The Nutrition an Athlete Needs for Better Performance

It is pretty normal among athletes to work and train hard to get an edge over their competition. Engaging in day to day training as well as proper recovery will demand comprehensive eating plan that should match all these physical demands. Good thing, you can get more details here on how to peak at your nutritional performance that can complement your rigorous training.

Food Energy

The energy that athletes need will exceed what an average person would need. It isn’t uncommon for athletes (men and women), particularly those who are still growing to have calorie intake that exceeds 2400 to 3000 and 2200 to 2700 calories per day respectively. The amount of energy that’s found within these foods will vary on the macronutrient content of the items eaten.

Excelling in Your Sports Nutrition Plan

It is essential that you develop a plan of what to eat which includes varieties of fruits and veggies daily. The end goal here is to eat at least 5 servings a day and include wide varieties of fruits and vegetables of any color. A service is about the size of a baseball.

Vegetables and fruits are packed with nutrients and energy that is vital for both recovery and training. At the same time, it contains anti-oxidant that can help in warding off illnesses, diseases and viruses.

Aside from that, it is great to go with whole grain carbohydrates sources only similar to the following:

  • Whole-wheat bread
  • Pasta
  • Fiber-rich cereals
  • Power-packed energy sources

Ideally, you should limit your consumption of refined sugars like sugary cereals, bagels and white breads. Between these two, you are going to benefit more from taking whole-grain products.

As for your protein, preferably eat healthy sources from fish, turkey, chicken, legumes, nuts and eggs. Of course, you don’t want to suppress your body with water. So stay hydrated at all times. Drink water as well as sports drink or even 100% fruit juice. In addition to that, don’t interchange what sports drink similar to “Gatorade” with energy drinks similar to Red Bull and the likes.

Nutritious Meal Plan

If you fail to provide your body with enough calories in a day that comes from healthy food options, it is going to be difficult for you to enjoy peak performance both at training and in-game. Therefore, it is critical that you have planned out your nutrition and if necessary, talk this one out with a dietician or nutritionist.