Foods are made up of three macronutrients: fats, carbohydrates and proteins. The ultimate goal of nutrition in sports is to balance these macro and micronutrients to achieve optimal energy production and, sometimes, optimal body composition for the intended sport. Dividing the amount a person needs will depend on specific personal and sporting factors. For example, the ketogenic diet probably isn't the best approach for a CrossFitter, but there are abnormalities in the sport that thrive on a high-fat diet.
Not only that, but macronutrient requirements will also change with the training phases: a conditioning phase may require more carbohydrates compared to structural reconstruction, etc. Young athletes train long hours to practice their sport. To optimize that training, proper nutrition should be a regular component of your training plan. A car needs fuel to function properly, just as people (especially young athletes) need a healthy eating plan.
Meals eaten before and after exercise are the most important in sports nutrition, but you should be very careful with everything you put in your body. As a general rule, athletes should eat about two hours before exercising and this meal should be high in carbohydrates, low in fat and low to moderate in protein. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy that drives your exercise regime, and proteins are needed to help muscle growth and repair. After exercising, you must replace the carbohydrates you have lost and you must ensure adequate muscle recovery by including protein in your post-workout meal.
If you implement sports nutrition in such a way that it is as high a priority as training, you will generate efficiencies and gains never seen before. Over the years, sports nutrition has changed and transformed in parallel with the growing awareness of the role exercise plays in health and awareness in general. Nutrition is a very important part of daily life. Proper nutrition helps everyone, from active adults to highly competitive athletes.
Professional athletes and coaches are more aware than ever of the importance of nutrition in sports. Today you'll find Craig speaking with high school and college sports teams, working with local SWAT teams, designing personalized nutrition programs for high-level professional athletes, and engaging the average person in a corporate wellness education seminar. Sports nutrition is the study and practice of hydrating and nourishing the body with the aim of improving sports performance. Beyond the era of simple calorie counting and macros, functional sports nutrition addresses deficiencies, dysfunctions and imbalances mainly through personalized dietary and lifestyle adjustments.
To play high-level sports, an athlete needs adequate nutrition that allows for the best possible performance.
