Nutrition

What do athletes need regarding Nutrition?

The food and drink that athletes consume provide the energy for competition and training, aid recovery, and ensure their metabolic progress functions correctly. If taken the day or several days before a race, no magic food will transform the athlete into a world-beater. So, choosing a diet that provides the athlete with the correct balance of nutrients is desirable.

Before we consider athletes eating habits, let us consider each of the different nutrients in our food:

Carbohydrates - the body's preferred source of energy
Fats - another source of energy and a carrier of specific vitamins
Protein - essential for growth, repair of tissue, and metabolism
Vitamins - essential for the body's metabolism
Minerals - essential for the body's metabolism
Fibre - essential for the health of the digestive system
Water - as 60% of the body is water, this needs to be replaced regularly.

Many athletes and coaches are beginning to realise the need to understand more about Nutrition. So, the athlete is in peak condition, training and running well, feeling strong but tired because s/he cannot sleep and has muscle cramps, twitches, and trembles. It is probably because the athlete's running and eating do not balance each other correctly. Planning a suitable food intake requires understanding a little about essential nutrition.

Where does the layperson find that knowledge?

A textbook on diet/nutrition seems like a logical place to start. Still, most athletes and coaches (and many other people) could be a little confused by Glucose (C6H2O6) being degraded to Pyruvic acid (2CH3 COCOOH) combined with five Oxygen molecules to form 6CO2 + 4H2O and ENERGY. The basic principle for athletes is that glucose creates energy, but this equation will not help anyone plan a day's food.

Let us consider the 7 nutrients

Energy

Many athletes must consider their energy intake and ensure sufficient energy is consumed to cope with the energy expended in training. It is also vital to ensure that the calories come from the right food, usually called 'calories'.

Protein

Most people eat more protein than they need. In addition to traditional sources such as meat, fish, eggs, and cheese, vegetable proteins such as beans and pulses such as lentils should also be considered.

Fat

We all tend to overeat fat, especially fat from animals. There is a general need to cut down by eating less fried foods, chips, crisps, pastries, etc., and take the extra calories from starchy foods.

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a significant source of energy for athletes. The more complex starches, such as wholemeal bread, pasta, and brown rice, are an essential energy source and other nutrients. Refined starches, including sweets, cakes, sugar, and white flour products, have been highly processed.

Fibre

Necessary for the functioning of the gut and bowel. Found in wholemeal products, fruit, vegetables, nuts, beans, etc. Foods that contain fibre also contain many minerals and vitamins.

Vitamins

Those taking sufficient calories and a wide variety of foods should not have problems with vitamin deficiencies. However, some vitamins are essential for energy production, and care should be taken to ensure an adequate intake.

Minerals

Again, deficiencies are unlikely in a healthy diet. Some, especially iron, may need special consideration.

Dietary Rules

Many athletes ignore simple dietary rules. Their needs are higher than the average, and they are not necessarily more but more selective. Five cups of vegetables and fruits should be taken daily to provide the right amount of vitamins C, B, and A. To provide roughage and carbohydrates, three helpings of cereal or bread (four slices of bread is a helping). Two meat meals a day to provide iron. Fried food should be kept to a minimum. The athlete needs some fat, but not the saturated kind found in bacon and too fatty meals. In the summer, the potassium level is essential. The heart is predominantly saturated with potassium.

There is no evidence that dietary supplementation with vitamins, minerals, or other additives effectively improves athletic performance, except in the rare case of an individual suffering from a specific deficiency. There is a great danger that supplements may supplement the natural nutrients that a competitor needs, contributing to some nutritional deficiency.

The same applies to dietary protein intake. Despite the conviction common against athletes engaged in strength events that high protein intake is necessary for the athlete in serious training, total energy intake is high. With this large food intake comes typically a more than adequate supply of all essential components.

The only dietary constituent that may be vital to the athlete is carbohydrates. The high-intensity effort performed in training will deplete the muscle glycogen stores. If these stores are not replenished between training sessions, fatigue will ensue. Dietary carbohydrate intake must be adequate for this purpose. If the dietary carbohydrate content is high, it should be possible for the muscle glycogen stores to return to normal within 24 hours. Also, it replenishes to 60% completion after 10 hours and a total return after 46 hours.

Consuming a very high carbohydrate diet 3-4 days before a race and reducing training intensity may improve performances by increasing the capacity for energy production by aerobic glycolysis. Athletes use this carbohydrate loading procedure in endurance events lasting a few hours.

