Calcium nufrition important for nuutrition health, normal enzyme activity, and muscle contraction. Athletes, especially during the competitive season, mutrition benefit from a little dietary support in the form of supplements. Macronutrient distribution is important for student athletes. However, to reap the benefits of fat, athletes should eat mainly healthy fats. Written by Emily Whitton Emily Whitton.

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Top 11 Superfoods For Endurance Athletes - Healthy Foods For A Balanced Diet

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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. For instance, a person who has a higher weight and is running in a longer-distance race likely needs a larger meal and supplemental nutrition during the event to maintain desired intensity.

Determining how much is too much or too little can be frustrating, but self-experimentation is crucial for success.

The athlete ought to sample different prework-out meals during various training intensities as trials for what works. Those training for a specific event should simulate race day as closely as possible time of day, conditions, etc.

when experimenting with several nutrition protocols to ensure optimal results. See how to count macros to keep your nutrient timing as effective as possible. Supplemental nutrition may not be necessary during shorter or less-intense activity bouts.

If so, carbohydrate consumption should begin shortly after the start of exercise. One popular sports-nutrition trend is to use multiple carb sources with different routes and rates of absorption to maximize the supply of energy to cells and lessen the risk of GI distress Burd et al.

Consuming ounces of such drinks every minutes during exercise has been shown to extend the exercise capacity of some athletes ACSM However, athletes should refine these approaches according to their individual sweat rates, tolerances and exertion levels. Some athletes prefer gels or chews to replace carbohydrates during extended activities.

These sports supplements are formulated with a specific composition of nutrients to rapidly supply carbohydrates and electrolytes. Most provide about 25 g of carbohydrate per serving and should be consumed with water to speed digestion and prevent cramping. To improve fitness and endurance, we must anticipate the next episode of activity as soon as one exercise session ends.

That means focusing on recovery, one of the most important-and often overlooked-aspects of proper sports nutrition. An effective nutrition recovery plan supplies the right nutrients at the right time. Recovery is the body's process of adapting to the previous workload and strengthening itself for the next physical challenge.

Nutritional components of recovery include carbohydrates to replenish depleted fuel stores, protein to help repair damaged muscle and develop new muscle tissue, and fluids and electrolytes to rehydrate.

A full, rapid recovery supplies more energy and hydration for the next workout or event, which improves performance and reduces the chance of injury.

Training generally depletes muscle glycogen. To maximize muscle glycogen replacement, athletes should consume a carbohydrate-rich snack within this minute window. The recommendation for rapidly replenishing glycogen stores is to take in foods providing 1.

For a pound athlete, that equates to between 68 and g of carbs or ~ 4. Since this can be difficult to consume in whole foods shortly after activity, liquid and bar supplements may be useful and convenient after exercise.

Consuming smaller amounts of carbohydrates more frequently may be prudent if the previous recommendation leaves the athlete feeling too full. Bananas are a great source of healthy carbs , if you didn't know! Muscle tissue repair and muscle building are important for recovery.

Whether you're focusing on endurance or strength training, taking in protein after a workout provides the amino acid building blocks needed to repair muscle fibers that get damaged and catabolized during exercise, and to promote the development of new muscle tissue. Recent research has further demonstrated that a similar amount of protein approximately g after resistance exercise may even benefit athletes on calorie-restricted diets who also want to maintain lean body mass Areta et al.

It is important to note that some literature emphasizing extremely high levels of protein intake-well beyond these recommendations-for strength training may be dated and lack quality research Spendlove et al.

Virtually all weight lost during exercise is fluid, so weighing yourself without clothes before and after exercise can help gauge net fluid losses. It is important to restore hydration status before the next exercise period. However, water may be all you need if exercising for less than 1 hour at a low intensity.

While these recommendations are a good starting point, there are no absolute sports nutrition rules that satisfy everyone's needs…so paying attention to how you feel during exercise and how diet affects performance is of utmost importance.

You may have to use different timing and alternate routines to create a nutrition and exercise combo that works best. Timing certainly is critical in sports nutrition, and optimizing that can make all the difference!

Read also: Muscle Clocks - The Value of Synchronized Training. Fast fix: You can positively affect event outcomes by eating the right foods in the right amounts at the right times. A good way to start recovery is to consume a snack with carbohydrates and a moderate amount of protein, plus fluids and sodium, within 30 minutes after exercise.

If you have no appetite post-exercise, a recovery beverage may be a good option. To recover quickly and completely, your body needs healthy fuel like the choices shown here-beginning within 30 minutes of your session's end.

