How to Increase Performance with Good Sports Nutrition

Everyone needs good nutrition to stay healthy, but the rigorous training and performance of athletes makes good nutrition all the more important. In order for our body to produce energy and maintain good health then it needs proper food to fuel our bodies chemicals. Nutrition basics apply to everyone, but there are some special requirements that athletes need to consider.

For both health and performance the most important need is water. During the day athletes should always drink plenty of water and ideally for every fifteen to twenty minutes of exercise they should drink a half cup of water. Once the exercise is complete an athlete should drink around two cups of water per pound of weight they have lost.

Lots of energy is required for the physical activity athletes partake in, so in order to maintain and rebuild energy stores in the body an athlete must have a diet with the raw materials the body needs. Energy for the body primarily comes from carbohydrates, protein and fat. For athletes their largest source of calories should be carbohydrates or at least sixty percent, with another twenty-five percent coming from fat and lastly fifteen percent from protein.

Glycogen is the primary form of carbohydrate the body needs for physical activity and it is primarily stored in the liver and muscles. To make energy glycogen is broken down into glucose. Performance will decline when glycogen stores are low since you will become more tired quickly. The carbohydrates you eat help your body to make glycogen. Good carbohydrate sources include fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

More protein is required of athletes compared to people who are less active. During endurance activity more protein is used by burning it to make it into muscle. For athletes it is a good idea to each about 0.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day. However, for those who are overweight they should only eat protein based on what their body weight should be.

Higher levels of B vitamins are needed for athletes. Typically adequate levels of these vitamins are gained through the increased caloric intake. For athletes who need to improve their diet they can take a multivitamin supplement that has one hundred percent of the daily requirements they need.

Oxygen consumption is increased during exercise which causes more free radicals to be produced. Therefore, to decrease the damage done by these free radicals an athlete should eat more antioxidants. These can be gained by eating a good variety of fruits and vegetables. In addition, fruits and vegetables will have many minerals needed for athletes to have good nutrition.