Sports Nutrition
What is Sports Nutrition?
Sports nutrition is the concept and application of techniques to ensure that athletes get the right nutrients and enough water so that they can make the energy and the fuel they need to perform safely and successfully in sports and other athletic activities. Sports nutrition plans can vary depending on the age, size and health of an athlete, as well as the types of sports they participate in. Sports nutrition is a plan that consists of not only pre-endurance activity training and meal planning, but also day to day maintenance.
Proper sports nutrition is necessary because athletes need to maintain certain levels of nutrients and stay hydrated in order to prevent injuries. Athletes need to eat the proper amounts and types of foods prior to an event to avoid hunger, to maintain sugar levels, and to stay adequately hydrated. Certain foods should be avoided to limit stress on the kidneys and other organs (for instance, it is suggested that athletes do not eat foods high in fat or protein on the day of a race or other event), and other foods should be eaten to give both immediate energy and lasting endurance. Athletes who do not carefully plan their nutritional intake can suffer from problems with their blood sugar, or can experience injuries, overheating, or fatigue, and if they fail to drink enough water, they can become dehydrated and possibly faint.
How to Create a Sports Nutrition Plan
Creating a sports nutrition plan is largely customized per the needs of the person participating in the sports and athletics activities. A sports nutrition plan that works for one person may be completely inappropriate for another person because different people need different levels of nutrients and they participate in different activities.
For example, people who engage in more strenuous activities (such as football and track) need more protein than people who are less active. The best thing a person who wants to start a sports nutrition plan can do is consult their doctor or coach in order to find out what nutrients are needed, what levels should be maintained, and other important aspects that they will have to learn and practice prior to participating in sports activities. After getting some initial information and a guideline to work with, research can be performed online or at the library through textbooks and other reference materials.
For example, athletes may wish to design an initial sports nutrition plan and then fine tune it with information found in sports magazines or scholarly journals. It is important, however, that athletes be careful when evaluating the sources of information, and seek advice from their doctor or coach before utilizing any inconsistent or unreliable information that they find during the research process.
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