Sport Nutrition For Health & Performance

According to dietary recommendations provided by Fitness.gov, athletes aiming for a strong performance as well as a healthy body can get the right nutrients from eating a variety of foods daily: This mix should include grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, lean animal meats and low-fat dairy. Especially compared to the diet of sugary and highly processed foods that is unfortunately normal for many Americans, proper nutrition can transform both the health and the performance of just about anyone -- not only athletes. For planning out an optimal performance, especially an athletic performance, what you eat as well as when you eat it may have an impact.

Carbohydrates

First, understand that both starches and sugars are transformed into glucose by our bodies; this is because glucose is the only form of carbohydrate our muscles can use for energy. Because of this, some advise athletes to eat more carbohydrates than non-athletes. If you're trying to ensure you're getting nutritious food that also will help you be at the top of your game, before exercise or an important event try eating carbohydrate-rich foods such as bananas, bagels or fruit juice 1 to 4 hours before your event. This will help keep glucose available for your muscles. Eat a carb-rich meal after your event to maintain and replenish your carbohydrate stores.

Water

Getting enough water is important to make you perform well and avoid feeling tired and sluggish. If you're competing, if you don't get enough water you risk dehydration, which can severely impact your performance. In addition, having enough water in your stomach is necessary for allowing your body to absorb the nutrients you need. Fitness.gov recommends drinking at least ½ cup of water every 20 minutes of exercise; some research suggests adding a small amount of flavor to the water you're drinking may encourage you to drink more.

Electrolytes

Minerals like salt and potassium aid muscle function; they are known as electrolytes, because they conduct electricity. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, potassium is critical to heart function and plays a major role in muscle contraction. If you're trying to perform well during an intense activity for over 1 hour and you expect to sweat a lot, you may want to eat pretzels or drink a mildly salty sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade after an hour to make sure you have enough minerals; this will also help you stay hydrated. Bananas and Portobello mushrooms are two excellent sources of potassium you can incorporate into your usual diet.

Protein

Amino acids from protein are needed to assemble the many proteins your body needs to work; chromosomes, neurotransmitters, hormones and enzymes are all made from protein. Making sure you have enough protein -- 1 in 10 calories should come from protein -- is important for performance, too. According to research on the nutrient intake of athletes, endurance athletes and possibly weight-trained athletes may need more protein than sedentary subjects. Getting your protein from a wide variety of non-animal sources if you're a vegetarian is important so you can ensure you're getting all the essential amino acids, which are provided by any single "complete" animal source such as fish, meat or eggs.

Being Healthy

According to the World Health Organization, getting active and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is a sure way to preserve your health. The risks of not doing so are great. According to the WHO, over 2.7 million deaths are attributable to low fruit and vegetable intake and 1.9 million deaths to physical inactivity. Activity and healthy diet can keep your blood pressure down, help you avoid becoming overweight, and avoid major chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.