Evaluating your diet and making healthy changes are vital components to your performance in your particular sport and in the gym. Eating foods like fiber-containing carbohydrates, low fat proteins and vegetables containing health promoting vitamins and minerals can help you take your performance to the next level.
Complex Carbohydrates
When you consume carbohydrates, they are converted to glycogen after they are digested, which is the main source of energy for your body during physical activity. Complex carbohydrates offer health-promoting vitamins, minerals and fiber, along with providing fuel for optimal performance. Foods that contain complex carbohydrates are whole grains, vegetables and legumes. Foods that contain simple carbohydrates, like sweets and soft drinks can have a negative effect on your performance. Sweets amplify your blood sugar and insulin reaction that could lead to hypoglycemia during exercise.
Protein
Protein is an important component of muscle growth and tissue repair. Foods that are great sources of protein are meats, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy. Since athletes require only small amounts over the normal recommended daily amount of protein, it is not necessary for athletes and exercise enthusiasts to eat a lot of extra protein. Madelyn Fernstrom, Director of the Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, recommends consuming about 0.4 g of protein per day for every pound of body weight.
Iron
Since iron is needed in your body for hemoglobin to effectively carry oxygen to your working muscles, foods that are good sources of iron are important for sports performance. Without adequate iron, the amount of oxygen that can get to your muscle cells is limited, resulting in fatigue and poor performance. Two types of dietary iron exist: heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in foods such as red meat, fish and poultry, and is absorbed more efficiently by the body. Non-heme iron is found in legumes and fortified cereals.
Antioxidants
When you exercise, your utilization of oxygen increases 10 to 20 times over your resting rate. When oxygen is used in the body, free radicals are generated, which can be harmful to muscle tissues and other tissues in the body. Antioxidants destroy free radicals, and eating foods with high amounts of antioxidants can keep your body healthy and ready to perform. Regularly consuming vitamin C-containing citrus fruits and leafy greens, vitamin E-containing nuts and seeds, and beta-carotene-containing orange fruits and vegetables will increase your antioxidant consumption.
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