Fluid

Athletes must remember to replace their fluids, or they will get dehydrated. It goes for winter as well as summer. The water loss, however, may cause problems for the runner. During a marathon, runners typically lose between one and 5% of their body weight even when the temperature is not high, and regular drinks are taken throughout the event. In hot weather, as much as 8% of the body weight may be lost. Weight loss is almost entirely due to water loss, plasma volume, and cellular water content reductions. Remember, adequate fluid intake will help to guard against dehydration. Thirst is not a reliable guide to the need to drink. Take fluid before you feel thirsty.

Which of these is best?

This question is not easy to answer. Fluid intake replaces water and electrolyte losses and provides fuel, typically glucose, for the working muscles. Therefore, the athlete must start the race or training well-hydrated. Working out which fluids are best is a matter of trial and error. The athlete needs to avoid alcohol and coffee as these are potent diuretics and may leave you dehydrated. Colder solutions empty from the stomach more rapidly than warm solutions. Do not worry about chilling your stomach despite the popular theory. Stomach cramps are more likely to result from an over-strong solution in your stomach.

Conclusions

A well-balanced diet will allow you to train and perform at your best
Spread the daily intake of food over three regularly spaced meals
Every day, include fresh vegetables and fruit in the diet
Curb the ingestion of fatty foods
Exclude from the diet as much as possible foods that furnish calories only without contributing their share of vitamins, i.e. sweets, chocolate, cakes and pop drinks, coke, etc., and substitute fruit and fresh fruit drinks for snacks
Decrease or curtailing the intake of tea, coffee, and alcohol for these drinks replace more nutritional foodstuff and may cause undesirable biochemical effects such as decreased muscular efficiency. Drink more fruit drinks, water, and even milk (milk is one of the best all-around sources of Nutrition)
Alcohol in moderation is not harmful to the athlete, but remember its dehydrating effects, which may impair performance
Athletes should be aware of their feeding habits and the composition of their food, especially concerning days of intensive training and competition

Article Reference

The information on this page is adapted from Gould (1990)^[1].

References

GOULD, C. (1990) Just what do you need in the way of Nutrition? Athletics Coach, 24 (1), p. 17-20

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

MACKENZIE, B. (2009) What do athletes need in the way of Nutrition [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article055.htm [Accessed


