While all athletes need to eat a balanced diet rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals in order to fuel their bodies, not all athletes' needs are the same. Some require fuel for strength and explosive power, such as football players and wrestlers; others, require fuel for extended amounts of time, like soccer players or long-distance runners. What does remain the same, though, is the need for the three basic macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat; it is just the amounts and percentages of each that vary per type of athletic activity.
Nutrition for Strength
For athletes looking to work on their strength, the main goal of nutrition is to provide enough calories and nutrients for their day-to-day activities, as well as those that they will need to repair and build new muscle mass. The goal here is not to just have a high-calorie intake, but to make them quality calories, focusing on the kind of calories that will result in optimal body composition and optimal energy levels, thus maximizing potential. You can achieve this by eating frequent meals and snacks throughout the day and eating a variety of fresh and whole foods that also provide vitamins and minerals, which you will need in order to become stronger.
Nutrient Composition for Strength Athletes
In general, daily carbohydrate intake should be 8 to 10 g per kg of weight. Try to choose whole grains, like brown rice and whole-wheat bread to increase your fiber content, as well. Your protein intake should be from 1.5 to 1.7 g per kg of weight per day, and your fat intake should be the remainder of the calories that you need to perform your daily activities and your physical activity. Make sure you eat healthy fats like polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats instead of saturated fats, though. If you actually want to gain lean body mass, make sure you choose high-calorie foods at every meal that are also nutrient-dense. Don't waste your time with empty calories. Pre-exercise meals should be high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fat and fiber to prevent uncomfortable gastrointestinal issues. During training, snack on a moderate-glycemic carbohydrate and small amounts of protein such as granola bars or whole-grain cereal and fruit protein shakes. As for your after-workout meal, make it high in low-glycemic carbohydrates, moderate in lean protein and a little higher in fiber and fat.
Nutrition for Endurance
Endurance athletes need enough calories for their daily activities and for those expended through exercise. Additionally, they need enough calories to replenish their glycogen (energy storage in the body) and for repairing their muscle mass, which gets micro-tears during long-term exercise. The key is to focus on eating often and having the right snacks before, during and after exercise. All of this will help maximize performance and increase endurance.
Nutrient Composition for Endurance Athletes
In general, your daily carbohydrate intake should range from 5 to 7 g per kg of weight for moderate- and low-intensity exercise; and 7 to 12 g per kg of weight per day for those who do moderate and heavy training. Daily protein intake should range from 1.2 to 1.7 g of protein per kg of weight. And finally, daily fat intake should range from 0.8 to 1 g per kg of weight. Your pre-exercise meals or snacks should be high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fat and fiber to prevent any stomach complications arising from long-term exercising. Meals or snacks during exercising should be composed of a high-glycemic carbohydrate such as a sports drink or gel or fruit, with moderate protein, like crackers with peanut butter. Finally, your post-exercise meals should be high in low-to moderate glycemic index carbohydrates, and moderate-to-high in lean protein, fiber and healthy fats like olive oil or canola oil.
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