These pillars include: Body Composition: Achieving an ideal ratio of lean muscle to fat is crucial for all athletes. In football, for instance, interior linemen benefit greatly from higher lean mass, which provides them with the necessary power to excel on the field.

Muscle Recovery: Swift recovery is essential for athletes to stay at their best. Nutrition can play a significant role in reducing inflammation and aiding recovery, ensuring athletes feel their best throughout the season.

Foods rich in immune-boosting nutrients, such as vitamin C, zinc, and antioxidants, can help athletes stay healthy and on the field. Energy Levels: Maintaining optimal energy levels is vital.

Proper hydration, calorie intake, and sleep all play pivotal roles in sustaining peak performance. Athletes require a considerable amount of energy to meet the physical demands of their sport, and nutrition is a primary source of this energy. Inadequate calorie intake can lead to fatigue, poor performance, and increased risk of injuries.

Medical History: Knowing about allergies, medications, and any underlying medical conditions is vital for tailoring the nutrition plan. Many athletes take dietary supplements to enhance their performance or meet specific nutritional needs.

Water is the best way to rehydrate. For short events under an hour , water can replace what you lose from sweating. For longer events, you may benefit from sports drinks. They provide electrolytes and carbohydrates. Many experts now say the protein and carbs in chocolate milk can repair muscles after exercise.

Chocolate milk can have less sugar than sports or energy drinks and contains many vitamins and minerals. Avoid drinks that contain caffeine.

They can dehydrate you more and cause you to feel anxious or jittery. Athletes require a lot of energy and nutrients to stay in shape. Because of this, strict diet plans can hurt your ability and be harmful to your health.

Without the calories from carbs, fat, and protein, you may not have enough strength. Not eating enough also can lead to malnutrition.

Female athletes can have abnormal menstrual cycles. You increase your risk of osteoporosis, a fragile bone condition caused in part from a lack of calcium. These potential risks are worse in adolescence but still present for adults. Get medical help if you need to lose weight.

Be sure to talk to your doctor before making major nutrition changes. People often overestimate the number of calories they burn when training. Avoid taking in more energy than you expend exercising.

Also, avoid exercising on an empty stomach. Every athlete is different, so consider:. If you need to gain or lose weight to improve performance, it must be done safely. If not, it may do more harm than good. Do not keep your body weight too low, lose weight too quickly, or prevent weight gain in unhealthy ways.

It can have negative health effects. This can lead to poor eating habits with inadequate or excessive intake of certain nutrients. Talk to your family doctor find a diet that is right for your sport, age, gender, and amount of training. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition, Nutrition Resources for Collegiate Athletes.

National Institutes of Health, MedlinePlus: Nutrition and athletic performance. Last Updated: May 9, This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone.

Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.

Getting these other than by mouth is called artificial…. Getting the right amount of water before, during, and after exercise helps your body to function properly.

A lack…. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that provides calories for your body to use as energy. There are two main…. Visit The Symptom Checker. Read More.

Knee Bracing: What Works? Sore Muscles from Exercise. Special K…………………………54 Cheese tortellini……………….. This has been more specifically calculated for athletes depending on the level of intensity of their sport.

Daily recovery from a moderate to heavy endurance exercise program is recommended to be 7 — 12 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body mass per day Burke, L. This would mean consuming somewhere between 1, and 3, kilocalories of carbohydrates for a lb athlete.

This will cause the athlete to fatigue both mentally and physically. Athletes also need to know that once glycogen stores are depleted, the body will breakdown protein sources to provide fuel for the muscles — this includes muscle tissue.

This is counterproductive for any athlete. Knowing how to properly fuel the body is important for every athlete. While all of the essential nutrients are important for the health of the body, carbohydrates are the essential fuel for the athlete.

Benardot, D. Advanced Sports Nutrition: Fine-Tune your food and fluid intake for optimal training and performance. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL. Nutrition for athletes. Journal of Sports Sciences 22 1 : Examples of food that are classified as having a high glycemic index rating greater than 70 include the following: Baked potato…………………….

To continue your journey and become an expert in sports nutr ition or another applied exercise science discipline , simply contact us.

