Sports Nutrition
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Sports Nutrition Basics

After training and exercise, nutrition has the biggest influence on your sports performance.

To reach your highest potential, all of the body's systems must be working optimally. The best way to achieve this is to eat a variety of nutritious foods. Calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and fluids all play a unique and vital role.

Calories

To have enough energy for exercise (and for life), you need to eat and drink enough total calories each day. The amount of calories you need depends on many different factors such as age, sex, height, weight, muscle mass and fat mass. Too few calories can negatively affect your workouts and energy levels, as well as cause the loss of muscle and bone, which increases your risk for injury. That is why a personal eating program is so important.

It is also extremely important to nourish your body after several hours with no food (like after sleeping), so having a quality breakfast is huge! Choosing high-nutrient foods—such as eggs, cottage cheese, whole grain cereals, Meal replacement powders, or fruit to give your body the right fuel to start the day! Just remember that a balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates at each meal/snack is the key.

Remember to eat at regular intervals each day (about every 3 hours or so) and make sure that you eat nutritious meals and snacks. This will help your body stay fueled throughout the day and will also increase your energy levels, mental alertness and positive moods.

Carbohydrates

The right type of carbohydrates (low to medium glycemic/sugar), are the body's main energy source for all types of exercise. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the body, and the amount of glycogen stored in the body affects stamina and endurance. When muscle cells run out of glycogen, fatigue sets in and performance will suffer. Training and eating properly, with particular attention to carbohydrates, can increase and maintain glycogen stores, which is really important for endurance athletes.

The brain also runs on this type of energy source. So, it is important that you eat the right type of carbohydrates, so that you have no blood sugar spikes and drops, to perform mentally and physically at your very best.

A large part of an athlete's diet should be low to medium glycemic carbohydrates (about 50%). You should not eat too many carbohydrates, as the body can change as much as 50% of excess carbohydrates you consume into body fat. Too many carbs also may result in a spike in blood sugar levels. When this happens, the body automatically drops the blood sugar levels below what is needed for healthy energy levels; both mentally and physically, so your performance levels will be reduced.

Foods high in carbohydrates include pasta, rice, whole grain cereals, starchy vegetables (like potatoes, carrots, corn and sweet potatoes), fruit and whole grain bread.

Not all carbohydrates are equal in providing needed nutrients, however. Focusing on carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits and vegetables will make sure vitamins, minerals, fiber and other important nutrients are part of your diet. The one rule to follow in order to maintain high energy levels all day long is not to fill up on too many sweets and processed foods - these can negatively impact your sports performance and overall health.

Protein

Protein is essential to build and repair muscle tissue, maintain proper moods, keep mental alertness and it assists in energy production.

Protein also allows muscles to contract, gain in size and increase in strength. But if you load up on protein, it doesn’t guarantee larger muscles. If you take in more protein than your body needs, it is also stored as fat, not protein. So you should eat about 25% of your total calories as protein.

Muscle growth comes from hard work, proper training and balanced nutrition. Food sources of protein include meat and fowl (chicken, turkey, duck, etc.), seafood, eggs, cottage cheese and certain powdered proteins (especially whey.)

Active athletes, particularly those in endurance sports, need more protein than non-athletes. The maximum recommended amount of protein is 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For example, someone who weighs 150 pounds (68 kilograms) should have no more than 2.9 to 3.35 ounces (82 to 95 grams) of protein daily. This requirement can be met through diet alone, but, it’s best to get a personalized program that fits your individual activity levels, size, etc.

Here is a chart that shows you how many calories you should eat daily based on your gender, age and activity level:

MALES				FEMALES
Activity Level				Activity Level
Age	Sedentary*	Mod. Active	Active	Age	Sedentary*	Mod. Active	Active
13	2000	2200	2600	13	1600	2000	2200
14	2000	2400	2800	14	1800	2000	2400
15	2200	2600	3000	15	1800	2000	2400
16	2400	2800	3200	16	1800	2000	2400
17	2400	2800	3200	17	1800	2000	2400
18	2400	2800	3200	18	1800	2000	2400

*Calorie levels are based on the Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) and activity levels from the Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes Macronutrients Report, 2002.

SEDENTARY = less than 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities.
MOD. ACTIVE = at least 30 minutes up to 60 minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities.
ACTIVE = 60 or more minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities.