Diet plays as much of a role in an athlete's improvement and ability to perform at his best as does physical training. Food acts as a fuel and provides the required energy needed for all your bodily processes. All athletes need a diet that provides enough of the three macronutrients: Carbohydrates, fats and protein. The amount of each macronutrient an athlete requires will depend on the intensity and duration of the activity. Endurance athletes must provide enough calories for daily activity and exercise in addition to replenishing glycogen or energy stores and repairing lean muscle mass.
Carbohydrates
As an athlete, you should provide your body with fuel by eating frequent meals and snacks throughout the day. Carbohydrate intake should range from 5 g per kg to 7 g per kg for low-intensity training, 7 g per kg to 12 g per kg for moderate to heavy training and 10 g kg to 12 g per kg for extreme training, according to the American Dietetic Association. For example, if you are 60 kg and engaging in moderate training, your carbohydrate intake should be between 420 and 720 g per day. Good sources of carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, rice, cereal and granola.
Protein
Protein plays an important role in the body. It is a building block for all your cells, and adequate intake is needed for your muscles to grow. An athlete's protein intake should range from 1.2 g per kg to 1.7 g per kg. For example, if you are 60 kg, your protein intake should be between 720 g and 1020 g. Good sources of protein include are lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, lean cuts of red meat, fish, eggs, beans and tofu.
Fat
Fat intake should range from 0.8 g per kg to 1.0 g per kg. This means if you are 60 kg, your fat intake should range from to 60 g per day. Choose from healthy fats such as peanut butter, nuts, seeds, flaxseed and olive oil. Limit your intake of saturated fats such as fried foods, baked or packaged goods, and cream-based sauces and spreads.
Hydration
Hydration is another important component of an athlete's diet. When you are not adequately hydrated your heart has to work harder to pump blood through your body and get oxygen to your cells. Inadequate hydration will make you tire more easily when you are exercising. You should dink eight glasses of water per day plus replace fluids lost through sweat during exercise. One easy way to determine if hydration is adequate is if your urine color is pale yellow throughout the day. Dark-yellow urine indicates a lack of hydration.
Member Comments