.5 g per kg body weight for 2 hours, but fructose is less effective. 24 hours after an exercise, muscle glycogen stores are higher when high glycemic index foods are consumed than compared to low glycemic index foods. However the emphasis should be laid on an overall healthy post game meal for an athlete. Some athletes may experience mild dehydration as the fluid intake post event is often forgotten. Adding sodium in the drink can be beneficial in 2 ways, maintains osmolarity and thus desire to drink and reduce diuresis that can occur when only plain water is ingested.
Fluid consumption can be up to 150% of the weight lost during an exercise.
Pre Game Meal
A diet you consume several days before an event will affect your performance.
A pre-game meal is one of the most important meals for both endurance and power athletes that will determine whether or not an athlete will achieve his maximum potential during an event. A per-game meal allows an athlete to achieve increased muscle strength, better endurance and increased energy to perform their best. During an event the body primarily relies on the pre-existing glycogen and fat stores.
This can be achieved if a pre-game meal is consumed at proper time. A pre-game meal will help to load the body with glycogen stores and maximize strength and energy that will help optimize performance.
Carbohydrate loading – carbohydrate is the main fuel used as a source for energy during an exercise. It is important to reserve adequate carbohydrate stores in the body for an event. For this, first exercise to exhaustion should be done to deplete the carbohydrate stores from the right muscles that will be used in the event. Follow this by eating a carbohydrate rich diet (60-70% of the energy should be gained from carbohydrates) and combine this with depletion exercise 3 days before an event. Now these muscles which are loaded with used glycogen will be available for longer periods of time during an event. This process gives the right kind of energy and fiber from carbohydrates for workouts and saves amino acids for muscle building and recovery.
Following points should be kept in mind while planning a per-game meal
-Timing of a meal can make a difference, for exercise longer than 30 minutes, a per-workout snack one hour before the event or practice can be beneficial.
-Eat a meal 2-4 hours before an event this will give the body time to digest and also include good quality protein for staying in power.
-Liquid meals are emptied from the stomach more rapidly, so eating them prior to workout would help as they will provide energy as well as hydration to the body.
-Choose simple carbohydrates before an event as they are easily digested and will provide instant energy without causing any gastrointestinal distress.
-It is important to replace the fluids lost through perspiration during an exercise.
Drink enough fluids (avoid dairy) or around 17 ounces of fluid intake two hours before an exercise and additional 10-15 ounces within 15-30 minutes of an event. Through out competition it is important to remain hydrated, thus drink 3-6 ounce of water or sports drink every 10-20 minutes. Electrolyte replacement drinks can be consumed after one hour of exercising.
-An athlete’s metabolism is generally higher than a normal individual, so use fluids with high simple sugar content with caution to avoid sudden drop and maintain blood glucose levels. A per-game meal should never be under rated as it is a very important component that will determine an athlete’s power and performance in an event.
Suggestions for Food Intake for Athletes
In order to have an optimal health and performance it is important for athletes to eat well and keep themselves hydrated.
The type of foods athletes consume has a lot of influence on the way they practice and compete. Good nutrition is required for strong body to build muscle mass and to store energy for endurance activities. In the process of gaining optimal workout and recovery, often many athletes give less time and attention to eat nutrient rich food cleverly.
Eating a balanced meal should be emphasized to gain sufficient energy and a wide range of vitamins and minerals and other important chemicals like phytochemicals occurring naturally in foods. Fad diets are becoming increasingly popular, but one should keep in mind that these often restrict consumption of certain foods and is not for life time. So try to include all the food groups in your diet in a balanced form to avoid any nutritional deficiencies and follow them regularly.
Following are some suggestions for food intake for athletes which would help them to make wiser choices.
-Carbohydrates should form the basis of energy; 55-60% of energy should be derived from carbohydrates. Include whole grains, cereals, fiber rich cereals, brown rice, whole wheat and its products, whole meal pastas and breads in your diet.
-Have at least 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Select a wide range so that they suffice the nutritional needs of vitamins, minerals and fiber in the diet. Fruits are healthy choices and makes excellent snacks especially in between training sessions. Make a meal appealing by including different colored vegetables, include salads in the meals and load your sandwiches with different vegetables.
-Include healthy proteins in the diet in the form of eggs, milk, lean meats, chicken, pulses, legumes and sprouts. 12-15% energy should be gained from proteins. Calcium intake is necessary along with vitamin D and phosphorus to maintain healthy bones of an athlete.
