Nutrition For Sports – Fat, Protein & Carbohydrate Needs
A diet should be healthy and varied. It should also match the per dayenergy needs of a person. This advice is particularly applicable for people who are in sports or participate in regular physical activity such as:
· gyming
· swimming
· running
· cycling
A well-balanced eating guideline is essential to aid an active life, but when a body is used to regular exercise, it utilises more energy. Therefore, it requires more input. The only point when nutrition has to be controlled for a body is when weight loss is the goals. Else, it needs extra energy to keep up with the demands.
In this article, we talk about the three main ingredients for nutrition in sports people. Starchy food, protein, and carbohydrates are the holy grail besides staying hydrated.
· Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates provide energy to the body. It happens when they breakdown to release glucose which is the fuel for a body. It is glucose the body used when it needs access to energy quickly which makes carbohydrates the most vital element of nutrition. Any food that has starch in it is a good source of carbohydrates. Some items that a sportsperson should include in their diet are:
o Rice
o Bread
o Pasta
o Beans
o Pulses
o Noodles
o Couscous
o Potatoes (with skins)
o Breakfast cereals and porridge oats
Any other starchy vegetables such as sweetcorn are also good choices. Wholegrain items would be preferable because they have fibre content which aids digestion. Furthermore, they are full of minerals and vitamins, calcium, folate and iron.
· Protein:
A part of any strenuous physical activity is wear and tear. Proteins are the nutrients the body requires for:
o Cell growth
o Tissue Repair
o Muscle maintenance
It makes them imperative to keep the body healthy and in full working condition. The best proteins are those that have the complete range of amino acids in them. A few food sources that contain them are:o Animal:
§ Meat
§ Fish
§ eggs
§ milk
§ cheese
§ yogurt
o Plant:
§ Soy
§ Tofu
§ quinoa
§ mycoprotein
While an average person needs only .75 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight in a day, athletes require about 1.2 to 1.7 grams.
· Fat:
Like glucose, fat is another source of energy for the body. But eating dishes that are high on fat leads to intake of energy more than required by the body. This causes weight gain. The present standard for fat intake is 35% of energy should come from the fat content in our food. Rest has to be divided into other nutrients.
The diet of athletes and players should have in it good sources of fat such as:
o Olive oil
o rapeseed oil
o sunflower oils
o avocados
o nuts such as walnut
o seeds such as flax
o linseed oil
These items are full of polyunsaturated fats that contain the essential fatty acid known as omega 3. It keeps the heart healthy and body fit.