Nutritional needs for athletes -
Keeping your body weight too low, losing weight too quickly, or preventing weight gain in an unnatural way can have negative health effects.
It is important to set realistic body weight goals. Young athletes who are trying to lose weight should work with a registered dietitian. Experimenting with diets on your own can lead to poor eating habits with inadequate or excessive intake of certain nutrients. Speak with a health care professional to discuss a diet that is right for your sport, age, sex, and amount of training.
Buschmann JL, Buell J. Sports nutrition. In: Miller MD, Thompson SR. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Riley E, Moriarty A. In: Madden CC, Putukian M, Eric C. McCarty EC, Craig C. Young CC, eds. Netter's Sports Medicine.
Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap 5. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: nutrition and athletic performance. J Acad Nutr Diet. PMID: pubmed.
Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A. Editorial team. Nutrition and athletic performance.
You are more likely to be tired and perform poorly during sports when you do not get enough: Calories Carbohydrates Fluids Iron, vitamins, and other minerals Protein. However, the amount of each food group you need will depend on: The type of sport The amount of training you do The amount of time you spend doing the activity or exercise People tend to overestimate the amount of calories they burn per workout so it is important to avoid taking in more energy than you expend exercising.
Complex carbohydrates are found in foods such as pasta, bagels, whole grain breads, and rice. They provide energy, fiber , vitamins, and minerals.
These foods are low in fat. Simple sugars , such as soft drinks, jams and jellies, and candy provide a lot of calories, but they do not provide vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. What matters most is the total amount of carbohydrates you eat each day. A little more than half of your calories should come from carbohydrates.
You can satisfy this need by having: Five to ten ounces to milliliters of a sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes Two to three handfuls of pretzels One-half to two-thirds cup 40 to 55 grams of low-fat granola After exercise, you need to eat carbohydrates to rebuild the stores of energy in your muscles if you are working out heavily.
People who exercise or train for more than 90 minutes should eat or drink more carbohydrates, possibly with protein, 2 hours later. Try a sports bar, trail mix with nuts, or yogurt and granola For workouts lasting less than 60 minute, water is most often all that is needed. PROTEIN Protein is important for muscle growth and to repair body tissues.
But it is also a myth that a high-protein diet will promote muscle growth. Only strength training and exercise will change muscle. Athletes, even body builders, need only a little bit of extra protein to support muscle growth.
Athletes can easily meet this increased need by eating more total calories eating more food. Too much protein in the diet: Will be stored as increased body fat Can increase the chance for dehydration not enough fluids in the body Can lead to loss of calcium Can put an added burden on the kidneys Often, people who focus on eating extra protein may not get enough carbohydrates, which are the most important source of energy during exercise.
Amino acid supplements and eating a lot of protein are not recommended. WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS Water is the most important, yet overlooked, nutrient for athletes. Some ideas for keeping enough fluids in the body include: Make sure you drink plenty of fluids with every meal, whether or not you will be exercising.
Drink about 16 ounces 2 cups or milliliters of water 2 hours before a workout. As an athlete, the foods consumed in your diet are used to provide the body with enough energy and specific nutrients to fuel an activity and maximize performance.
Athletes have different nutritional needs than the general population in order to support their vigorous activity levels in both practice and competition.
Energy needs for athletes increase depending on their energy expenditure. The amount of energy expended during physical activity is contingent on the intensity, duration, and frequency of the exercise.
Competitive athletes may need 3, to over 5, calories daily compared to a typical inactive individual who needs about 2, calories per day. Weight-bearing exercises, such as running, burn more calories per hour than non-weight-bearing exercises, such as swimming, since weight-bearing exercises require your body to move against gravity.
Additionally, men typically burn more calories than women for the same activity, because men have more muscle mass which requires more energy to support and move around. The composition of macronutrients in the diet is a key factor in maximizing performance for athletes.
As discussed on the previous page, carbohydrates, fat, and protein can all be utilized for energy production during exercise, though the amount utilized of each nutrient varies depending on the intensity and duration of the exercise.
Carbohydrates are an important fuel source for the brain and muscle during exercise. Carbohydrate storage in the liver and muscle is relatively limited, and therefore it is important for athletes to regularly consume enough carbohydrates from their diet. Activity Level.
