Questions Most Frequently Asked
About Sports Nutrition
What diet is best for athletes?
It's important that an athlete's diet
provides the right amount of energy, the 50-plus nutrients
the body needs and adequate water. No single food or
supplement can do this. A variety of foods are needed
every day. But, just as there is more than one way to
achieve a goal, there is more than one way to follow
a nutritious diet.
Do the nutritional needs of athletes
differ from non-athletes?
Competitive athletes, sedentary individuals
and people who exercise for health and fitness all need
the same nutrients. However, because of the intensity
of their sport or training program, some athletes have
higher calorie and fluid requirements. Eating a variety
of foods to meet increased calorie needs helps to ensure
that the athlete's diet contains appropriate amounts
of carbohydrate, protein, vitamins and minerals.
Are there certain dietary guidelines
athletes should follow?
Health and nutrition professionals
recommend that 55-60% of the calories in our diet come
from carbohydrate, no more than 30% from fat and the
remaining 10-15% from protein. While the exact percentages
may vary slightly for some athletes based on their sport
or training program, these guidelines will promote health
and serve as the basis for a diet that will maximize
performance.
How many calories do I need a day?
This depends on your age, body size,
sport and training program. For example, a 250-pound
weight lifter needs more calories than a 98-pound gymnast.
Exercise or training may increase calorie needs by as
much as 1,000 to 1,500 calories a day. The best way
to determine if you're getting too few or too many calories
is to monitor your weight. Keeping within your ideal
competitive weight range means that you are getting
the right amount of calories.
Which is better for replacing fluids-water
or sports drinks?
Depending on how muscular you are,
55-70% of your body weight is water. Being "hydrated"
means maintaining your body's fluid level. When you
sweat, you lose water which must be replaced if you
want to pet-form your best. You need to drink fluids
before, during and after all workouts and events.
Whether you drink water or a sports
drink is a matter of choice. However, if your workout
or event lasts for more than 90 minutes, you may benefit
from the carbohydrates provided by sports drinks. A
sports drink that contains 15-18 grams of carbohydrate
in every 8 ounces of fluid should be used. Drinks with
a higher carbohydrate content will delay the absorption
of water and may cause dehydration, cramps, nausea or
diarrhea. There are a variety of sports drinks on the
market. Be sure to experiment with sports drinks during
practice instead of trying them for the first time the
day of an event.
What are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are nutrients that affect
fluid balance in the body and are necessary for our
nerves and muscles to function. Sodium and potassium
are the two electrolytes most often added to sports
drinks. Generally, electrolyte replacement is not needed
during short bursts of exercise since sweat is approximately
99% water and less than 1% electrolytes. Water, in combination
with a well- balanced diet, will restore normal fluid
and electrolyte levels in the body. However, replacing
electrolytes may be beneficial during continuous activity
of longer than 2 hours, especially in a hot environment.
What do muscles use for energy
during exercise?
Most activities use a combination
of fat and carbohydrate as energy sources. How hard
and how long you work out, your level of fitness and
your diet will affect the type of fuel your body uses.
For short-term, high-intensity activities like sprinting,
athletes rely mostly on carbohydrate for energy. During
low-intensity exercises like walking, the body uses
more fat for energy.
What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are sugars and starches
found in foods like breads, cereals, fruits, vegetables,
pasta, milk, honey, syrups and table sugar. Carbohydrates
are the preferred source of energy for your body. Regardless
of origin, your body breaks down carbohydrates into
glucose that your blood carries to cells to be used
for energy. Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram,
while fat provides 9 calories per gram. Your body cannot
differentiate between glucose that comes from starches
or sugars. Glucose from either source provides energy
for working muscles.
Is it true that athletes should
eat a lot of carbohydrates?
When you are training or competing,
your muscles need energy to perform. One source of energy
for working muscles is glycogen which is made from carbohydrates
and stored in your muscles. Every time you work out,
you use some of your glycogen. If you don't consume
enough carbohydrates, your glycogen stores become depleted,
which can result in fatigue. Both sugars and starches
are effective in replenishing glycogen stores.
When and what should I eat before
I compete?