-Fat consumption should not exceed beyond 20-25% of the total calories. Often when athlete’s fat consumption is increased they tend to gain weight with less lean muscle mass and compromised immune function that ultimately interferes with their performance. Reduce fat consumption and focus on healthy fats; replace saturated fats and trans fats with healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Avoid fatty, oily foods, meat or chicken loaded with fat.
-Keep yourself hydrated as it is very important to replenish the water lost during an exercise. Sports drinks rich in simple carbohydrates can be selected to keep the carbohydrates in the body leveled. Have a balanced meal and include variety of foods in the diet, this will eliminate the need of taking any extra vitamins and minerals in the form of food supplements.
The Training Diet
To get categorized as an elite athlete not only requires good genes or good training and conditioning, but also requires the foundation of a balanced nutritional diet.
A good nutrition plays a very important role in optimizing and enhancing an athlete’s performance. A balanced training diet is required daily, and not just one or two days before an event. Along with other factors like age, sex and built the daily energy recommendations for a healthy individual are based on the activity level of a person.
As athletes are involved in extensive physical activity, they require additional energy to fuel the physical activity. The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for men and women that are involved in light-moderate activity between the ages of 19-50 years are 2,900 and 2,200 respectively.A diet should comprise 60-70% of carbohydrates which includes whole cereals, whole wheat and wheat products, pastas, breads, rice, fruits and vegetables. Consume at least 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
The intake of refined flour and sugars should be minimal. To stay energized and perform at your best use a carbohydrate strategy. High protein foods in the form of eggs, milk, lean meats, chicken, pulses, legumes and sprouts are required by the body to build new tissues and perform other functions. Proteins should comprise 12-15% of the total caloric intake. Fats should comprise not more than 20-25% of the total calories. Including too much fat is associated with extra weight gain, heart diseases, cancer and more importantly not getting enough carbohydrates in the diet leading to poor performance. The need of vitamins and mineral and other nutrients will depend on the energy levels, the need would increase in high caloric diet and decrease in a moderate-low calorie diet. The main fundamental difference between a healthy individual’s diet and an athlete diet is the requirement of additional fluids. Fluid loss is extensive in athletes in the form of sweat and urine, to replace these fluids and avoid dehydration it is important to maintain a normal fluid and electrolyte balance.
The timing of meals and snacks are important in an athlete’s diet and are largely individualized according to the intensity, duration, frequency of a work out and his gastrointestinal conditions. Besides these lifelong healthy dietary habits, it is very important to consume appropriate meals and fluid before, during and after exercise. Fad diets are becoming increasingly popular, but one should keep in mind that these often restrict consumption of certain foods and is not for life time. So try to include all the food groups in your diet in a balanced form to avoid any nutritional deficiencies.
A good nutrition plays a very important role in optimizing and enhancing an athlete’s performance. A balanced training diet is required daily, and not just one or two days before an event. Along with other factors like age, sex and built the daily energy recommendations for a healthy individual are based on the activity level of a person.
As athletes are involved in extensive physical activity, they require additional energy to fuel the physical activity. The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for men and women that are involved in light-moderate activity between the ages of 19-50 years are 2,900 and 2,200 respectively.A diet should comprise 60-70% of carbohydrates which includes whole cereals, whole wheat and wheat products, pastas, breads, rice, fruits and vegetables. Consume at least 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
The intake of refined flour and sugars should be minimal. To stay energized and perform at your best use a carbohydrate strategy. High protein foods in the form of eggs, milk, lean meats, chicken, pulses, legumes and sprouts are required by the body to build new tissues and perform other functions. Proteins should comprise 12-15% of the total caloric intake. Fats should comprise not more than 20-25% of the total calories. Including too much fat is associated with extra weight gain, heart diseases, cancer and more importantly not getting enough carbohydrates in the diet leading to poor performance. The need of vitamins and mineral and other nutrients will depend on the energy levels, the need would increase in high caloric diet and decrease in a moderate-low calorie diet. The main fundamental difference between a healthy individual’s diet and an athlete diet is the requirement of additional fluids. Fluid loss is extensive in athletes in the form of sweat and urine, to replace these fluids and avoid dehydration it is important to maintain a normal fluid and electrolyte balance.
