Nutrition for Athletes

The difference between winning and losing can be of the smallest of margins, especially when elite athletes, who are both talented and motivated, compete. It is in these situations, when that extra attention to detail can make all the difference to the overall result.

Diet affects performance, and the foods that are chosen in training and competition will affect how well an athlete trains and competes. In terms of training, a good diet will help support consistent intensive training without the athlete succumbing to illness or injury. Good food choices can also promote adaptations to the training stimulus. It is important for both the coach and the athlete to understand why a good diet is needed.

However, there is no ‘universal diet’ or ‘magic pill’ that will guarantee an athlete’s optimum health/fitness. Every athlete is different and unique and has different physiological make-ups. Thus, there is no single diet that always meets the needs of all athletes. Individual needs also change across the time of year and the phase of training that they are in, and athletes must be flexible to accommodate this.

Macros vs Micros

Macronutrients and micronutrients are categories dietitians and nutrition experts may use to refer to your diet.

Macronutrients are big picture nutrition categories, such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Micronutrients are smaller nutritional categories, such as individual vitamins and minerals like calcium, zinc, and vitamin B-6.

Protein

Protein is the building block of muscle. No matter what kind of competition or training you’re doing, you need it to recover from strenuous sessions and game day. It also helps reduce muscle soreness and keeps your bones strong. Without it, your body is more likely to break down and become frail after years of intense athleticism.

So, how much protein should you eat? Well, opinions differ and there is a big element of the individual and activity but, endurance and strength/power athletes should aim for 1.2-2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (so for the 90kg athlete, that’d be anywhere from 108 to 180 grams of protein per day). This will be increased if the aim is to build muscle or if you are doing a more strength based activity. Some sources will discuss the “protein timing,” or idea that you need to consume protein right in a set time after training. Generally, the best approach is to spread protein intake evenly throughout the day — about 20-30 grams per meal. This has been allows for a consistent protein synthesis - that is your body’s ability to absorb and use protein.

Protein Sources

  • Meat

  • Fish

  • Dairy produce

  • Beans and other Pulses

  • Eggs

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate is the fuel for the body and the amount you need will vary depending on the intensity of your exercise. This can range anywhere from five grams per kilogram of body weight to 12 grams for endurance athletes. A simple rule of thum woudl be that between 50 and 60% of your enrgy intake should come from here.

Unlike protein, the timing of your carbohydrate intake impacts your performance - lot! The following are some loose guidelines BUT only you understand your own body and you'll need to experiment and consider yoru own size and activity level. Many athletes benefit from eating 200 to 300 grams of carbs about three to four hours before competition. This gives enough time to digest the carbs and turn them into energy.

Aim for 30 to 60 grams of carbs per hour during exercise to maintain blood sugar levels - more for high energy endurance events.

After the event, aim for about 1.0-1.5 g/kg of body weight to restore your glycogen stores

Not al carbs are Equal

You may have heard that eating complex carbs is better than simple carbs.

  • Complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly and release glucose into the blood stream more gradually.

  • Simple carbohydrates are digested quickly and spike blood sugar faster and higher.

GENERALLY(!) the less processed the food the more complex the carb - so there is sugar in both sugar (d'uh) and an apple. If you consume the same an=mount of raw sugar as you'd find in the apple, it would be digested very fast and not provide a lasting store of energy - and would lack other good things like firer.

Sources of Carbohydrate

  • wholemeal bread

  • whole grain cereal

  • oats

  • peas

  • brown rice

Fats

Fats, believe it or not, are an important part of an athlete’s diet, and it’s recommended both endurance and strength athletes get anywhere from 25-35% of their calories from fats. Fats do live up to their name by being more fattening — they pack nine calories per gram, compared to four per gram from protein and carbs. It is important to understand that many vitamins and hormones rely on fats to do their job — in other words, there are many vitamins and minerals our body can’t utilize unless there’s fat in our system.

Not all Fata are Equals - Good Sources for Fats

There are different kinds of fats and the ones in red meat or dairy tend to be less "healthy" than others. Here are some soureces for fats which will not hinder training . . .

  • Avocado

  • Olive Oil

  • Sunflower Oil

  • Trout, Salmon and other oily fish

  • Nuts ​

Micronutrients

The term micronutrients refers to vitamins and minerals, which can be divided into macrominerals, trace minerals and water- and fat-soluble vitamins.

Vitamins are needed for energy production, blood clotting and other functions while minerals benefit growth, bone health, fluid balance and other processes. Your body needs smaller amounts of micronutrients relative to macronutrients. That’s why they’re labeled “micro.”

Humans must obtain micronutrients from food since your body cannot produce vitamins and minerals — for the most part. That’s why they’re also referred to as essential nutrients. Vitamins are organic compounds made by plants and animals which can be broken down by heat, acid or air. On the other hand, minerals are inorganic, exist in soil or water and cannot be broken down.

When you eat, you consume the vitamins that plants and animals created or the minerals they absorbed. The micronutrient content of each food is different, so it’s best to eat a variety of foods to get enough vitamins and minerals. An adequate intake of all micronutrients is necessary for optimal health, as each vitamin and mineral has a specific role in your body.

Toxicities

Micronutrient toxicities are less common than deficiencies - i.e it is much easier to have too little of something when compared to poisoning yourself with it.

They are most likely to occur with large doses of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K since these nutrients can be stored in your liver and fatty tissues. They cannot be excreted from your body like water-soluble vitamins. A micronutrient toxicity usually develops from supplementing with excess amounts — rarely from food sources. Signs and symptoms of toxicity vary depending on the nutrient.

It’s important to note that excessive consumption of certain nutrients can still be dangerous even if it does not lead to overt toxicity symptoms.

This article is too small to detail all the various micronutrients