Sports and Nutrition: A Right Blend for Enhanced Performance

By Arati Shah

The food that you consume not only affects your general health, but also the benefits that you will in due course procure from your workout regime. What you consume can either add to or undermine from the benefits you derive from exercising, and if you are devoting a dedicated time for workout then you'd be directed to harness your meals to support your goals and not get detracted from them. Initially, contrary to popular advice, for getting more out of the benefits of exercise, you'd want to stay away from fructose and other sugars unless you're engaged in rigorous and extended cardio workouts that will let you burn these sugars, particularly fructose, and not store them as fat. An expert sports nutritionist can be handy here if you are into any type of sports.

Just as a vehicle needs the proper type of fuel to run, your body needs the right kind of fuel from food. If you are an athlete then a balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water is just what your body requires to get you the peak performance. Athletes who are into various sports greatly need carbohydrates as they supply the body with glucose for energy. These carbs can be found in cereal, bread, pasta, grains, rice, vegetables, fruit, milk, etc. Also, additional glucose is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen which acts as your energy reserve. During short stints of exercise such as gymnastics, sprinting or football, your body depends on glycogen to keep your blood sugar levels stable and thus sustain your energy. If you don't have adequate glycogen, you might feel extremely tired or have trouble sustaining the activity, which will certainly have adverse effects on your performance.

Another vital source of energy that's used for longer workouts and endurance activities such as cycling, hiking, running etc. is fat. Eating a diet that's quite low in dietary fat might decrease athletic performance and lead to other health problems, such as deficiencies of some vitamins, which require fat to be absorbed. Good sources of fat include salmon, avocados, nuts and olive oils. Protein is another vital source of energy required by your body to build and repair muscles. Small amounts of protein might also be used for energy Lean meats such as turkey, chicken; eggs and Greek yogurt are great sources of protein. Water is a very important source to keep you hydrated. Dehydration, wherein your body doesn't have adequate fluids to function effectively can lead to dizziness or light-headedness and also cause muscles to cramp a bit. When you're physically active, dehydration can be very dangerous and can keep you from performing your best.

Healthy Eating Tips for Athletes

• Include variety in foods you eat as different foods have different nutrients and to get all the nutrients you need to have variety in what you eat so that you stay in peak condition.

• Eat regular meals and snacks and refrain from skipping them as it will hurt your performance. Eating regular meals and healthy snacks is the best way to fuel your body for athletic events

• Ensure to have adequate calories as they fuel your body for workout and replace energy that's used up during sports performance. You tend to perform below par if you cut good calories from your diet.

• Intake plenty of fluids as athletes need more fluids than normal people. Don't wait to drink water till you're thirsty as it means you are starting to dehydrate.

For being a good athlete, workout or exercise is not only important but the intake of a proper and balanced diet with correct nutrition also paves the way to enhance your performance.

Arati Shah is an astute nutritionist having expertise in offering all types nutrition to different individuals and corporate. Having earned a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition along with a Post-Graduation in Sports Sciences and Nutrition from S.N.D.T Juhu, she is an ideal sports nutritionist who can also guide one for weight loss in Mumbai with same efficacy. She heads the Nutrition team and takes personal interest in each and every client of Café Nutrition.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com