Sports nutrition principles
THE difference between healthy eating principles and sports nutrition-specific eating, is largely down to the desired outcomes of the body.
To maintain a healthy state and sustain internal and external health, a well-balanced diet devoid of restriction and eradication of single food groups (unless medically required) is the gold standard. However, sports and performance nutrition comes with an entirely separate set of demands. It requires the practical science of hydrating and fuelling before, during and after exercise.
Executed properly, sports nutrition can help promote optimal training and performance. Done incorrectly or ignored, it can potentially derail training and hinder athletic performance.
The basics
1. Hydration: start training sessions and competitions fully hydrated and maintain rehydration as needed during exercise ensuring fluid and sodium losses after exercise are full replaced.
2. Fuel: carbohydrates are the primary muscle fuel for most types of exercise. Sixty-90 minutes of endurance training or a few hours in the weight room can seriously deplete carbohydrate muscle-fuel stores. Starting exercise with full carbohydrate stores can delay the onset of fatigue and help you train or compete more effectively.
3. Recovery: workouts and competitions deplete your glycogen stores. Muscle tissue is damaged as you train and compete and requires repair. Your muscles are also being stimulated to adapt to your training workload. Therefore recovery is essential. Recovery includes, reloading carbohydrate fuel stores, repairing and building new muscle tissue and rehydrating.
Underlying role
THE basis of long-term sports nutrition success is founded on sound, general healthy eating principles. Regardless of the discipline, to succeed with sports nutrition goals, day-to-day diet needs to be well balanced and varied. Balanced diets involve consumption of all food groups; carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The quality and quantity of these is very important. Quality carbohydrate sources include wholegrain cereals, breads, rice and pastas, beans, pulses, seeds, vegetables, fruits and nuts.
Carbs are the body’s primary fuel source and essential for sustaining high-intensity, long-term exercise (generally over one hour). Carbs also lower blood cholesterol, are a great source of fibre and lower the risk of diabetes while being a fantastic source of vitamins and minerals.
Quality protein sources include fish, poultry, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, seeds, nuts, beans and eggs. They are crucial to the body’s recovery process post-exercise as they repair and maintain muscle tissue. Proteins also play roles in digestion, metabolism and immune function – all critical to overall performance.
Quality fat sources include vegetable oils, canola and extra virgin olive oils, nuts, seeds and also oily fish. They provide us with essential micro-nutrients such as Omega-3 fats, Vitamins A, D, E and K as well as being a major source of secondary energy. Fats are vital to providing muscles with fuel during low-intensity exercise.
The benefits
• Enables you to train longer and harder
• Delays the onset of fatigue
• Enhances performance
• Promotes optimal recovery and adaptation to your workouts
• Improves body composition and strength
• Enhances concentration
• Immune function
• Reduces risk of injury
Cooper Burnham, 21, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu brown belt
What does eating healthy and good nutrition mean to you?
EATING healthy and good nutrition is so important to me being an athlete, as every bit of food that goes into my body fuels me physically and mentally. The healthier I eat, the better I can perform daily tasks and exercise.
The difference between eating for health and sports performance?
EATING for health is making the right choices nutritionally to give my body the best energy to perform daily tasks, while also making my body strong, healthy and more immune to sickness. Eating for sports performance requires me to match caloric (food) intake with energy exertion in order to achieve optimal sports performance, better recovery in between exercise and more restful sleep. If I don’t match the energy I am using I get exhausted, which is why it’s so important to be eating the most suitable foods for whatever exercise you’re doing before and after.
Benefits of adhering to a nutritional plan for sports performance?
THE benefits are endless. The main ones are optimal training/exercise performance, better recovery between training and during sleep, more energy in daily life, peak competition performance and increased longevity in chosen sport. For me, cutting weight is hard so a nutritional plan was very helpful for me to maintain energy levels while also losing weight for competition. Furthermore, my body recovery is much better while adhering to a nutritional plan as I’m eating the best foods to enhance my recovery and prepare me for upcoming training.