As sports science continually evolves, one of the most important areas of a players well-being is their nutrition. To be a high performing athlete you need to fuel your body with the nutrients needed for energy. A healthy diet will give the athlete the extra edge in their performance, and can be the difference with sch fine margins at the highest level.
The following information will help with understanding the nutritional demands of an athlete, and how a healthy habit of eating clean and nutritious foods will enhance sports performance.
Tips to a Healthier Diet
Don’t be afraid of the word diet, this doesn’t mean you can’t eat food and you’re restricted to a certain number of calories. A diet plan is for nutritional intake where you eat for a purpose. This can mean increasing calories for growth, limiting calories for weight loss, or adjusting your nutritional intake to balance your macros and to eat at specific times for optimal performance.
- Know what’s in your food, read the ingredient label. The list is in order of quantity.
- Check the sugar content, rule of thumb is 5g per 100g is enough sugar.
- Make sure to eat at important times, morning, pre and post exercise, before bed (to aid recovery and growth).
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
- Have plenty of fruits and vegetables.
- Avoid eating out, cook at home so you know what’s in your food.
The Best Foods for Athletes
The following article is through the New York Times, and includes an interview with Louise Burke, professor at Australian Catholic University. Louise has worked with many of Australia’s elite sporting teams.