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Many times I've been asked about sports nutrition on what should an athlete eat so as to be able to perform at peak performance during training and events. An athlete's body is subjected to enormous amount of strain during workouts. Also a great amount of energy is required and consumed during these periods. In order to perform well, the muscles must be strong enough and has enough energy to sustain the vigorous activities required during workouts. For the past many years, a lot of arguments have surfaced regarding what is the optimal diet for the athletes that will enable them to perform at their best potentials. All over the world, dietitians have different opinions on the best food plan for their athletes. There's no sign of these arguments stopping soon. In fact, we can expect them to continue on for the coming years ahead. However, many people do agree that physical activities, performance levels and recovery from exertions are enhanced by optimal nutrition. Many agree that the appropriate selection of food and fluids, the timing of their intake and the choice of supplements are important to optimal health and sports performance. During high physical activities, the body needs a great amount of energy. The main source of energy comes from carbohydrates. Stored as glycogen in the muscles, they provide the body with the fuel for intense short burst of energy. The more intense the activities and the longer the duration of such activities, the more glycogen is used up. When glycogen is depleted, you'll have no more energy left and will need to stop exercising. Therefore, you'll need to consume a sufficient amount of carbohydrates in order to maintain enough glycogen in your body. Experts recommend to consume 3.6g of carbohydrates daily for every pound you weigh. So, consume 504g of carbohydrates each day if you're weighing 140lbs. In order to build strong muscles, you'll need protein because it is the basic building block for muscle tissues. Plenty of protein is required by athletes, especially those on strength training, to build those muscles. Experts recommended a daily dosage of 0.6 to 0.8 grams for each pound of body weight for serious strength athletes. Fat is an essential nutrient that provide fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins. It also provide a moderate amount of energy to the body. However, you'll only need a small amount of it to be healthy. Only 20% to 25% of your total daily calories requirements should come from unsaturated fat Athletes should be well hydrated. In addition to the normal requirement of drinking 8 glasses of water everyday, they should also drink before, during and after workouts to replace the fluid lost during exercises. To ensure that you are well hydrated for workouts, drink 2 cups of fluid 2 hours before each workout. During the workout, you should drink 4 to 8 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes to keep yourself hydrated. After the workout, drink 16 ounces of fluid to replace fluid lost. If you want to be more precise, weigh yourself before and after workouts. You should drink 16 ounces of fluid for each pound lost during the workouts. To keep yourself energized during prolonged periods of workouts that last more than 1 hour, use sports drinks and energy bars. Besides giving you energy, sports drinks will keep you adequately hydrated during workouts. After every workout, consume some protein and carbohydrates to promote muscle tissue repair and rebuilding and also to replace the glycogen that was lost during workouts. During workouts, you can give your muscles a slight power boost by consuming creatine. In order to realize its benefits, you'll need to do this in combination with a good diet and a good training program. A good source of creatine is found in meat. This nutrient can also be obtained from supplements. To give your muscles an initial boost, consume 5g of creatine monohydrate 4 times a day. Do this for 5 consecutive days. Then, everyday take 2g for maintenance. I've just revealed to you all this great information about eating for peak performance. Go ahead and apply my tips. It's for your personal success.
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About the Author: Lenox Smith is a sports nutrition specialist dedicated to helping sportsmen and women reach their optimum performance through proper sports nutrition. Get free insider access to his opt-in list, private blog and members-only Forum. SportsNutritionTactics.com
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