Request Program Information. The Vital Role of Sports Nutrition. By Concordia University Chicago Published On: November 8, These pillars include: Body Composition: Achieving an ideal ratio of lean muscle to fat is crucial for all athletes.

In football, for instance, interior linemen benefit greatly from higher lean mass, which provides them with the necessary power to excel on the field. Muscle Recovery: Swift recovery is essential for athletes to stay at their best.

Nutrition can play a significant role in reducing inflammation and aiding recovery, ensuring athletes feel their best throughout the season.

Foods rich in immune-boosting nutrients, such as vitamin C, zinc, and antioxidants, can help athletes stay healthy and on the field. Energy Levels: Maintaining optimal energy levels is vital. Proper hydration, calorie intake, and sleep all play pivotal roles in sustaining peak performance.

Athletes require a considerable amount of energy to meet the physical demands of their sport, and nutrition is a primary source of this energy.

Inadequate calorie intake can lead to fatigue, poor performance, and increased risk of injuries. Medical History: Knowing about allergies, medications, and any underlying medical conditions is vital for tailoring the nutrition plan.

Many athletes take dietary supplements to enhance their performance or meet specific nutritional needs. However, not all supplements are safe or compliant with anti-doping regulations.

These biomarkers reveal underlying health concerns and guide the nutritionist in making dietary recommendations that address specific needs. They may require more calories and macronutrients to maintain strength and energy to compete at their optimum level.

In addition to consuming sufficient amounts of calories and macronutrients, athletes may also require more vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients for peak recovery and performance. In this article, we discuss macronutrient and micronutrient needs of athletes and look at calories, meal timing, and how to tailor requirements to specific sports.

We also give meal examples for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Having a suitable diet provides a person with enough energy and nutrients to meet the demands of training and exercise. In addition to helping a person perform optimally, it facilitates recovery.

Athletes may need to consider :. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, — suggest that the optimal macronutrient ratios for adults are as follows:.

The International Sports Sciences Association ISSA notes that people can adjust these ratios based on the goal of physical activity. For example, an endurance athlete would increase the amount of carbohydrates they eat, while a strength athlete would increase their protein intake.

According to a review by the International Society of Sports Nutrition ISSN , typical macronutrient ratios for athletes are as follows:.

Carbohydrates receive a great deal of attention in sports nutrition due to the vital role they play in athletic performance. Carbohydrates are typically the preferable fuel source for many athletes, particularly for high intensity and long duration exercise.

This is because they supply ample glycogen storage and blood glucose to fuel the demands of exercise. To maintain liver and muscle glycogen stores, athletes will need different amounts of carbohydrates depending on their exercise volume.

For example, an athlete weighing kg who performs high volume intense training would look to consume roughly 1,—1, g of carbohydrates. Protein also plays an essential role in sports nutrition, as it provides the body with the necessary amount of amino acids to help build and repair muscles and tissues.

Athletes doing intense training may benefit from ingesting more than two times the recommended daily amount RDA of protein in their diet. For example, the dietary reference intake for adult females is 46 g, and for adult males — 56 g.

That is why it may be beneficial for athletes to consume nearer to 92 g and g of protein, respectively. The ISSA suggests that many athletes can safely consume 2 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight daily, compared with the RDA of 0. The ISSN also notes that optimal protein intake may vary from 1.

Higher amounts of protein can help athletes avoid protein catabolism and slow recovery, which the ISSN notes can contribute to injuries and muscle wasting over time.

For moderate amounts of intense training, an athlete should consume 1. For high volume intense training, the ISSN suggests 1. Healthy protein sources include:.

Fats are essential in the diet to maintain bodily processes, such as hormone metabolism and neurotransmitter function.

Including healthy fats in the diet also helps satiety and can serve as a concentrated fuel source for athletes with high energy demands.

Some athletes may choose to eat a ketogenic diet and consume higher amounts of fats. Healthy fat sources include oily fish , olive oil , avocados , nuts, and seeds. Athletes should ensure they consume the essential vitamins and minerals they need to support their general health and sports performance.

People can usually achieve adequate intakes of essential vitamins and minerals by eating a varied, balanced diet. Some athletes may choose to take vitamin or mineral supplements or ergogenic aids, such as creatine. The ISSN recommends that consumers evaluate the validity and scientific merit of claims that manufacturers make about dietary supplements.

