Although proper nutrition is important for everyone, as an athlete, you especially need to pay attention to your diet because it can affect how you perform during competitions and practices. You need to eat enough to meet the physical demands of your training regimen, but not so much that you gain unnecessary pounds. Furthermore, you need to carefully balance the macronutrients--carbohydrates, fats and proteins--you consume, which will help your body function effectively. Finally, you need to drink adequate amounts of water to stay hydrated and replace fluids lost during competitions or training sessions.
Calories
Calories are a unit of measurement for energy. To determine about how many calories you should consume on a daily basis, you need to consider how many calories your body burns at rest, called resting energy expenditure, and how many it burns during your training sessions. According to sports nutritionists Heather Fink, Lisa Burgoon and Alan Mikesky, you can use the following formulas to estimate how many calories you need daily: 662 -- 9.53 (age) + PA [15.91 (weight in kg)] + 539.6 (height in meters) for males, and 354 -- 6.91 (age) + PA [9.36 (weight in kg)] + 726 (height in meters) for females. For PA, which means physical activity, use 1.25 if you are active or 1.48 if you are very active. To convert your weight from pounds to kilograms, multiply your weight in pounds by 0.4536. To convert your height from inches to meters, multiply your height in inches by 0.0254.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are sugars your body uses for energy, especially during high-intensity exercise. They are not plentifully stored in your body, so you need to replace them through your diet. As an athlete, you need to eat approximately 60 percent of your calories from carbohydrate food sources, including fruits, grains and vegetables, according to William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch, authors of the textbook "Sports and Exercise Nutrition."
Fats
Fats are also an energy source for your body, used primarily during low- to moderate-intensity exercise, including walking and jogging. Unlike carbohydrates, your body stores an enormous supply of fat, so you don't need as much in your diet. Although there isn't a firm guideline about how much fat you should eat on a daily basis as an athlete, The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition recommends you eat no more than 30 percent of your calories from fatty food sources.
Proteins
Although your body does not use proteins as a major energy source, they are important for athletes because they provide the foundational building blocks for building and maintaining your cells, including your muscles, according to McArdle, Katch and Katch. They recommend you consume between 1.2 and 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, which converts to approximately 0.55 and 0.82 grams per pound. This should make up about 10 to 15 percent of your total calories.
Water
As an athlete, you need to stay generally hydrated and replace fluids you lose during your competitions and practice sessions to cool your body temperature and maintain adequate blood circulation. Drink between eight and 12, 8-oz. glasses of water each day. Additionally, weigh yourself before and after your training sessions and drink enough water to replace the weight you lost.
References
- "Practical Applications in Sports Nutrition"; Heather Hedrick Fink, Lisa A. Burgoon and Alan E. Mikesky; 2006
- "Sports and Exercise Nutrition (Third Edition)"; William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch and Victor L. Katch; 2009
- President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition: Winning Nutrition for Athletes
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