Performance depends largely on the
foods consumed during the days and weeks leading up
to an event. If you regularly eat a varied, carbohydrate-rich
diet you are in good standing and probably have ample
glycogen stores to fuel activity. The purpose of the
pre-competition meal is to prevent hunger and to provide
the water and additional energy the athlete will need
during competition. Most athletes eat 2 to 4 hours before
their event. However, some athletes perform their best
if they eat a small amount 30 minutes before competing,
while others eat nothing for 6 hours beforehand. For
many athletes, carbohydrate-rich foods serve as the
basis of the meal. However, there is no magic pre-event
diet. Simply choose foods and beverages that you enjoy
and that don't bother your stomach. Experiment during
the weeks before an event to see which foods work best
for you.
Will eating sugary foods before
an event hurt my performance?
In the past, athletes were warned
that eating sugary foods before exercise could hurt
performance by causing a drop in blood glucose levels.
Recent studies, however, have shown that consuming sugar
up to 30 minutes before an event does not diminish performance.
In fact, evidence suggests that a sugar-containing pre-competition
beverage or snack may improve performance during endurance
workouts and events.
What is carbohydrate loading?
Carbohydrate loading is a technique
used to increase the amount of glycogen in muscles.
For five to seven days before an event, the athlete
eats 10-12 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight
and gradually reduces the intensity of the workouts.
(To find out how much you weigh in kilograms, simply
divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.) The day before
the event, the athlete rests and eats the same high-carbohydrate
diet. Although carbohydrate loading may be beneficial
for athletes participating in endurance sports which
require 90 minutes or more of non-stop effort, most
athletes needn't worry about carbohydrate loading. Simply
eating a diet that derives more than half of its calories
from carbohydrates will do.
As an athlete, do I need to take
extra vitamins and minerals?
Athletes need to eat about 1,800 calories
a day to get the vitamins and minerals they need for
good health and optimal performance. Since most athletes
eat more than this amount, vitamin and mineral supplements
are needed only in special situations. Athletes who
follow vegetarian diets or who avoid an entire group
of foods (for example, never drink milk) may need a
supplement to make up for the vitamins and minerals
not being supplied by food. A multivitamin-mineral pill
that supplies 100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance
(RDA) will provide the nutrients needed. An athlete
who frequently cuts back on calories, especially below
the 1,800 calorie level, is not only at risk for inadequate
vitamin and mineral intake, but also may not be getting
enough carbohydrate. Since vitamins and minerals do
not provide energy, they cannot replace the energy provided
by carbohydrates.
Will extra protein help build muscle
mass?
Many athletes, especially those on
strength-training programs or who participate in power
sports, are told that eating a ton of protein or taking
protein supplements will help them gain muscle weight.
However, the true secret to building muscle is training
hard and consuming enough calories. While some extra
protein is needed to build muscle, most American diets
provide more than enough protein. Between 1.0 and 1.5
grams of protein per kilogram body weight per day is
sufficient if your calorie intake is adequate and you're
eating a variety of foods. For a 150-pound athlete,
that represents 68-102 grams of protein a day.
Why is iron so important?
Hemoglobin, which contains iron, is
the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen from
the lungs to all parts of the body, including muscles.
Since your muscles need oxygen to produce energy, if
you have low iron levels in your blood, you may tire
quickly. Symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue,
irritability, dizziness, headaches and lack of appetite.
Many times, however; there are no symptoms at all. A
blood test is the best way to find out if your iron
level is low. It is recommended that athletes have their
hemoglobin levels checked once a year.
The RDA for iron is 15 milligrams
a day for women and 10 milligrams a day for men. Red
meat is the richest source of iron, but fish and poultry
also are good sources. Fortified breakfast cereals,
beans and green leafy vegetables also contain iron.
Our bodies absorb the iron found in animal products
best.
Should I take an iron supplement?
Taking iron supplements will not improve
performance unless an athlete is truly iron deficient.
Too much iron can cause constipation, diarrhea, nausea
and may interfere with the absorption of other nutrients
such as copper and zinc. Therefore, iron supplements
should not be taken without proper medical supervision.
Why is calcium so important?
Calcium is needed for- strong
bones and proper muscle function. Dairy foods are the
best source of calcium. However, studies show that many
female athletes who are trying to lose weight cut back
on dairy products. Female athletes who don't get enough
calcium may be at risk for stress fractures and, when
they're older, osteoporosis. Young women between the
ages of 11 and 24 need about 1,200 milligrams of calcium
a day. After age 25, the recommended intake is 800 milligrams.
Low-fat dairy products are a rich source of calcium
and also are low in fat and calories.
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