The timing of meals and snacks are important in an athlete’s diet and are largely individualized according to the intensity, duration, frequency of a work out and his gastrointestinal conditions. Besides these lifelong healthy dietary habits, it is very important to consume appropriate meals and fluid before, during and after exercise. Fad diets are becoming increasingly popular, but one should keep in mind that these often restrict consumption of certain foods and is not for life time. So try to include all the food groups in your diet in a balanced form to avoid any nutritional deficiencies.
Vitamins and Minerals for Athletes
Vitamins and minerals requirement would largely depend on the daily caloric intake and exercise levels of an athlete.
These micronutrients play vital roles in the body like involved in hemoglobin synthesis (iron, folate, and vitamin B12), energy production (thiamin, riboflavin and niacin), maintaining adequate immune function, bone health and protection of body tissues by scavenging the free radicals and preventing oxidative damage (antioxidant vitamins like vitamin A, E, C, beta carotene, selenium, zinc and glutathione). Stress caused due to exercise may interfere with many metabolic pathways in which these micronutrients are involved. The turnover of the micronutrients is also increased due to exercise leading to the losses of vitamins and minerals from the body.
Thus the need of vitamins and minerals would be higher for an athlete involved in strenuous exercise.Foods rich in carbohydrates and proteins when consumed suffice the current Recommended Dietary Allowances for all the vitamins and minerals. However when athletes who restrict energy intake for weight loss are at greater risk for micronutrient deficiencies and might require multivitamin and mineral supplements. But this practice is discouraged unless a genuine medical or nutritional health reason is present.
Unlike fat soluble vitamins, water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body. Riboflavin, calcium, iron and zinc are the common vitamins and minerals found low in the diets of female athletes. This can be attributed to avoidance of non-vegetarian diet, dairy products and restricting caloric intake. As female athletes are also more prone to low mineral density, stress fractures and menstrual dysfunction, calcium intake along with vitamin D and phosphorus becomes utmost important. Poor energy intake is also associated with high incidence of iron depletion from the body. Female athletes involved in high intensity and duration exercise should be screened periodically to check the iron status in the body. Often amenorrhea is present in female athletes to preserve the body iron stores. Chronic low iron levels will ultimately lead to low-iron stores, low-iron transport in the body and then anemia. To avoid this situation it is better to consume iron rich foods before iron depletion state is developed.
Some athletes may experience a transient depletion of serum ferritin with initiation of a training program; this can be explained due to increase in the plasma volume causing hemodilution. This effect however does not appear to affect performance. 70 % zinc is mainly derived from animal proteins and approximately 81 % women and 90 % men have zinc deficiency. It is wise to assess zinc levels in diets of the athletes as it plays important role in building and repair of muscle tissue and energy production.
These micronutrients play vital roles in the body like involved in hemoglobin synthesis (iron, folate, and vitamin B12), energy production (thiamin, riboflavin and niacin), maintaining adequate immune function, bone health and protection of body tissues by scavenging the free radicals and preventing oxidative damage (antioxidant vitamins like vitamin A, E, C, beta carotene, selenium, zinc and glutathione). Stress caused due to exercise may interfere with many metabolic pathways in which these micronutrients are involved. The turnover of the micronutrients is also increased due to exercise leading to the losses of vitamins and minerals from the body.
Thus the need of vitamins and minerals would be higher for an athlete involved in strenuous exercise.Foods rich in carbohydrates and proteins when consumed suffice the current Recommended Dietary Allowances for all the vitamins and minerals. However when athletes who restrict energy intake for weight loss are at greater risk for micronutrient deficiencies and might require multivitamin and mineral supplements. But this practice is discouraged unless a genuine medical or nutritional health reason is present.
Unlike fat soluble vitamins, water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body. Riboflavin, calcium, iron and zinc are the common vitamins and minerals found low in the diets of female athletes. This can be attributed to avoidance of non-vegetarian diet, dairy products and restricting caloric intake. As female athletes are also more prone to low mineral density, stress fractures and menstrual dysfunction, calcium intake along with vitamin D and phosphorus becomes utmost important. Poor energy intake is also associated with high incidence of iron depletion from the body. Female athletes involved in high intensity and duration exercise should be screened periodically to check the iron status in the body. Often amenorrhea is present in female athletes to preserve the body iron stores. Chronic low iron levels will ultimately lead to low-iron stores, low-iron transport in the body and then anemia. To avoid this situation it is better to consume iron rich foods before iron depletion state is developed.