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The food and drink that athletes consume provide the energy for competition and training, aid recovery, and ensure their metabolic progress functions correctly. If taken the day or several days before a race, no magic food will transform the athlete into a world-beater. So, choosing a diet that provides the athlete with the correct balance of nutrients is desirable. Before we consider athletes eating habits, let us consider each of the different nutrients in our food: Carbohydrates - the body's preferred source of energy Fats - another source of energy and a carrier of specific vitamins Protein - essential for growth, repair of tissue, and metabolism Vitamins - essential for the body's metabolism Minerals - essential for the body's metabolism Fibre - essential for the health of the digestive system Water - as 60% of the body is water, this needs to be replaced regularly. Many athletes and coaches are beginning to realise the need to understand more about Nutrition. So, the athlete is in peak condition, training and running well, feeling strong but tired because s/he cannot sleep and has muscle cramps, twitches, and trembles. It is probably because the athlete's running and eating do not balance each other correctly. Planning a suitable food intake requires understanding a little about essential nutrition. Where does the layperson find that knowledge? A textbook on diet/nutrition seems like a logical place to start. Still, most athletes and coaches (and many other people) could be a little confused by Glucose (C6H2O6) being degraded to Pyruvic acid (2CH3 COCOOH) combined with five Oxygen molecules to form 6CO2 + 4H2O and ENERGY. The basic principle for athletes is that glucose creates energy, but this equation will not help anyone plan a day's food. Let us consider the 7 nutrients Energy Many athletes must consider their energy intake and ensure sufficient energy is consumed to cope with the energy expended in training. It is also vital to ensure that the calories come from the right food, usually called 'calories'. Protein Most people eat more protein than they need. In addition to traditional sources such as meat, fish, eggs, and cheese, vegetable proteins such as beans and pulses such as lentils should also be considered. Fat We all tend to overeat fat, especially fat from animals. There is a general need to cut down by eating less fried foods, chips, crisps, pastries, etc., and take the extra calories from starchy foods. Carbohydrate Carbohydrates are a significant source of energy for athletes. The more complex starches, such as wholemeal bread, pasta, and brown rice, are an essential energy source and other nutrients. Refined starches, including sweets, cakes, sugar, and white flour products, have been highly processed. Fibre Necessary for the functioning of the gut and bowel. Found in wholemeal products, fruit, vegetables, nuts, beans, etc. Foods that contain fibre also contain many minerals and vitamins. Vitamins Those taking sufficient calories and a wide variety of foods should not have problems with vitamin deficiencies. However, some vitamins are essential for energy production, and care should be taken to ensure an adequate intake. Minerals Again, deficiencies are unlikely in a healthy diet. Some, especially iron, may need special consideration. Dietary Rules Many athletes ignore simple dietary rules. Their needs are higher than the average, and they are not necessarily more but more selective. Five cups of vegetables and fruits should be taken daily to provide the right amount of vitamins C, B, and A. To provide roughage and carbohydrates, three helpings of cereal or bread (four slices of bread is a helping). Two meat meals a day to provide iron. Fried food should be kept to a minimum. The athlete needs some fat, but not the saturated kind found in bacon and too fatty meals. In the summer, the potassium level is essential. The heart is predominantly saturated with potassium. There is no evidence that dietary supplementation with vitamins, minerals, or other additives effectively improves athletic performance, except in the rare case of an individual suffering from a specific deficiency. There is a great danger that supplements may supplement the natural nutrients that a competitor needs, contributing to some nutritional deficiency. The same applies to dietary protein intake. Despite the conviction common against athletes engaged in strength events that high protein intake is necessary for the athlete in serious training, total energy intake is high. With this large food intake comes typically a more than adequate supply of all essential components. The only dietary constituent that may be vital to the athlete is carbohydrates. The high-intensity effort performed in training will deplete the muscle glycogen stores. If these stores are not replenished between training sessions, fatigue will ensue. Dietary carbohydrate intake must be adequate for this purpose. If the dietary carbohydrate content is high, it should be possible for the muscle glycogen stores to return to normal within 24 hours. Also, it replenishes to 60% completion after 10 hours and a total return after 46 hours. Consuming a very high carbohydrate diet 3-4 days before a race and reducing training intensity may improve performances by increasing the capacity for energy production by aerobic glycolysis. Athletes use this carbohydrate loading procedure in endurance events lasting a few hours. Fluid Athletes must remember to replace their fluids, or they will get dehydrated. It goes for winter as well as summer. The water loss, however, may cause problems for the runner. During a marathon, runners typically lose between one and 5% of their body weight even when the temperature is not high, and regular drinks are taken throughout the event. In hot weather, as much as 8% of the body weight may be lost. Weight loss is almost entirely due to water loss, plasma volume, and cellular water content reductions. Remember, adequate fluid intake will help to guard against dehydration. Thirst is not a reliable guide to the need to drink. Take fluid before you feel thirsty. Which of these is best? This question is not easy to answer. Fluid intake replaces water and electrolyte losses and provides fuel, typically glucose, for the working muscles. Therefore, the athlete must start the race or training well-hydrated. Working out which fluids are best is a matter of trial and error. The athlete needs to avoid alcohol and coffee as these are potent diuretics and may leave you dehydrated. Colder solutions empty from the stomach more rapidly than warm solutions. Do not worry about chilling your stomach despite the popular theory. Stomach cramps are more likely to result from an over-strong solution in your stomach. Conclusions A well-balanced diet will allow you to train and perform at your best Spread the daily intake of food over three regularly spaced meals Every day, include fresh vegetables and fruit in the diet Curb the ingestion of fatty foods Exclude from the diet as much as possible foods that furnish calories only without contributing their share of vitamins, i.e. sweets, chocolate, cakes and pop drinks, coke, etc., and substitute fruit and fresh fruit drinks for snacks Decrease or curtailing the intake of tea, coffee, and alcohol for these drinks replace more nutritional foodstuff and may cause undesirable biochemical effects such as decreased muscular efficiency. Drink more fruit drinks, water, and even milk (milk is one of the best all-around sources of Nutrition) Alcohol in moderation is not harmful to the athlete, but remember its dehydrating effects, which may impair performance Athletes should be aware of their feeding habits and the composition of their food, especially concerning days of intensive training and competition Article Reference The information on this page is adapted from Gould (1990)^[1]. References GOULD, C. (1990) Just what do you need in the way of Nutrition? Athletics Coach, 24 (1), p. 17-20 Page Reference If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is: MACKENZIE, B. (2009) What do athletes need in the way of Nutrition [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article055.htm [Accessed