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.

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Exercise and Seniors. The Exercise Habit. Why Exercise? Exercise: How To Get Started. Home Prevention and Wellness Exercise and Fitness Exercise Basics Nutrition for Athletes. Calories come in different forms.

The main types are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Simple carbs fruits, milk, and vegetables are easier for your body to break down. They provide quick bursts of energy. Complex carbs take longer for your body to break down. They are a better source of energy over time.

Complex carbs in whole grain products are the most nutritious. Examples include whole-grain bread, potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, and kidney beans. Fat is another important source of calories. In small amounts, fat is a key fuel source. It serves other functions, such as supporting good skin and hair.

Do not replace carbs in your diet with fats. This can slow you down, because your body has to work harder to burn fat for energy. When you can, choose unsaturated fats, like olive oil and nuts.

These are better for your health than saturated and trans fats. Too much fat or the wrong kinds can cause health problems. It can raise your bad LDL cholesterol level and increase your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Protein is found in foods like meat, eggs, milk, beans, and nuts.

Some athletes think they should consume large amounts of protein. Over time, too much protein can be harmful to your health.

The digestion process can put strain on your liver and kidneys. Know when to eat and rehydrate For athletes, knowing when to eat is as important as knowing what to eat. Things to consider Athletes require a lot of energy and nutrients to stay in shape.

Every athlete is different, so consider: How long before working out is best for you to eat How much food is the right amount for you If you need to gain or lose weight to improve performance, it must be done safely. Questions to ask your doctor How many calories do I need to eat each day?

Should I cut out carbs? Endurance athletes, particularly runners should consume more calories based on their body weight, gender and average amount of miles ran per day. Men should consume 6 to 10 percent more calories than women each day because they require more calories for the muscles to properly function and tend to burn a greater number of calories on average than women.

Consider this comparison: a pound woman who runs 30 miles a week requires 18 to 20 calories per pound about 2, calories a day while a pound man who runs the same amount should consume 20 to 22 calories per day about 3, calories per day.

Endurance athletes should consume a base of nutritionally sound foods, such as low-fat proteins, vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, and soy foods.

These type of athletes also should consume a meal high in carbohydrates and protein following a long run. Compared to endurance athletes, resistance exercisers require significantly less calories because they often perform less aerobic activity; aerobic activities burn more calories than resistance training.

Weightlifters and bodybuilders focus not only on the amount of calories on the whole, but also the composition of carbohydrates, fats and protein contained within those calories. If you wish to increase muscle mass with resistance training, you should consume higher levels of protein.

When working to build muscle mass, consume an average of 1. Athletes should consider their daily caloric requirements based on their basal metabolic rate BMR , which is the amount of calories needed to sustain your body weight.

Consume more calories than your caloric expenditure in order to see muscle gain. For example, if you're a pound man whose body fat is between 18 and 22 percent, you have a BMR of 1, calories.

As a weightlifting athlete at the same weight, you should consume at least 2, calories per day to gain muscle. Competitive athletes who practice and train daily for the equivalent hours of a full-time job have very high caloric needs in order to support their activity.