Sports Nutrition

Sports nutrition is the study of nutrition and diet which improves the sports person’s and athlete’s performance.Sports psychology
Sports nutrition on the type, quantity of fluids and food. It focuses on the consumption of nutrients such as vitaminsDASH diet: A Healthy eating, minerals, supplements and organic substances that include carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Importance of sports nutrition

1. It provide energy which is needed for the performance and activities of sports person or athletes.

2. Food which they eat have impacts on their strength, training and performance.

3. Timing of eating food is also important in sports nutrition and have impacts on their performance level and bodies ability to recover after exercising.

4. Sportsman or athlete should eat 2 hours before exercise, and meal should be high in carbohydrates, low in fat and moderate in protein.

5. Carbohydrates is the main source of energy needed for exercise.

6. Protein helps in muscle’s growth and repair.

Difference between simple nutrition and sports nutrition.

Sportsman required different types and quantity of nutrition than non-sportsman that’s why they differs from each other. Healthy and balanced diet provide body energy for their activity and prevent from fatigue.

Sports medicine experts design sports nutrition program to meet the needs of sportsman. These experts have completed their degree and practice in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Conditions that influence nutritional needs of sports person

1. Type of activity (aerobic or anaerobic)
2. Gender
3. Weight, height, body mass index
4. Workout or activity stage (pre-workout, intro-workout, recovery)
5. Time of day (e.g. some nutrients are utilized by the body more effectively during sleep than while awake).

Some medical concerns

1. Iron deficiency
2. Gastrointestinal upset
3. Low bone mineral density
4. Food allergies
5. Diabetes
6. Stress

A proper diet will reduce fatigue, injury and soreness, these disturbances in performance. Proper diet is to get a variety of food, and to consume all the macro-nutrients, vitamins, and minerals needed. It is ideal to choose raw foods, like unprocessed foods such as oranges instead of orange juice. Get nutrition from natural foods means the sports person is getting the most nutritional value out of the food because when foods are processed, the nutritional value is normally reduced.

Sports nutritionist responsibilities

Sports nutritionist provides nutrition counseling and education to enhance the performance of competitors sportsman. Their responsibilities are counseling individuals and groups on daily nutrition for performance and health, tracking and documenting outcomes of nutrition services, serving as a food and nutrition resource for coaches, trainers, and parents, providing sports nutrition education for health programs, athletic teams, and community groups, and maintaining professional competency and skills required for professional practice.

Good diet for sports person

1. For higher intensity activities carbohydrates serve as a source of energy. Carbohydrate rich food sources are fruits, vegetables, whole-grain cereals, breads and pastas.

2. To meet their energy needs as well as supporting healthy hormone levels, dietary fat plays a key role. Fat rich foods are nuts, nut butters, avocados, olive and coconut oils. Use vegetable oils such as corn, cottonseed or soybean oil in limited quantities.

3. In muscle repair and growth dietary protein plays an important role. Sources of protein are lean meats, eggs, dairy (yogurt, milk, cottage cheese) and legume.

How do sports person stay healthy?

1. Sufficient sleep play important role in sports person life, it increases performance, mental activity, solve focus problems of players and helps in boosting immune system.

2. Eating habits of fruits and vegetables, which prevents them from illness because fruits and vegetables contains vitamins which boost immunity.

3. Relaxation also helps both physically and mentally. Sportsman get relaxation through meditation, regular massage, spa treatment and lots of other techniques.

4. Drinking water constantly also helps sports person because of often sweating they loss electrolytes and sodium, to restore this loss they get hydrated.

Sports nutrition supplements

Different protein supplements, sports drinks, creatine and performance enhancers are sports nutrition supplements. Sports person only use these supplements when sports nutritionist suggest them.

1) Sports drinks

Sports drinks keep sports person hydrated because they lose sodium and potassium by sweating. Sports drinks also keep balance blood glucose level. Sports drinks gives extra calories but it is not good for sportsman with heart disease and diabetes.

2)Protein supplements

These supplements are sources of protein. These supplements easily absorbed and digested by body. They are expensive and they are not FDA tested for safety.

