How Should Sports Nutrition Be?
How Should Sports Nutrition Be?
Today, almost everyone is aware of the place of sports in our lives. Is sports, which is the first condition of not only losing weight and looking fit, but also a healthy life, alone enough? Athlete nutrition program must be done to increase sports performance. It is extremely important in terms of protecting the health of those who do sports, increasing their endurance, increasing concentration and attention. This situation is valid for those who walk, pilates and fitness .
What is Sports Nutrition?
Athlete nutrition aims to protect health, maintain fat and muscle balance, and increase performance by taking energy and nutrients needed by the athlete, as well as adequate fluid intake. Sports nutrition may differ according to the sport, gender, age and weight.
How Should Sports Nutrition Be?
Nutrition is one of the most important factors affecting the performance of athletes. Sports nutrition should be prepared individually. Just as the energy needs of the athletes of different branches may be different, the energy needs of the athletes in the same branch will be different. There is no miraculous sports nutrition or food for athletes. In general, lists are prepared for them, mainly protein and carbohydrate. In addition, it should take adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals.
An athlete who pays attention to sports nutrition and eats accordingly will have several advantages:
His performance is higher than other athletes
Can maximize the training effect
Increases concentration and attention
Recovery time is shorter in cases of illness and injury
Development and growth period continues as expected
Body weight and body fat ratio are within the recommended limits with athlete nutrition.
What are the General Rules of Sports Nutrition?
If we talk about the general rules about sports nutrition, we can say that a few rules stand out.
Carbohydrates
If we want to have a lot of energy, we must consume carbohydrates before training, even our best friend. Otherwise, because your energy will be low, you will not be able to get the desired efficiency in training. You can get your carbohydrate needs from legumes, fruits, vegetables, pasta, rice, cereal products and brown bakery products. However, it should not be forgotten that carbohydrate intake is necessary before as well as after training. The recommended amount here is 70 g for men and 50 g for women. These should not be ignored while creating a list for sports nutrition.
Proteins
When taking carbohydrates, do not ignore protein. We provide development, growth and cell repair with protein. Be sure to add it to your meals before and after training. Especially after training, they will need protein as the muscles continue to grow and develop. You can meet your protein needs from animal foods such as meat, eggs, yoghurt, fish, milk and plant foods such as tofu , soy, quinoa .
- Sugar, Salt and Fat Ratio
Whether you do sports or not, you should reduce the amount of fat and sugar taken. Fat also damages the veins as it makes the body gain weight. A conscious athlete should pay attention to the circulatory system. Therefore, in order to protect his health, he should avoid products containing saturated fat and ready-made packaged foods. You should take care to consume fat-free foods. Likewise, attention should be paid to the amount of salt and sugar used. In particular, excessive salt consumption increases the kidney load and causes water loss. Ready-made packaged foods and salty foods should not be consumed, and attention should be paid to the amount of salt in meals prepared at home. As for sugar consumption, especially refined sugar foods such as jams, cookies, etc. should be avoided, and should not be consumed if possible.
The Importance of Fluid Consumption in Sports Nutrition
Pay attention to fluid consumption: You should definitely increase your fluid consumption. In order to avoid water dehydration , the water lost through sweating should be replaced. During training, the body loses a lot of water and, in response, tries to cool down by sweating. Sweating means loss of salt and water, and plenty of water should be consumed to cope with the loss. Your ability to control your intake of insufficient fluids depends on your urine. While light yellow urine is an indication that you have consumed enough water, its bright and dark yellow indicates insufficient water consumption. Do not forget that you must consume around 600 ml of water 2-3 hours before the training.
generally consist of three main meals and three snacks and should be arranged in 2-3 hour intervals. Carbohydrates and proteins should be distributed regularly to meals. Meals should be prepared individually and, if possible, support from a specialist should be sought for sports nutrition. In order for the athlete to reduce the excess fat mass and increase the muscle development, an appropriate athlete nutrition plan should be established and it should be ensured that it adapts. In order to avoid problems such as fatigue, weakness and weight loss, calories should be taken as much as the energy consumed daily, and the nutrition of the athlete is prepared exactly accordingly.
Ideal sleep is a must: No matter how important sports nutrition is, it must also be supported by sleep, which is another requirement of our body. Metabolism needs sleep in order to renew itself and you need to put your sleep in a certain order. While 7-8 hours of sleep is shown as ideal for those who do regular sports, sleep should not exceed 6-7 hours for those who do sports professionally. Do not forget that insufficient and irregular sleep will disrupt your concentration during sports.
In order for the athlete to reveal his potential, all the systems of the body must be working perfectly. Thus, it will be able to show a high level of performance. However, the best method for ideal sports nutrition; It is getting help from a professional according to environmental and physical conditions, type of sport, gender and age.