Eating Healthy for Sports

As an athlete it is extremely important that you eat healthy to ensure your body is ready to go on game day. Every time you lift weights or work out your body needs the proper food to replenish itself. There are three main types of molecules present within foods that your body needs. These three types of molecules are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Each one of these types of molecules are vital for your body to function, but too much of any kind can be detrimental to your health.

As an athlete protein is perhaps the most important of these three molecules. Protein is used to rebuild muscle after difficult workouts. There are many foods that are high in protein such as chicken, meat, and even milk. Milk is a great food because it will help you maintain your current weight level and also give you a great source of protein. Protein is important when you want to build new muscle, but you need fat and carbohydrates to be healthy as well.

Carbohydrates are perhaps the second most important of these three molecules. Carbohydrate is the main source of energy that your body needs to maintain itself. Carbohydrates are complex sugars that are slow burning so that they keep your body going for longer. A good example of this is how a runner or swimmer will eat carbohydrates before an event so they have a large quantity of energy.

Fat is an important molecule, but perhaps the least important out of the three molecules. Fat is the slowest burning of the three molecules and is the stored form of protein as well as carbohydrates. Fat is the hardest molecule to burn because it takes a long time to burn it. When there is no food presence in your body your body turns to fat as a source of energy.

Eating the correct combination of fats, protein, and carbohydrate is the key to living healthy. Too much of any one of these molecules is bad for you in the long run. As an athlete eating the right combination of these molecules will have your body ready to go on game day. Just remember, you are what you eat!