The Olympic season came with a blessing and made us wonder about the feat of achievement one can achieve by working hard and having a healthy lifestyle.
The athletes are known for their well-built, functional bodies, and no one can achieve those feats without having a proper diet and proper nutrition. For an athlete nutrition and its tips are very important to perform at his or her best, they need to be at the peak of their fitness level, and that is possible with proper training and nutrition.
As there are numerous sports known to us, their functional training also differs from athlete to athlete, some require agility, some require mobility and some need raw strength.
An athlete from any sport requires a combination of these feats that are:
. Mobility
. Agility
. quick response
. a lean frame
. A proportionate strength to weight ratio,
The first three solely depend upon the training of the athlete but the last two can be fixed with Proper Nutrition.
Nutrition Tips for consistent athletes
. Athletes Do not Eat like Bodybuilders: Athletes’ nutrition needs are different from that of a bodybuilder, powerlifter and CrossFitters. An athlete uses lifting as a tool and their sport as the primary activity, but in the case of bodybuilders, they use lifting as their main activity, which creates a distinction between the nutrition needs of these two.
An athlete, therefore, requires different macronutrient ratios, that is, different amounts of fat, carbs, and protein, then lifting athletes.
. Meal Selection for Purposeful athletes: The optimal athlete walks around at about 8-12% body fat, this is enough to keep him going but not enough to add muscle mass and strength, so meal selection is crucial.
An athlete’s diet should consist of high-quality lean protein, complex carbs, and fats. It will help the athlete perform better and also add muscle mass to the frame. If you are traveling and still want to keep your diet up-to-date checkhttps://beeskitchen.in/nutrition-for-the-traveling-athlete/
. Meal timing: Meal timing is important for an athlete due to muscle protein synthesis i.e., the body’s use of protein to build muscle and fuel the system, In addition to that one must be mindful of what to eat before and after the game, a 1000 calorie breakfast before the game is gonna make you puke is nothing else, so be mindful of what you eat.
. Macronutrients/Micronutrients Ratio: Keep an eye on the Macronutrients i.e., Protein, carbohydrates, and fats which makes up the whole calorie count. Do not overemphasize particular macronutrients as they may create bloating and uneasiness.
keep the micronutrients intact by taking multivitamins. Refer to this page for more detailed info about macro nutrientshttps://www.eufic.org/en/healthy-living/article/optimum-nutrition-for-sports-performance-macronutrients-micronutrients
. Meal Frequency is crucial for athletes: Meal frequency should complement the activity level of the particular day, on a hard-core training day add one more meal to your regime, and on rest, days try limiting the carbohydrate intake to balance out the energy-in & energy-out concept.
. The Bulking/cutting Recomposition: The bulking/cutting recomposition mainly depends upon the athlete’s need, if one wants to add muscle to the frame try adding 200-300 calories to your present maintenance calories, and if you want to shed some fat, try decreasing 200-300 calories from the maintenance calories.
This will help athletes pack on some size and lose fat at the same time
Try finding optimal functioning weight
Every athlete has that one weight at which he/she performs their best, try finding it with trial and error, and also try to stay close to the optimal functioning weight year-around.
Body fat percentage Of athletes
On average an optimal athlete walks around 8-10% body fat, and as we all know different sports need different build, so knowing the Body Fat percentage and adjusting it will help the athlete perform better and be healthier.
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Try supplementation
Athletes are known for their tremendous bodies and health, so maintaining it for the long run is important, healthy diet and proper sleep also sometimes fail to provide the desired result, so there comes the need for supplementation.
The recommended supplements for athletes are:
. Omega 3 fatty acid for improved cardiovascular health and function, improved lipid profiles (lower triglycerides), improved brain function and mental acuity
. Zinc for higher androgens
. Protein for protein synthesis and muscle building
. Magnesium for recovery
. Melatonin for good quality REM sleep
. B-vitamin for increased energy production and better functioning
. Hydrate
Consume enough water to avoid dehydration and nausea