Nutritrion for Athletes

Athletes should consume a balanced diet filled with lots of variety everyday. This would include; fruits, grains, vegetables, and dairy. The right amount of carbohydrates and protein should be eaten each day too. Everyone needs protein to keep muscles strong, but athletes should especially be eating enough for building muscles. Carbohydrates are vital for an athlete. Swimmers should especially be eating enough in order to maintain a healthy bodyweight. The reason is because some sports are more strenuous than others. A martial artist would have different daily nutrition requirements than a golf player for example. No matter what the metabolic demands of a sport, every athlete must strive for variety is his or her food choices.

Besides variety, the timing of an athlete’s meal is important. It is healthier for not only athletes, but also for the average person to eat six small meals a day, instead of three larger meals. People who eat this way on average have a lower BMI. By eating six smaller meals, the person won’t have the urge to overeat. This lifestyle also keeps the metabolism going. Your body doesn’t go through the patterns of having harsh cravings to becoming overfull. Fruits and vegetables are great for fiber. Oatmeal is also good for fiber, grains, and carbs also. The vegetables keep you full faster, even though they are light and usually very low in calories. When a person eats six small meals a day, they will end up snaking more. The choices above are great for snaking. For a little protein and vitamin D, yogurt is a good choice. Iron is something we all require. Some foods that are high in iron are leafy green vegetables and dried fruits. A varied and frequent diet is the best way to guarantee the best performance on the playing field or court.

Athletes may require more protein that the average, couch potato. Changes in protein intake are required to maintain performance levels. More protein should be in their diets for string muscles. If they don’t eat enough protein but keep increasing the intensity of the activity, then the person could lose too much weight. Weight lifters for example should increase their protein, but don’t overeat carbs. That’s why protein shakes are very common on choice of protein for a lot of active people. They consume their daily protein requirement, and yet they are full and satisfied on something that isn’t heavy on the carbs or full of fat. Athletes should consult reputable sources to find out just how much more protein they should add to their diet.