Nutrition Essentials for Athletes
Proper nutrition is the cornerstone of an athlete’s career. Still, many athletes do not realize the importance of this or they’re just simply clueless about the subject. Not knowing anything about nutrition will lead to bad habits that then result in an unsuccessful career. Take for instance bodybuilders who take weight loss to the extreme before a competition. Extreme weight loss produces a lot of stress on one’s body and this can lead to a difficulty in increasing muscle mass and strength over the long-term. Nutrition simply is eating the right food, at the right amount, and at the right time. Knowing this is not enough, you also need to practice it. This entails you to strictly monitor and record your food and calorie intake and abide by nutritional principles.
The book “Nutrition for the Recreational Athlete” states that an exclusive high-protein diet negatively affects an athlete’s training and career. Catherine Jackson, the book’s author, explains that eating purely protein for a prolonged period often causes irritability and lowers stamina. This can be remedied by initially consuming adequate amounts of calories. I’ll list here some basic and valuable guidelines on nutrition to help you with your training.
Dwindling Strength - Strength is an important factor in maintaining a regular training program and too little protein affects strength. It would be ideal if you were getting your supply of protein from a variety of sources. It would be better if you source your protein from organic products such as chicken breasts (or white meat), egg whites and soy-based products.
Being moody and irritable - A lack of carbohydrates in one’s diet is correlated with moodiness and irritability. These mental states are often caused by low-blood level due to inadequate consumption of carbohydrates. In addition, a lack of carbohydrates will affect your ability to focus. Maintain healthy blood sugar levels by eating whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day, combined with protein to slow down blood sugar absorption.
Increase in sick days - Being sick all the time is a sign that your immune system is weakened. Combat this by incorporating different food groups into your diet. Consume foods that are high in B vitamins and minerals such as milk, fish and soybeans.
Decreased speed - If you think your pace is on a decline then you might not be getting enough energy before your workout. You’ll need to eat some type of carbohydrate at least 1 hour before your training session, if you want to increase your speed.
Low Motivation - Losing drive is often a sign of exhaustion. Proper diet and nutrition and enough rest will bring back your initiative in no time. Make it a habit to eat small meals over the course of a day. Professional athletes are commonly known to eat mini-meals every 2 to 3 hours. This helps in maintaining a stable blood sugar level needed for training.
Your training efforts would not mean much if you’re not following a sound nutritional plan. Consider taking natural supplements, such as Stemulite, to strengthen your nutritional regimen. Eating alone is sometimes not enough and so supplements can help make up for any nutritional deficiencies. Take Stemulite together with a proper nutritional regimen to boost your training results and performance.