As an athlete, you must carefully consider what you are putting into your body in order to consistently achieve your peak performance level. Diet also has a major influence over your physical condition and impacts whether or not you are in good enough shape to compete at the level you want to play. Learning how to properly maintain, strengthen and energize your body is important for any athlete at any level of competition.
Significance
Many professional sports teams have strength and conditioning coaches whoare also well educated in proper diet and nutrition. Their job is to ensure that their athletes are eating the proper foods at the right times in order to perform their best at game time. Not only is eating right effective when trying to become stronger and more physically fit, it also positively impacts a person's health. Heart-healthy foods should be a regular part of your diet, as your heart needs to be one of the strongest, if not the strongest, muscle in your body.
Types of Foods
One of the most important things to remember when participating in sports is to consume a high number of calories to give your body the energy it needs to perform. The most active and competitive athletes may need to take in more than 3,000 calories a day. Good foods to eat include fish, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, grains and lean meats.
The Proper Nutrients
The nutrients contained in these foods vary. A balanced diet will ensure that you are getting enough carbohydrates, protein, fats and calcium. Carbohydrate stores in your body provide you with the energy much like gasoline does for a car. Protein is used to maintain, build and repair tissues in your body. Fats provide another energy source for your body and calcium is used to keep your teeth and bones healthy and strong. Along with vitamins and minerals, these are some of the most important nutrients necessary to keep you healthy and athletic.
Water and Hydration
Water makes up a very high percentage of your body, and replenishing it during workouts and athletics will keep you healthier and in much better physical condition. When you perform any type of strenuous athletic activity, your body temperature will rise and you will begin to sweat as your body attempts to cool you down. This causes you to lose water from your body, and it is critical to rehydrate yourself by keeping a substantial amount of water nearby as you work out. You should make it a habit to always keep yourself well hydrated before, during and after workouts, practices and games. Water is perhaps the most critical part of the human diet and to keeping you healthy.
Warning
Many lean sources of protein such as chicken breast and fish play an important role in building muscle and strength. Anabolic steroids are illegal and can be very dangerous to your body and should not be used by any athlete at any level of competition. Team practices in hot weather can lead to heat stroke and severe dehydration which can be fatal in some cases. Always make sure that you keep your body well hydrated.
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