Nowadays it is quite obvious that proper nutrition is the key to health and good appearance for every person. But if we are talking about professional athletes or those who are just starting their sports activities, then in this case there will be some peculiarities in nutrition. In general understanding, proper nutrition in athletes and those who simply follow a healthy lifestyle, not particularly different, however, since athletes have a higher level of physical activity, there will be adjustments in nutrition.
Since athletes spend almost all their free time training, it is obvious that they spend much more energy than those who do not play sports. Therefore, it is very important to make the right balanced diet, which would not only keep the body in a healthy state, but also warn against possible injuries, etc. Each sport has significant differences and its individual characteristics, so you should choose the diet carefully, based on the needs of the athlete of a particular sport. But what unites all – the necessary daily calorie allowance, calculated taking into account the load.
Protein in sports nutrition
Proteins are a very important part of the diet, they act as a building material for tissues in the human body, as well as saturate tissues with oxygen and nutrients, participate in many processes.
The products most rich in protein are:
milk, kefir, cottage cheese, yogurts;
- oatmeal, rice;
- eggs;
- fish;
- rabbit meat and poultry.
Fats in an athlete’s diet
Fats are very important for the body, as they are involved in many structural and energetic processes. Fats are usually divided into saturated and unsaturated. In a proper diet, it is necessary to consume healthy unsaturated fats, while saturated fats should be avoided completely, as their consumption leads to obesity.
Products containing unsaturated fats:
- olive and sunflower oil;
- fish and seafood;
- nuts.
Foods that contain saturated fats (should be eliminated):
- Fast food;
- margarine;
- coconut oil;
- chocolate, etc.
Carbohydrates in the sports menu
Energy processes in the human body mainly depend on carbohydrates. To maintain proper nutrition, athletes need to eliminate simple carbohydrates, and consume complex carbohydrates.
Examples of complex carbohydrates needed on the menu:
- Fruits, berries, vegetables;
- legumes and grains;
- black bread;
- nuts.
Simple carbohydrates to avoid:
- sugar; candy;
- baked goods;
- carbonated water;
- sweet drinks and juices.
Water regimen of the athlete
Maintaining water balance is important for everyone, whether an athlete or not. However, for a professional athlete with a lot of physical activity to replenish the amount of water in the body is necessary times faster. On average, you should drink 1.5-2 liters. Water in the body maintains temperature balance, distributes nutrients and removes toxins. We recommend keeping a bottle of water in a prominent place to always be able to restore the percentage of fluid in the body in time.
We realize that in today’s reality, where training is combined with other personal activities, it is extremely difficult and tedious to keep track of nutrition. That’s why we recommend ordering a nutrition program to eat right and stay focused on what you love to do.
Gaston Donnelly