Alencar, M. Increased meal frequency attenuates fat-free mass losses and some markers of health status with a portion-controlled weight loss diet.

Nutrition Research, 35 5 , American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM position stand. Exertional heat illness during training and competition. Areta, J. Reducing resting skeletal muscle protein synthesis is rescued by resistance exercise and protein ingestion following short-term energy deficit.

American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism, 8 , E Burd, N. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 45 , Campbell, C. Tip: Estimate the energy expenditure of a student athlete by using prediction equations.

For a more accurate estimate of personal resting metabolic rate, consider using indirect calorimetry. Macronutrients carbohydrates, protein, and fats provide the fuel for physical activity and sports participation.

When teaching student athletes about macronutrient distribution, you can use the Health Eating Plate Model as a guide and change the proportions of the plate depending on your client's macronutrient goals.

Student athletes should understand what good food choices are for each macronutrient category to help them make swaps in their nutrition plan.

Timing of food consumption is important to optimize performance. A pre-workout meal one to two hours before training should include protein to maintain or even increase muscle size and prevent muscle damage, and complex carbohydrates from like steel-cut oats or sweet potatoes to provide a slow-release of sugars throughout the workout.

The pre-workout or pre-game meal can be moved up to be three to four hours before activity depending on your client's gastrointestinal tolerance and type and length of activity.

Foods higher in fat and fiber will slow down digestion and can cause stomach distress if eaten too close to competition time. Recovery time is also crucial and the window of opportunity depends on the type of exercise. For example, the window to refuel is up to two hours in strength training and up to 30 minutes after cardio exercise to replenish energy stores.

A protein shake or protein-rich meal within two hours will give your client's body what it needs to build lean muscle and carbohydrates help replenish glycogen stores and prevent muscle soreness.

Tip: Use That Clean Life to create a weekly meal plan that uses meal timing and reflects your client's schedule. Many vitamins and minerals are required for good health, but calcium and iron are particularly important for athletes. Calcium is important for bone health, normal enzyme activity, and muscle contraction.

Research shows that getting enough calcium increases bone mineral density and can reduce the incidence of stress fractures. Your nutrition plan for student athletes should include calcium-rich foods such as fortified milk and grain products, coconut yogurt, almond butter, and tofu. Iron is critical to optimal athletic performance because of its role in energy metabolism, oxygen transport, and acid-base balance.

During adolescence, more iron is required to support growth, increases in blood volume, and lean muscle mass. Research shows that rapid growth combined with sports participation may create high demands for iron bioavailability and can lead to low iron levels , particularly for young females athletes.

Your nutrition plan for student athletes should include iron-rich foods like eggs, leafy green vegetables, seeds, fortified whole grains, and lean meat. Tip: Use That Clean Life's filters to easily find recipes high in calcium and iron.

Fluids help to regulate body temperature and replace sweat losses during exercise. If your client participates in events lasting longer than 60 minutes or exercises in hot, humid weather, sports drinks containing carbohydrates and salt are recommended to replace energy stores and electrolyte losses.

Even mild dehydration can affect an athlete's physical and mental performance and the volume of fluid consumed is more important than the type of fluid.

You can work with your client's taste preference to find options that keep them hydrated. Some young athletes may lack the motivation to drink enough fluid, so it's crucial to provide simple, easy-to-understand education on how and why to optimally hydrate around exercise and potentially involve parents to help increase compliance.

Tip: Use the "smoothie" and "drink" filters within That Clean Life to find awesome hydration ideas. Research has shown that meal preparation is positively associated with better diet quality, including meeting dietary objectives for fruit, vegetables, and whole grains and having a lower intake of fast food.

However, due to their busy schedules and minimal food skills and equipment, many students turn to ready meals , take-out, and eating out to save time and money.

Gluten-Free Nut Options efuel, R ehydrate, R eplenish. Consult nutfition primary care physician for more serious injuries that do not respond to basic first aid. Services are now available in five locations. To make an appointment, call or request an appointment online. Urgent Care. Sports Sugar consumption facts Nutrition Fueling for Optimal Sports nutrition plan Performance. Professional Team Sports, Cycling, Sportz, Running, Strength Training and More. Whether I am trying Spotrs get lean Role of hydration in cardiovascular health build nutfition the food is personally customized, delicious, and best of all it is delivered to my door. That is why I not only recommend NutriFit to all my clients and friends, but I also eat NutriFit meals daily. Exercise Physiology, CSCS, Master Body Architect. Choose a menu plan and select any special dietary requirements below to view a sample menu.