There is little evidence to support the efficacy or safety of many dietary supplements, including:. However, scientists have shown that other ergogenic aids, such as caffeine and creatine monohydrate, are safe and effective for athletes.

It is important to be aware that some athletic associations ban the use of certain nutritional supplements. Moreover, athletes should ensure they maintain adequate hydration. Given that sweat losses are a combination of fluids and electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, athletes may choose to and benefit from using sports drinks, milk , or both to meet some of their hydration needs.

The ISSN suggests that athletes training intensely for 2—6 hours per day 5—6 days of the week may burn over — calories per hour while exercising.

As a result, athletes engaging in this level of activity may require 40—70 calories per 1 kg of body weight per day, compared with the average less active individual, who typically requires 25—35 calories per 1 kg of body weight daily.

According to the ISSN, athletes weighing 50— kg may require 2,—7, calories per day. It also notes that athletes weighing — kg may need to consume 6,—12, calories daily to meet training demands.

The timing and content of meals can help support training goals, reduce fatigue, and help optimize body composition. Guidelines for the timing and amount of nutrition will vary depending on the type of athlete.

For example, the ISSN advises strength athletes consume carbohydrates and protein or protein on its own up to 4 hours before and up to 2 hours after exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine ACSM also notes the importance of consuming protein both before and after exercise for strength athletes.

By contrast, endurance athletes would need to consume mostly carbohydrates and a small amount of protein roughly 1—4 hours before exercise.

Both the ISSN and ACSM emphasize the role of meal timing in optimizing recovery and performance and recommend athletes space nutrient intake evenly throughout the day, every 3—4 hours. Some people may find that consuming meals too close to the beginning of exercise can cause digestive discomfort.

It is therefore important to eat an appropriate amount and not exercise too quickly after eating. People who are training or racing at peak levels may find it challenging to consume enough food for their energy requirements without causing gastrointestinal GI discomfort, especially immediately before an important workout or race.

For example, the ISSA highlights the importance of hydration and carbohydrate loading for competitive swimmers. At the same time, it emphasizes consuming easily digestible carbohydrates, such as bananas and pasta, prior to events to avoid GI discomfort. Athletes may need to work with a sports nutritionist, preferably a registered dietitian , to ensure they consume enough calories and nutrients to maintain their body weight, optimize performance and recovery, and plan a timing strategy that suits their body, sport, and schedule.

Athletes need to eat a healthy and varied diet that meets their nutrient requirements.

You'll spend many hours educating them on the importance of nutrient timing and the use of supplements to maximize both their performance and recovery. Additionally, you will also likely be performing body composition analyses.

Understanding body composition as it relates to various athletics is a vital component of the field. Many times, having leaner compositions is advantageous in endurance-based sports, and having higher body fat and more muscle is advantageous in power sports. An extensive knowledge base in ideal body composition ranges for various sports will help guide your clients to appropriate, healthy body composition.

But what are the not-so-obvious duties? While it's important to stay within your scope, having training in counseling, understanding psychology, and even being familiar with medical conditions or injuries is important to becoming a sports nutritionist.

Disordered eating patterns, food phobias, and distorted body images are very common in the world of sports — understanding how to counsel clients with these behaviors is pivotal to their performance. With active individuals comes injuries — knowing how to aid and enhance healing processes is important.

Sports nutrition is far more encompassing than understanding the basics of nutrition. It is using the science of food in combination with physiology to manipulate certain systems within our bodies to achieve the desired performance result. While the umbrella of sports nutrition might seem small, you will quickly learn that many other fields are involved in its making.

Working within athletics is very challenging, and understanding the culture, the psychology, and even clinical aspects of sports and fitness is required to be successful in the field. For more information on this topic, check out our NASM-CNC page.

Her first introduction to working with professional athletes was back in when she worked at the UFC performance institute in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since then, Jackie has worked with various professional fighters and other clientele and now operates under her company she started back in March, The Fight Nutritionist LLC.

The Fight Nutritionist is dedicated to providing the most effective nutrition plans to ensure her athletes are performance at their absolute best. All of her plans are individualized to the athlete and are backed by the latest research to ensure complete safety and efficacy.