Example of Exercise. Low-intensity or skill-based activities. Very high. Table Fat is a necessary component of a healthy diet to provide energy and essential fatty acids and to facilitate the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
Although these recommendations are in accordance with public health guidelines, athletes should individualize their needs based on their training level and body composition goals.
Additional protein also helps muscles with maintenance, growth, and repair. For these reasons, athletes have higher protein needs than the general population.
It is recommended that athletes consume 1. Higher intakes may also be needed for short periods of intense training or when reducing energy intake. It is important to consume adequate amounts of protein and to understand that the quality of the protein consumed affects the amount needed.
Vegetarian diets contain mostly incomplete protein sources, which have lower digestibility and amino acid patterns that do not match human needs as closely as most animal proteins. To compensate for this, vegetarian athletes need to consume more dietary protein than non-vegetarians and should target the upper end of the recommended protein intake.
In addition to the amount and quality of proteins consumed, timing of protein intake has been shown to impact muscle protein synthesis.
Studies show that the synthesis of muscle protein is optimized with high quality protein consumption after exercise, ideally 15 to 25 grams of protein in the early recovery phase after a workout hours after exercise. A similar amount of protein should be consumed every hours, spread out across the day over multiple meals within the 24 hours post-workout, so that amino acids are always available for optimal protein synthesis.
Although athletic training increases protein needs, athletes can meet their protein requirement through high quality food sources, and most do not need to consume protein supplements. Here are some examples of snacks or small meals that contain at least 15 to 25 grams of protein 4 :.
These whole food options have the benefit of coming packaged with other nutrients, including carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores, fiber, and micronutrients, and are often less costly than most protein supplements.
Like all dietary supplements, protein shakes and other supplements are not well-regulated; some contain unnecessary additives such as sweeteners and herbs, and some have been found to contain unsafe levels of heavy metals like arsenic and mercury.
Protein supplements do have the benefit of being convenient and shelf-stable. If you choose to use a protein supplement, look for one certified by a third-party testing organization and with a simple ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are essential for energy metabolism, the delivery of oxygen, protection against oxidative damage, and the repair of body structures.
When exercise increases, the amounts of many vitamins and minerals needed are also increased. Currently, there are no special micronutrient recommendations for athletes, but most athletes will meet their needs by consuming a balanced diet that meets their energy needs. Because the energy needs of athletes increase, they often meet their higher need for vitamins and minerals through the additional food they consume to meet energy needs.
However, athletes who limit energy intake or utilize extreme weight-loss practices may put themselves at risk for vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Many athletes consider taking dietary supplements or ergogenic aids i.
However, it is important to remember that supplements and ergogenic aids are not regulated, leading to frequent use of false advertising and unsubstantiated claims by the supplement industry. Athletes must be careful not only in deciphering the claims of products, but also in researching their safety and efficacy, particularly in relation to any rules and regulations that govern the sport in which the athlete participates.
Very few supplements that claim to have ergogenic benefits have sound evidence to back up those claims, and in some situations, consuming them could be dangerous.
Most athletes can meet their nutrition needs without added supplements. Athletes who have nutrition concerns should consult with a sports dietitian or other sport science professional to make sure their individual needs are met safely.
During exercise, being appropriately hydrated contributes to performance. Water is needed to cool the body, transport oxygen and nutrients, and remove waste products from the muscles.
Water needs are increased during exercise due to the extra water losses through evaporation and sweat. Dehydration can occur when there are inadequate water levels in the body and can be very hazardous to the health of an individual.
As the severity of dehydration increases, the exercise performance of an individual will begin to decline see Figure
Sports nutrition is the study and Fo of how to use nutrition to Sports-specific nutrition all oxidative stress pathways of forr performance. This includes providing education on the zthletes foods, nutrients, oxidative stress pathways protocols, and supplements to help you succeed in your sport. An important factor that distinguishes sports nutrition from general nutrition is that athletes may need different amounts of nutrients than non-athletes. However, a good amount of sports nutrition advice is applicable to most athletes, regardless of their sport. In general, the foods you choose should be minimally processed to maximize their nutritional value.
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