Athletic diet plan -
It's a myth that athletes need a huge daily intake of protein to build large, strong muscles. Muscle growth comes from regular training and hard work. Good sources of protein are fish, lean meats and poultry, eggs, dairy, nuts, soy, and peanut butter. Carbohydrates are an excellent source of fuel.
Cutting back on carbs or following low-carb diets isn't a good idea for athletes. That's because restricting carbs can make you feel tired and worn out, which can hurt your performance.
Good sources of carbs include fruits, vegetables, and grains. Choose whole grains such as brown rice, oatmeal, whole-wheat bread more often than processed options like white rice and white bread.
Whole grains provide the energy athletes need and the fiber and other nutrients to keep them healthy. Sugary carbs such as candy bars or sodas don't contain any of the other nutrients you need.
And eating candy bars or other sugary snacks just before practice or competition can give athletes a quick burst of energy, but then leave them to "crash" or run out of energy before they've finished working out.
Everyone needs some fat each day, and this is extra true for athletes. That's because active muscles quickly burn through carbs and need fats for long-lasting energy. Like carbs, not all fats are created equal. Choose healthier fats, such as the unsaturated fat found in most vegetable oils, fish, and nuts and seeds.
Limit trans fat like partially hydrogenated oils and saturated fat, found in fatty meat and dairy products like whole milk, cheese, and butter. Choosing when to eat fats is also important for athletes.
Fatty foods can slow digestion, so it's a good idea to avoid eating them for a few hours before exercising. Sports supplements promise to improve sports performance.
But few have proved to help, and some may do harm. Anabolic steroids can seriously mess with a person's hormones , causing unwanted side effects like testicular shrinkage and baldness in guys and facial hair growth in girls.
Steroids can cause mental health problems, including depression and serious mood swings. Some supplements contain hormones related to testosterone, such as DHEA dehydroepiandrosterone.
These can have similar side effects to anabolic steroids. Other sports supplements like creatine have not been tested in people younger than So the risks of taking them are not yet known.
Salt tablets are another supplement to watch out for. People take them to avoid dehydration, but salt tablets can actually lead to dehydration and must be taken with plenty of water. Too much salt can cause nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea and may damage the stomach lining.
In general, you are better off drinking fluids to stay hydrated. Usually, you can make up for any salt lost in sweat with sports drinks or foods you eat before, during, and after exercise.
Speaking of dehydration , water is as important to unlocking your game power as food. When you sweat during exercise, it's easy to become overheated, headachy, and worn out — especially in hot or humid weather.
Even mild dehydration can affect an athlete's physical and mental performance. There's no one set guide for how much water to drink. How much fluid each person needs depends on their age, size, level of physical activity, and environmental temperature.
Athletes should drink before, during, and after exercise. Don't wait until you feel thirsty, because thirst is a sign that your body has needed liquids for a while.
Sports drinks are no better for you than water to keep you hydrated during sports. But if you exercise for more than 60 to 90 minutes or in very hot weather, sports drinks may be a good option.
The extra carbs and electrolytes may improve performance in these conditions. Otherwise your body will do just as well with water. Avoid drinking carbonated drinks or juice because they could give you a stomachache while you're training or competing.
Don't use energy drinks and other caffeine -containing drinks, like soda, tea, and coffee, for rehydration. You could end up drinking large amounts of caffeine, which can increase heart rate and blood pressure. Too much caffeine can leave an athlete feeling anxious or jittery.
Caffeine also can cause headaches and make it hard to sleep at night. These all can drag down your sports performance.
Your performance on game day will depend on the foods you've eaten over the past several days and weeks. Regularly select high-quality carbohydrates so that you not only get energy, but important nutrition and fiber.
Whole grains , such as brown rice and quinoa, as well as vegetables, are good carbohydrate options for an athlete diet plan.
Read more : Good Sources of Carbohydrates for Athletes. Carbohydrates aren't the only important macronutrient in an athlete meal plan. The protein and fat needs of athletes are greater than once thought.
Active bodies need protein to help repair and grow muscle fibers stressed during activity. Protein foods include lean meats, poultry, fish, dairy, soy and nuts. The expert panel in the Nutrition Today report notes that research consistently shows that 0. This means if you weigh pounds, you should aim for between 83 and grams of protein daily.
Spread your intake of protein out through the day, with an emphasis on a good dose of 20 to 30 grams post-exercise to support muscle repair and growth. The journal Nutrients published research in that supports the post-workout recommendation of about 30 grams of protein.
You can fulfill it with 4. Fats, especially monounsaturated fats , are an essential source of energy. They support healthy skin and hair, brain cell growth and absorption of essential nutrients.
Be cautious with fat, however, as eating a lot of it — especially prior to practice or a game — can make you feel sluggish.
Fat slows digestion. When you eat fats, choose avocado, nuts, olive oil or fatty fish. You don't usually find doughnuts, white bagels or greasy hash browns on a quality diet plan for an athlete.
Exactly what you eat for breakfast depends on personal preferences, when you plan to train and how many calories you need per day. General recommendations usually include whole grains, such as whole-wheat breads and pancakes or oatmeal; eggs and lean meats for protein; low-fat dairy, such as milk or yogurt, for calcium; and fruit for important vitamins and antioxidants.
Read more : 14 Power-Packed Breakfasts to Power You Through the Morning. Breakfast doesn't have to consist of traditional "breakfast" foods, either.
A turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread, leftover salmon and a sweet potato, or pasta with grilled chicken and roast vegetables are all good choices. Don't skip lunch , even if it's your time for training.
Eat a small portion before you work out and the rest afterward to ensure you get the calories and nutrients you need. Lunch can look traditional, with sandwiches, salads and soup, or be a combination of snack-like foods such as nuts, seeds, hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit, cut-up vegetables and hummus.
Skip the fast-food burgers, hot dogs and fries. Even if you worked out earlier, these foods have too much salt and saturated fat to support healthy physical performance — no matter how many calories you burned. And if you plan to work out after lunch and before dinner, a fatty meal can impair later performance.
A good, balanced dinner consists of 4 to 5 ounces of lean protein, a cup or two of green leafy vegetables and quality carbohydrates, such as white or sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa or pasta. Dinner is a good time to load up, but don't overstuff yourself or it might interfere with sleep.
If it's been several hours since your last meal and you're heading to practice, have a light snack in the 30 to 60 minutes prior to working out. This could be something as simple as an energy bar, banana or toast with a light smattering of nut butter. Between meals, the best snacks for athletes are quality foods that combine protein and carbohydrates.
Go for items such as peanut butter and jelly on whole-wheat bread, yogurt and fresh fruit, or a smoothie made with protein powder, fruit and milk. How you arrange your meal plans should vary according to when you exercise, if you work out or practice more than once per day, your size and your preferences.
You have many options for eating healthfully and getting the nutrients you need. The exact quantity of food depends on your metabolism, your size and when you're in training — if it's game time or heavy competition season, you may need larger quantities than in the off-season.
Read more : Is Morning or Night the Best Time to Lift Weights? If you practice before the sun rises, you may not have time to eat a full breakfast before you exercise. But you've gone several hours without eating, so you need something before you hit practice.
A possible meal plan for an early morning workout day includes:. If you have a lunchtime practice, you might be tempted to skip the meal altogether. You should load up at breakfast with a good to calories, but skip greasy fried foods so as not to sabotage your workout in a few hours.
Split your lunch so you eat one-third to one-half of it before your workout and the rest afterward as a post-workout meal.
For example:. How you eat the day leading up to practice or your event matters. You need two to three hours to digest a full meal before an athletic event ; small snacks of to calories can be eaten in the hour before game time, however.
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