Sports Nutrition
If you take your sports training seriously and want to maximise the benefits of your programme then you need to consider a nutrition plan that will enable you to achieve your training & performance goals.
Our food provides us with the energy we need to fuel all our daily activities, but it also needs to provide the athlete & sports person with the energy to optimise their training, perform at their best, and repeatedly recover whilst remaining free from injury & illness.
Without an in-depth dietary analysis, it is impossible to ascertain whether you are achieving the correct balance of carbohydrate, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals & antioxidants; achieving this balance is vital if you want to improve your performance and recovery.
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Ensuring you are well nourished can:- | |
| • | Improve concentration & focus | |
| • | Increase energy levels | |
| • | Improve physical capacity, strength & resistance | |
| • | Enhance performance | |
| • | Help achieve correct bodyweight | |
| • | Alleviate tiredness & delay fatigue | |
| • | Improve immune function and increase resistance to illness | |
| • | Ensure good bone health to reduce the risk of stress fractures | |
| • | Prevent injury due to muscle fatigue | |
| • | Ensure rapid recovery | |
Scientific knowledge has to be translated into everyday eating as both food & fluid intakes are of paramount important before, during and after training. This knowledge is also essential in providing the athlete with accurate advice on the correct use of supplements; some of the promises made by the latest fads & trends can distract attention away from performance enhancing, sports-specific nutrition matched to an individual’s requirements.
Special attention must also be given to the specific nutritional needs of the female athlete; some studies have shown that female athletes report energy intakes that barely cover the energy requirements of their training, let alone their basal metabolic needs.
I love keeping fit and I love exercise and running is my passion, but I also know how important it is to be well nourished to ensure I can train regularly and recover effectively.
You can only train as hard as you can recover