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Nutrition
No matter how active you are, or at what level you compete, getting the correct nutrition is essential if you're hoping to achieve that winning edge! If you eat a balanced diet, drink enough water and take sport-related supplements, then your body can make energy efficiently which fuels top performance.
Base your diet on a variety of factors including your age, size and physical condition, and the type of exercise you are doing. This will enable you to make the most of your athletic talents and gain more strength, power and endurance when you train.
Preparation - Fueling up!
The purpose of eating prior to exercise is to provide the body with vital fuel and fluid in order to improve performance. The pre-competition meals play a vital role in maintaining normal blood sugar levels, to sustain energy. They may also prevent performance problems associated with hypoglycemia, such as light-headedness, blurred vision, needless fatigue and indecisiveness.
During strength training you may want to ensure that carbohydrates are used as your prime energy source. If your energy reserves are exhausted, the body may otherwise use protein from the muscles to provide the missing energy.
General Guidelines
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Choose easily digestible foods - not fried!
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Avoid sugary foods and drinks within one hour of event
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Drink enough fluids to ensure hydration
Eat a meal high in carbs - fruits, vegetables, pastas, breads, cereals and rice. Avoid high protein or high fat foods on the day of an event, as these can stress the kidneys and take a long time to digest.
Large Meal |
600+ calories |
3-5 hours pre-event |
|---|---|---|
Small Meal |
300-500 calories |
2-3 hours pre-event |
Liquidised Meal |
300-500 calories |
1-2 hours pre-event |
Small Snack |
50-200 calories |
30 mins-1 hour pre-event |
Carbohydrate Loading
Carbohydrates are essential in maintaining your energy levels. To avoid 'running out' some athletes, especially those taking part in endurance events like long-distance running, swimming and cycling, load their muscles with glycogen by eating extra carbohydrates in combination with doing depletion exercises several days before an event.
First exercise to exhaustion
Your workout must be identical to the upcoming event to deplete the right muscles.
Then eat a high-carbohydrate diet
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70-80% carbohydrates
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10-15% fat
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10-15% protein
Do little or no exercise starting three days before your event. Muscles loaded with unused glycogen will be available to work for longer periods of time during competition. See your doctor for advice before trying a carbohydrate-loading diet.
If you're eating a balanced and healthy diet, high in complex carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fats, then this should be enough to keep you in general good health. It may also be sufficient to replenish the energy and nutrients used by a basic exercise programme.
On the other hand, if you exercise regularly and intensively, supplements can be an effective and convenient addition to your diet. Whether used to prolong endurance, enhance recovery, reduce body fat, increase muscle mass, minimise the risk of illness, or achieve specific training goals, there are hundreds to choose from. So where do you start?
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