The one thing I always get asked about sports nutrition is what should I eat in order to perform at peak levels during training and races.
A great amount of strain is experienced by the body during workouts. The body will require a lot of energy for its consumption during these periods. To be able to perform well, the body will need to have strong muscles and sufficient energy to undergo the intense physical activities.
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.
The body needs plenty of energy during intense physical activities. The energy comes mainly from carbohydrates. They are stored in the muscles as glycogen and provide the fuel required for the short intense burst of energy. More glycogen is used up in more intense and longer duration activities. You'll have to stop exercising when your glycogen is depleted as your energy levels will be way down. To maintain sufficient glycogen in the muscles, you'll need to eat enough carbohydrates. Experts says that for every pound you weigh, you'll need 3.6g of carbohydrates daily. Therefore, if you're weighing 140lbs, you'll be needing 504g of carbohydrates everyday.
Protein is required for muscle building as it is the basic building material for muscle tissue. Athletes, especially those doing strength training, will need plenty of protein to build those muscles. The recommended daily protein requirement for serious strength athletes is 0.6 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight.
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.
You can consume creatine to give your muscles a slight boost of power during workouts. In order to gain maximum benefit from this nutrient, you need to have a well balanced diet and a good muscle training program. You can get a good dose of creatine from meat. You can also get it from supplements. For the first 5 days, you can load your muscles with creatine by consuming 5g of creatine monohydrate 4 times a day. After that, consume just 2g per day 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.
Author Lenox Smith is a sports nutrition specialist dedicated to helping sportsmen and women achieve their peak potential through good nutrition. Get free insider access to his opt-in list, private blog and members-only Forum. http://SportsNutritionTactics.com Don't reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.
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