As an athlete, you must keep your body in shape from the inside out. Eating the right balance of foods can help your body stay strong through long grueling games or athletic events. As you seek to improve your sports performance through exercise and training sessions, plan your meals carefully to eat the right balance of calories and nutrients.
Workout Routine
Whether you are a runner, a ball player, a serious weekend athlete or a weightlifter, your workout routines help you stay fit for your sport. Cardiovascular workouts to improve your endurance, strength-training sessions targeting your muscular development and exercises you perform specific to your support require a regular commitment of time and energy. If your sport has an off-season, continue working out to maintain your endurance and strength, as well as focusing on improving your quickness and reflexes.
Protein Requirements
Athletes need adequate amounts of protein. You should consume about 12 to 15 percent of your calories from protein, adjusting the amount as recommended by your nutritionist or coach, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. If you eat 3,000 calories, consume between 360 to 450 calories from fat, or 90 to 112.5 g. If you consume 2,500 calories, eat between 75 and 98 g of proteins, or 300 to 375 calories. Eat high-quality, lean proteins such as poultry, lean beef, egg whites and beans. Low-fat proteins give you the increase in energy and muscle-building nutrients without adding unhealthy fats.
Carbohydrate Needs
Eating complex rather than simple carbohydrates gives you longer lasting energy, as complex carbohydrates take longer for your body to process. As an athlete, you need complex carbohydrates in the form of starch because it it stored by your muscles as glycogen, which helps keep your blood sugar and energy level constant during a workout. Breads, rices, starchy vegetables, whole-grain granola bars, and cold and hot cereals are starchy carbohydrates. Other complex carbohydrates which give you energy are found in fruits and some vegetables. If you are an endurance athlete, simple carbohydrates such as juices or energy gels give you energy during a long run or bike ride.
Healthy Fats
Healthy fats work in conjunction with your carbohydrates to give you energy and sustain you during your athletic endeavors. You should eat about 20 to 30 percent of your calories from healthy fats, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A diet without enough fat may affect your ability to sustain your energy level during competitions and make you feel tired even when resting. Eat nuts, dressings made with olive oil, saute vegetables in canola oil and eat more poultry than beef to avoid saturated fats in beef.
Well-Balanced Diet
Your diet as an athlete is similar to that of the non-athlete. Although your energy expenditures are higher and your caloric needs are different, you should eat a well-balanced diet with adequate amounts of vegetables, fruits, dairy and protein. Increase or decrease your caloric consumption slightly if you need to gain or lose weight. Limit your dessert choices and avoid unhealthy fried or fast foods.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity
- American College of Sports Medicine: ACSM, American Dietetic Association, and Dietitians of Canada Release Joint Position Paper
- Iowa State University Extension: Eat to Compete: Carbohydrate
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: Sports Nutrition
- Fitness.gov: Winning Nutrition for Athletes
- American Academy of Family Physicians: AAP Reports on Healthy Weight-Control Practices in Young Athletes
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