Jackie is also a member of the international society of sports nutrition, where she often participates in different research projects and data collection with other ISSN members from Nova University. You can find her on LinkedIn here.

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The Keys to Fueling Athletes Combining your understanding of metabolism, energy systems, and diet is going to be the first step in creating programs that can enhance someone's athletic performance. What About Hydration? Every Body is Different Understanding body composition as it relates to various athletics is a vital component of the field.

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But drastically cutting back on calories can lead to growth problems and a higher risk of fractures and other injuries. If a coach, gym teacher, or teammate says that you need to go on a diet, talk to your doctor first or visit a dietitian who specializes in teen athletes.

If a health professional you trust agrees that it's safe to diet, they can work with you to create a healthy eating plan. When it comes to powering your game for the long haul, it's important to eat healthy, balanced meals and snacks to get the nutrients your body needs.

The MyPlate food guide can guide you on what kinds of foods and drinks to include in your diet. Besides getting the right amount of calories, teen athletes need a variety of nutrients from the foods they eat to keep performing at their best.

These include vitamins and minerals. Calcium and iron are two important minerals for athletes:. Athletes may need more protein than less-active teens, but most get plenty through a healthy diet.

It's a myth that athletes need a huge daily intake of protein to build large, strong muscles. Muscle growth comes from regular training and hard work. Good sources of protein are fish, lean meats and poultry, eggs, dairy, nuts, soy, and peanut butter.

Carbohydrates are an excellent source of fuel. Cutting back on carbs or following low-carb diets isn't a good idea for athletes. That's because restricting carbs can make you feel tired and worn out, which can hurt your performance. Good sources of carbs include fruits, vegetables, and grains.

Choose whole grains such as brown rice, oatmeal, whole-wheat bread more often than processed options like white rice and white bread. Whole grains provide the energy athletes need and the fiber and other nutrients to keep them healthy.

Sugary carbs such as candy bars or sodas don't contain any of the other nutrients you need. And eating candy bars or other sugary snacks just before practice or competition can give athletes a quick burst of energy, but then leave them to "crash" or run out of energy before they've finished working out.

Everyone needs some fat each day, and this is extra true for athletes. That's because active muscles quickly burn through carbs and need fats for long-lasting energy. Like carbs, not all fats are created equal. Choose healthier fats, such as the unsaturated fat found in most vegetable oils, fish, and nuts and seeds.

Limit trans fat like partially hydrogenated oils and saturated fat, found in fatty meat and dairy products like whole milk, cheese, and butter. Choosing when to eat fats is also important for athletes.

Fatty foods can slow digestion, so it's a good idea to avoid eating them for a few hours before exercising. Sports supplements promise to improve sports performance. But few have proved to help, and some may do harm. Anabolic steroids can seriously mess with a person's hormones , causing unwanted side effects like testicular shrinkage and baldness in guys and facial hair growth in girls.

Steroids can cause mental health problems, including depression and serious mood swings. Some supplements contain hormones related to testosterone, such as DHEA dehydroepiandrosterone.

These can have similar side effects to anabolic steroids. Other sports supplements like creatine have not been tested in people younger than So the risks of taking them are not yet known.

Salt tablets are another supplement to watch out for. People take them to avoid dehydration, but salt tablets can actually lead to dehydration and must be taken with plenty of water. Too much salt can cause nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea and may damage the stomach lining. In general, you are better off drinking fluids to stay hydrated.

Usually, you can make up for any salt lost in sweat with sports drinks or foods you eat before, during, and after exercise.

Speaking of dehydration , water is as important to unlocking your game power as food. When you sweat during exercise, it's easy to become overheated, headachy, and worn out — especially in hot or humid weather.

Even mild dehydration can affect an athlete's physical and mental performance. There's no one set guide for how much water to drink. How much fluid each person needs depends on their age, size, level of physical activity, and environmental temperature.

Athletes should drink before, during, and after exercise. Don't wait until you feel thirsty, because thirst is a sign that your body has needed liquids for a while. Sports drinks are no better for you than water to keep you hydrated during sports.

But if you exercise for more than 60 to 90 minutes or in very hot weather, sports drinks may be a good option.