The physical demands of certain activities, such as competitive sports, running and swimming, are heavy if you're an athlete. Your body needs sufficient amounts of certain nutrients to function at peak performance. You must examine healthy dietary choices as well as the nutrients they provide to keep your athletic edge sharp -- and to maintain overall good health.
Caloric Intake
Since calories are the fuel your body uses for energy, you need to consume enough to keep yourself going through strenuous physical activity. For instance, a man who weighs 154 lbs. will burn 220 calories in 30 minutes of playing basketball, and 295 in the same amount of time bicycling or swimming. Healthy sources of calories include foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, raw vegetables, beans and granola.
Protein and Muscles
To stay at the top of your game, you need healthy, strong muscles. Incorporating nutritious sources of protein in your diet will allow your muscles to recover and rebuild after finishing the game or winding up at the gym. An athlete needs 0.5 to 0.75 g of protein per pound of muscle weight that your body carries. Although protein shakes and energy bars abound on the market, eating natural sources of protein will provide your body with maximum nutrition. Fish, eggs, legumes, lean red meats and low-fat or non-fat dairy products are examples of healthy, protein-rich power foods for building and maintaining muscles.
Fluid Intake
Staying hydrated is vital to athletic nutrition, especially after strenuous activity during which you perspire heavily. Drinking at least eight 12-oz. servings of water daily is essential. You'll need more than that if your day includes a particularly sweaty athletic performance. Keeping a water bottle in your locker or gym bag is a handy way to remind yourself to keep pumping the water to replenish your body's fluids and electrolytes.
Nutrition Timing
In athletics, it's not simply about what you eat, it's also about when you eat it. If you're preparing for a heavy workout, long run or a big game, you must provide your body with complex carbohydrate-rich foods an hour or two beforehand. Keep your portions moderate before any heavy athletic activity. After you're done pushing your body on the field or in the gym, eat a small meal rich in protein to aid in muscle protein synthesis, the process by which your body rebuilds strained muscles.
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