Some athletes may experience a transient depletion of serum ferritin with initiation of a training program; this can be explained due to increase in the plasma volume causing hemodilution. This effect however does not appear to affect performance. 70 % zinc is mainly derived from animal proteins and approximately 81 % women and 90 % men have zinc deficiency. It is wise to assess zinc levels in diets of the athletes as it plays important role in building and repair of muscle tissue and energy production.
Weight Change in Athletes
To meet demands of a sport, it is common for an athlete to lose or gain weight.
Irrespective of the reason, this weight change should be gradual and should be accomplished at the beginning of the season or off season before an event as weight and body composition are the two major factors that influence the performance of an athlete. By incorporating additional energy in the diet in combination with strength training (to promote growth of desired muscle mass) weight gain can be accomplished. But this will largely depend on an athlete’s genetic makeup and his dedication and inclination to do so.
Weight gain would also depend on degree of positive energy balance, type of exercise done in a training program and number of rest and recovery days per week. Weight loss however should be done only when necessary under the guidance of a registered dietician trained in the field of sports nutrition, as decreased energy intake can compromise nutrient intakes and hinder performance with decrease with both muscle mass and body fat. If weight loss is necessary, it should be done slowly, approximately 1-2 lbs pre week and no fad diets should be followed.
The aim should be to maintain healthful body weight that is based on genetic, social, sport, physiologic and psychological factors. A realistic goal should be set keeping in mind that a healthful weigh should be maintained with minimum risks of illness and injuries and allows positive advances in sport performance. Weight loss and weight gain should be done carefully as a failure might result in boycott from the team, restricted participation or elimination from the competition. These changes will affect the athletes psychologically and might result in chronic dieting or binging to lose or gain weight. This can ultimately lead to eating disorders, other health consequences and low nutrient profile in an athlete. This cycle is primarily due to the pressure on athletes to achieve a weight goal. Especially weight loss can be problematic in female athletes than male counterparts because of the small stature and lower energy needs. Hormonal changes are reported in females who have low energy intake and high energy output. There are alteration in the secretion of luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone (pituitary gonadotropins) that leads to changes in the secretion of ovarian hormones causing amenorrhea.
This in turn leads to loss of bone mass in young female athletes. Energy availability to maintain the vital body functions is decreased and this negative energy balance due to chronic dieting with heavy exercise leads to ‘energy drain’ which affects the health and performance of an athlete. Having a balanced diet will suffice the nutritional and energy need of an athlete and help then to improve the over all nutritional and reproductive function.
Irrespective of the reason, this weight change should be gradual and should be accomplished at the beginning of the season or off season before an event as weight and body composition are the two major factors that influence the performance of an athlete. By incorporating additional energy in the diet in combination with strength training (to promote growth of desired muscle mass) weight gain can be accomplished. But this will largely depend on an athlete’s genetic makeup and his dedication and inclination to do so.
Weight gain would also depend on degree of positive energy balance, type of exercise done in a training program and number of rest and recovery days per week. Weight loss however should be done only when necessary under the guidance of a registered dietician trained in the field of sports nutrition, as decreased energy intake can compromise nutrient intakes and hinder performance with decrease with both muscle mass and body fat. If weight loss is necessary, it should be done slowly, approximately 1-2 lbs pre week and no fad diets should be followed.
The aim should be to maintain healthful body weight that is based on genetic, social, sport, physiologic and psychological factors. A realistic goal should be set keeping in mind that a healthful weigh should be maintained with minimum risks of illness and injuries and allows positive advances in sport performance. Weight loss and weight gain should be done carefully as a failure might result in boycott from the team, restricted participation or elimination from the competition. These changes will affect the athletes psychologically and might result in chronic dieting or binging to lose or gain weight. This can ultimately lead to eating disorders, other health consequences and low nutrient profile in an athlete. This cycle is primarily due to the pressure on athletes to achieve a weight goal. Especially weight loss can be problematic in female athletes than male counterparts because of the small stature and lower energy needs. Hormonal changes are reported in females who have low energy intake and high energy output. There are alteration in the secretion of luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone (pituitary gonadotropins) that leads to changes in the secretion of ovarian hormones causing amenorrhea.
This in turn leads to loss of bone mass in young female athletes. Energy availability to maintain the vital body functions is decreased and this negative energy balance due to chronic dieting with heavy exercise leads to ‘energy drain’ which affects the health and performance of an athlete. Having a balanced diet will suffice the nutritional and energy need of an athlete and help then to improve the over all nutritional and reproductive function.
1 comment:
Post a Comment