A diet for athletes does not need to be restrictive, cutting out foods and being strict about meal times. Ideally, it should be balanced, respecting each individual’s body and even their food preferences. With these characteristics, the chances of meal planning being successful are much greater.
But some doubts may arise with this flexibility. Can all foods be included in an athlete’s diet, or are some prohibited? To answer this question and provide some successful practices, we have gathered the information you need in this content. Check it out.
Does nutrition influence an athlete’s performance?
Any athlete requires a healthy and balanced diet, but the preparation for each sport varies with calorie expenditure. Professional athletes are high performance-oriented and must, therefore, realize that food intake may aid or deter the realization of goals.
Among the contributions of good nutrition to an athlete’s performance, we can list:
- better preparation of the body for training;
- increased capacity to handle more intense and prolonged exercises;
- acceleration of the body’s recovery after physical exhaustion.
In other words, the athlete’s nutritional plan helps before, during and after physical activities carried out in the sport, whether it is explosive, such as running, or endurance, such as bodybuilding.
What should the diet be like for athletes?
Athletes’ diets must focus on foods that will provide energy; those that reinforce or repair muscular tissue; and those that govern metabolism. Each sport and each organism, though, has needs that are specifically unique, thus a sports nutritionist is the professional who would know how to create the best nutritional plan in each situation.
Among the foods that are worth including in the diet of athletes, we have:
- proteins, which help build muscles and protect bone tissue;
- carbohydrates, which are sources of energy;
- good fats, which help with weight control and hormone production;
- various vitamins and minerals;
- water and other healthy drinks to hydrate the body.
Why is it so important to have professional support?
A dietitian specializing in diets for athletes can suggest a nutritional plan which will be prepared for each client and the varying demands that the sports will introduce into their day-to-day . This will help them inform the most appealing combination of food, a low-carb or low-fat diet for instance, when to eat, and how much to eat in a serving.
A bodybuilder, for instance, will have a high protein diet in order to assist with muscle hypertrophy, or a diet full of proteins such as meat and eggs. A sprinter will have a plan rich in carbohydrates, which will help the individual expend calories over a longer period of time.
Food supplementation
It will also be the nutritionist who will indicate the need for dietary supplements, once again, evaluating the needs of each individual, their personal and professional routine.
Therefore, it is important to consult a specialized nutritionist to create a nutritional plan that suits your needs, the sport you practice and even your preferences. After all, another important care is to ensure that your body is healthy as a whole, with good nutrient intake and, of course, hydration .
What habits should an athlete avoid?
In addition to planning a diet, you need to implement it. And for this to happen with maximum success, a change in behavior may be necessary. So, let’s look at some habits that should be avoided.
Consume processed foods
Processed or ultra-processed foods are choices that are often ready to eat. They are designed to be appealing and palatable, but contain very little or no natural food, that is, they are nutrient and vitamin poor.
They can be high in sugar, as well as preservatives and other substances that negatively affect the body’s proper functioning. And, in some cases, they are addictive, which makes the individual always want to eat more.
Eat fast food
Fast food snacks tend to be fatty and sugar-rich, thus they would hinder the results of an athlete’s diet. Another negative point worth remembering is that promotions at restaurants that sell this type of food encourage people to eat large portions in one meal, which can ruin all subsequent meals. This can really ruin all subsequent meals.
Consume processed meats
Sausages, mortadella, ham, salami, among others, are also meals to avoid if you need to carry out properly as an athlete. These meals are processed to last longer and, consequently, are wealthy in saturated fats, preservatives, sodium and shades, which also can motive allergies and inflammation.
Eat sweets and snacks
Stuffed cookies, chips and similar foods are also not good for the body. They are rich in sugar, sodium and monosodium glutamate, which are bad for the health of the body in general, including the brain.
Have the habit of counting calories
Of the habits that should be avoided, one attitude that can hinder the success of the diet is counting the calories of every food. In addition to making the management of the eating plan very bureaucratic, the idea can encourage the exchange of good calories for empty calories .
This is important because a healthy food and a not so healthy food may have the same amount of calories, but their benefits will be very different.
Not hydrating
Drinking water , or staying hydrated, is simply as critical as choosing the best ingredients on your diet. In the case of athletes, this dependency desires to be strengthened, considering they grow to be dehydrated in the course of all the sporting activities they do. In fact, a very good reminder is: hydration need to take place throughout physical sports and outdoor of them too.
Skip meals
A nutritional plan can be adapted to the individual’s routine and preferences, but skipping meals can disrupt the effects of the proposed diet. In other words, all the work and effort of eating properly at other times can be lost if you skip a meal.
The balance and regularity that the diet for athletes advocates are related to keeping your body healthy, with the frequent intake of the nutrients it needs to achieve high performance.
Of course, there are moments of relaxation and celebration, which are sometimes accompanied by foods and drinks that are not recommended for an athlete. However, enjoyed in moderation, they can help convey a very important message: food is about pleasure. In other words, enjoy yourself without feeling guilty and then get back to your plan .