3) Creatine

These supplements are expensive too and for muscle strength and growth. It cause diarrhea, blood pressure and bloating.

4) Performance enhancers

These are energy and metabolism booster and cause gastrointestinal problems and anxiety.

Nutritional Issues related with sports persons

1. Pre exercise eating is not good for sportsman.
2. Hydration is very important drink before, during and after exercise.
3. Energy management is also important eat 3 meals a day with large portion of vegetables and fruits.
4. Eat food with highest nutritional value. Eat variety of food avoid fast food.
5. Controlling weightHow To Lose Weight Effectively is an important issue for sports person.
6. Supplements and sports drinks are not replacement of food.

Foods to meet carb, protein, sodium, and fluid needs after training

Following are best options

1. Bagel with low-fat cream cheese
2. Peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches
3. Slice of thick-crust veggie pizza
4. Whole wheat salted pretzels dipped in peanut butter
5. Fruit and yogurt parfait topped with granola
6. String cheese and crackers
7. Low-fat yogurt or pudding
8. Low-fat chocolate milk

Food Item and Grams of carbs

a) 1 cup cereal with 1 cup milk contains 45gms of carbs
b) Sandwich, 2 oz turkey contains 32gms of carbs
c) 16 oz (480 ml) chocolate 1% milk contains 52gms of carbs
d) 1 cup flavored yogurt contains 47gms of carbs
e) 1 cup white rice or pasta contains 41gms of carbs
f) Fruit smoothie made with low-fat or nonfat milk (8 fl oz/240 ml) contains 30–35gms of carbs
g) 1 serving fresh fruit or 100% fruit juice (1 cup) contains 25–30gms of carbs

Examples of carbohydrate-based pre-exercise meals

Breakfast

1. Cold or hot cereal, fruit, and low-fat or nonfat milk
2. French toast or pancakes with maple syrup
3. English muffin with jam and peanut butter,
   4)bananaa, and fruit juice

Lunch or Dinner

1. Pasta with tomato sauce, French bread, steamed vegetables,
2. Low-fat/nonfat milk, pudding, and canned fruit
3. Grilled chicken sandwich, baked potato with low-fat sour cream or salsa, and low-fat frozen yogurt
4. Thick-crust cheese pizza, low-fat gelato, and canned peaches
5. Baked or grilled chicken, turkey, fish, or lean beef; steamed rice; roll; green beans; low-fat frozen yogurt; and
6. Fruit juice

Food Item and Grams of Protein

1. 1 cup cereal, 1 cup milk have 11g of protein
2. Performance Energy bar have 9g of protein
3. Sandwich, 2 oz turkey have 20g of protein
4. ½ cup baby carrots have 1g of protein
5. 1 cup low-fat milk have 8g of protein
6. 8 oz low-fat yogurt have 8g of protein
7. 4 oz chicken ■■■■■■ have 28g of protein
8. 1 cup brown rice have 6g of protein
9. 1 cup cooked broccoli have 2g of protein

Conclusion

Sports nutrition is the study of nutrition and diet which improves the sports person’s and athlete’s performance. Healthy and balanced diet provide body energy for their activity and prevent from fatigue.
Sports nutritionist provides nutrition counseling and education to enhance the performance of competitors sportsman. Get nutrition from natural foods means the sports person is getting the most nutritional value out of the food because when foods are processed, the nutritional value is normally reduced.
Bagel with low-fat cream cheese, Peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, Slice of thick-crust veggie pizza, Whole wheat salted pretzels dipped in peanut butter and Fruit and yogurt are best foods for sports person.
Different protein supplements, sports drinks, creatine and performance enhancers are sports nutrition supplements. Sports person only use these supplements when sports nutritionist suggest them.
It provide energy which is needed for the performance and activities of sports person or athletes. Food which they eat have impacts on their strength, training and performance. Timing of eating food is also important in sports nutrition and have impacts on their performance.
Cold or hot cereal, fruit, and low-fat or nonfat milk are best for breakfast.
Pasta with tomato sauce, French bread, steamed vegetables, Low-fat/nonfat milk, pudding, and canned fruit are best for lunch and dinner.