Exercising is very important for being healthy. However, since the energy used while doing sports is high, attention is also paid to the diet. For this reason, it is important for people involved in sports to gain awareness about nutrition in sports. The sports nutrition in question is a nutrition program that can vary from person to person, which is created in order to make the training of athletes and their performance during sports more efficient. Regardless of the sport, nutrition is also very important in addition to exercise in order to get effective results from the sport, to lead a healthier life and to have a more fit appearance. At the same time, what are the nutritional recommendations for athletes who have a great place in order to increase endurance, provide concentration and get high efficiency?
How should sports nutrition be?
Nutrition programs prepared for athletes differ from a normal nutrition program. Many factors such as gender, age, level of exercise, and both physical and psychological health status are determinants in the nutrition program special for athletes. In addition, it is also evaluated in which branch the athlete does sports. In accordance with all these, the most accurate program is prepared under expert control.
Another important point here is that the effect of sports on daily energy intake is taken into account when creating a diet for athletes. A diet specific to each sport can be mentioned, and these programs also vary from person to person. Athlete nutrition is basically aimed at protecting the health of the athlete as well as maximizing his current potential. For this reason, a low or unbalanced diet will affect the performance of the athlete. General points to be considered in sports nutrition and nutritional recommendations for athletes:
- More fluid should be consumed to maintain fluid balance.
- The prepared nutrition program should be prepared in a way that does not leave the athlete hungry.
- Foods that provide energy to the athlete should be given more space.
- It is important for the athlete to include more easily digestible foods in the program.
- Oils should be kept as far away as possible.
- Cooked vegetables and fruits should be preferred rather than foods with high pulp content.
- The fruits included in the program should be eaten as compote and without peel.
How should a sports breakfast be?
It is possible to say that a breakfast prepared for athletes has a wide range of options. These options may differ according to the muscle ratio in the person’s body and the sport he has done. At this point, the issue to be considered is nutritional values. Foods that can be included in an athlete’s breakfast are as follows:
- Unsweetened Peanuts and Peanut Butter
- Fruits and vegetables
- Milk and dairy products (cheese, yogurt, soy or almond milk)
- Raw Nuts
- Egg
- Oat
- unsweetened coffee
- Olive
- Olive oil
- Green tea with nettle or lemon
- fresh spices
- Honey
What are the foods that will meet the energy needs while doing sports?
The amount of energy consumed by the body can vary according to the intensity of the training. The important thing here is to replace this spent energy. Foods that will meet the energy needs and how to eat while exercising:
- Banana is rich in carbohydrates, potassium and vitamin B6.
- Oily fish rich in omega-3 and vitamin B12
- Caffeine-rich coffee
- Apple, a slow and sustainable source of energy
- Yogurt containing vitamins B2 and B12
- Lentils as a source of protein
- Avocado with B vitamins
- Beetroot, which has antioxidant properties
Sports nutrition list recommendation
Nutrition programs prepared for athletes are tailored to the individual. Nutrition lists prepared by considering certain criteria help athletes in this regard. Tailor-made programs make the sport more efficient. In general terms, we can talk about a sample sports nutrition list as follows:
Breakfast:
- 1 slice of low-fat feta cheese
- 5 low-salt olives
- 5 egg whites and 1 whole egg
- Oil-free and unsalted raw vegetables
- 1 slice of wholemeal or whole wheat bread
- 1 cup of nonfat yogurt
- 6 tablespoons of oats
- up to 1 teaspoon of honey
- Linden, fennel or light and unsweetened black tea
Snack:
- 1 glass of skim milk
- 2 walnut kernels or 10 almonds or hazelnuts
Lunch :
- Salad
- 8 or 10 tablespoons of vegetable dish with minced meat
- Grilled chicken, fish or red meat and 6 or 8 spoonfuls of vegetables
- 1 plate of nonfat yogurt or 2 glasses of buttermilk or kefir
- 3 slices of whole wheat bread
Snack:
- 1 cup of nonfat yogurt or 1 cup of skimmed milk
- 3 spoons of oats, 2 walnuts, 10 hazelnuts or 10 almonds
Evening meal :
- Salad
- 2 scoops of soup
- Red meat, fish or chicken meat prepared as steamed, grilled or boiled
- 8 or 9 tablespoons of lean pasta
- 1 plate of yogurt or 2 glasses of buttermilk or kefir
- 2 slices of whole wheat bread
Snack:
- 1 serving of fresh fruit, 10 hazelnuts or almonds
- 1 glass of skim milk or yogurt, 10 hazelnuts or almonds