Sports Nutrition

In addition to training, athletes must also focus on their diet.

A healthy diet significantly influences athletic performance.

An adequate diet in terms of quantity and quality, before, during and after training and competition, will maximize results for athletes.

The following 4 steps will help athletes develop a diet that will maximize their performance.

Step 1 – Basic Nutrition Needs
Ensure the basic diet needs of the athlete are met – this is the foundation of any sports nutrition plan. More

Step 2 - Training
Athletes need to plan for increased nutrition requirements during training. The training diet holds the most potential for improving athletic performance. More

Step 3 - Competition
Athletes need to develop their own diet strategy for competition. This is when athletes implement the diet plan they have practiced in training. More

Step 4 – Special Nutrition Issues
Be aware of special diet issues for athletes in order to make decisions to maximize performance.

Alcohol & Athletes
Carbohydrates
Carbo Loading
Calcium
Fat
Female Athletes
Fluids
Iron
Protein
Salt
Travel
Vegetarian
Weight Management

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What are the basic diet requirements for athletes?

Basic nutritional requirements are the foundation for healthy eating.
When you eat enough food to meet basic requirements, you provide your body with just enough nutrients for energy and to maintain health and normal function.
Growth, tissue damage, repair and stressful environments can increase nutritional needs.

What happens if athletes are not meeting basic diet requirements?

If athletes are not eating enough food to meet basic diet requirements their bodies will not get enough nutrients and nutritional inadequacies may start to occur.
Symptoms include chronic tiredness, frequent illness, poor concentration, poor performance and poor recovery.

What are the nutrients an athlete needs and what do they do?

Carbohydrate
Provides the superior fuel source for muscles during physical exercise. Carbohydrate is stored in limited amounts only and needs to be continually replenished.
To learn more about carbohydrate and carbo-loading
click here

Fibre
Helps keep bowels regular and can help reduce blood cholesterol. Athletes may need to decrease fibre pre-competition to prevent gut problems.

Protein
Essential in the growth and repair of all body tissues, including muscle and bone; hormone and enzyme production; optimal immune function. Protein is also a minor source of energy. To learn more about protein click here

Fat
Provides the most concentrated and largest source of energy. Fat provides most of the energy for daily activity. Required for normal growth and healthy skin, production of certain hormones, structural component of body cells, supply of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. To learn more about fat click here

Water
Prevents dehydration, helps cool the body and acts as a transport medium. Stored in the body in limited amounts. To read more about water, sports drinks and other fluids
click here

Vitamin B Complex
Involved in carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. B12 and folate are required for red blood cell production.

Vitamin C
Enhances iron absorption, acts as an antioxidant (antioxidants ‘mop up’ free radicals, preventing cell damage), increases energy production, is necessary for the synthesis of collagen for the formation of connective tissue and bone.

Vitamin E
An antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are substances that cause cell damage. As a result of greater oxygen uptake athletes have higher levels of free radicals. Antioxidants ‘mop up’ free radicals, preventing cell damage.

Minerals

Iron
Required for the formation of haemoglobin and myoglobin, the oxygen-carrying components of red blood cells and muscle cells respectively. Required for energy reactions to take place. To learn more about iron click here

Calcium
Required to build and maintain strong bones and teeth, essential for muscle function, blood clotting and nerve transmission. To learn more about calcium click here

Zinc
Essential for normal growth, reproduction, immune system function and energy production in muscle cells.

Guidelines for athletes to meet basic diet requirements

Eat a variety of food from each of the four major food groups each day (breads and cereals; vegetables and fruits; milk, dairy products and milk substitutes, especially low-fat varieties; lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and meat substitutes like lentils, chickpeas, soy beans and other beans).

Prepare meals with minimal added fat (especially saturated fat) and salt. To read more about salt click here

Choose pre-prepared foods, drinks and snacks that are low in fat (especially saturated fat) and salt. To learn more about fat click here

Maintain a healthy body weight by regular physical activity (which should not be a problem for athletes!) and by healthy eating. To read more on weight management for athletes click here

Drink plenty of fluids each day. To read more on fluids
click here

If drinking alcohol do so in moderation. To learn how alcohol can affect your athletic performance click here

Remember that the above are general nutrition guidelines that provide the foundation for a healthy diet. As an athlete you need to get your basic diet right before you begin to work on your training and competition diet.

You as an athlete should eat a wide variety from each of the food groups (breads and cereals; vegetables and fruits; milk, dairy products and milk substitutes; lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts; fluids) to ensure you get the nutrients your body needs. In doing this you will also have interesting and satisfying meals.

To review a table of examples of a serving of the various food groups and the daily level necessary to meet your basic nutritional requirements click here

Are you meeting your basic nutritional requirements?

Rule up a chart under the headings;

Breads and cereal (recommended daily servings – 6)
Vegetables and fruits (recommended daily servings – 2 fruit & 3 vege)
Milk, dairy products and milk substitutes (recommended daily servings – 2)
Meat and meat substitutes (recommended daily servings – 1)
Fluids (recommended daily servings – 8 cups)

Record what you eat for a day in the food groups. Tally the number of serves you had from each food group and compare with the recommended serves.

If you have not met the recommended servings you need to begin by trying to meet these basic diet requirements. Supplements are not the answer! Often when athletes reach for supplements they choose supplements that are not appropriate for their needs anyway. Athletes sometimes forget that the goodness they try to get from supplements has been scientifically proven to be of most benefit when found in its natural form in food.

Write down one goal that you will work on over the next week to improve your baseline nutrition. For example: ‘My goal this week is to increase my daily servings of vegetables from one to three.’

Write down your ideas for a meal plan that will enable to you meet your nutritional goals.

Why do you need a nutritional plan for training?

You need a nutritional plan for training to ensure you are meeting your body’s increased nutrient requirements. These increased nutrient requirements will depend on your training volumes, frequency and intensity. Your requirements will also vary during the different training phases of the year. The skills you learn when designing your nutritional plan for training can be used to individualize your plan.

Following sound nutrition practices is most important during training. If you think about it, you spend most of your time training and this is largely what determines your performance in competition. Good nutrition will help you maximize your training and your competition performance. Your nutrition on competition day is just fine-tuning of your training nutrition. To read more about nutrition during training click here

Competition Nutrition

Competition nutrition is an extension of training nutrition. The correct nutritional strategies before, during and after competition will help you achieve the ultimate goal: your best possible athletic performance.

Planning your meals for competition is a good way of focusing on the event. By knowing when, what and how much you are going to eat and drink, you can be confident that you have the best possible nutritional preparation. Planning ensures that the food you want is available, whether you are at home or traveling. To read more about nutrition during competition click here

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