Diet for Athletic Success

It is sad to see some athletes train like champions day in and day out and at the same time eat all the wrong foods.

You can train all you like, but basically your body is an engine and the fuel you feed to it will be a major factor on your performance come competition day. It doesn't matter what sport you are involved in, diet is a key ingredient to success. Ultimately, diet will go a long way toward determining your strength, speed, endurance and recovery.

THE EAT WHAT YOU WANT PHILOSOPHY:

Some athletes actually believe that because they work out every day, they can eat pretty well anything they want. The reasoning is that through all their physical effort they will burn off the calories anyway. I know 30 years ago when I began a career in distance running, that is 'exactly' what I thought. I could eat all the cake and ice cream I wanted because I would burn off the calories anyway. It was true that I didn't gain weight, but I sure wasn't helping my endurance or strength very much by practicing poor eating habits. Over the years, I learned just how important diet was to peak performance.

EAT RIGHT AND PROSPER:

Ever wonder how some athletes perform exceptionally well right into their forties, fifties and even sixties? A lot of it has to do with diet. The secret is to burn a high performance fuel(complex carbohydrates)in a clean burning fire(the proper fat in your diet). Even better is to learn the secret of burning fat for fuel as opposed to strictly carbohydrates. Marathoners who hit the proverbial "wall" at about the 18-20 mile mark of a marathon have not quite mastered the 'fat for fuel' concept. The reason the wall seems to be in about the same place for everyone is because its about that point that the average persons glycogen stores run out. Of course, then you 'bonk.' From there on in, every step will be Hell. It happens all the time. It happens because of poor preparation, poor race strategy and poor diet. Athletes get so frustrated because they trained hard all year and then this is the result.

A HEART MONITOR IS KEY:

The first thing you have to do is study up on heart rate monitors. Find out where the 'fat-burning' zone is for YOU. That means, for your age, current physical condition and several other factors. Once you begin to train in 'your zone,' you will be teaching your body to burn fat as opposed to carbohydrates. Over time you will be able to stress your body more(perform harder/faster)without using more effort. As long as you stay in your fat burning range you will extend the physical effort you are able to put out without hitting the dreaded "wall." You have far more fat available to you than carbohydrates, so learn to utilize fat for fuel and you will be amazed at the difference in your performance on race day.

DIET IS THE REST OF THE EQUATION:

Once you come to realize the benefit of fat as fuel, its time to make sure the fats you consume are the right ones.

Two of the absolute best that I have ever come across are "extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil." These are two fats that I would incorporate into your diet right away. Stay away from the really undesirable fats. For instance, hydrogenated margarine and low quality oils. Any place you would normally use butter or margarine for cooking you can pretty well substitute coconut oil. Try for 4-5 tablespoons per day. Use olive oil to cook with and in your salads. Another good fat is 'natural' peanut butter. You can even drain off the liquid peanut oil on the top and mix in coconut oil.

For your carbs, remember to stay with the 'complex' carbs as opposed to the 'simple' ones. For instance, brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta as opposed to cake, pie, donuts, cookies and all the other sweets out there.

You can get your protein from any number of healthy sources. Soy products, tofu products, lean meat, fish, chicken, egg whites, or even high quality protein shakes and smoothies. Also, adding coconut oil to the blender adds flavor and high quality fat at the same time.

For peak performance, learn how to make a heart rate monitor and the right diet an important part of your preparation. Learn how to go faster,longer and recover sooner by supplying the proper fuel that will turn your body into a high performance engine.