There is no doubt that sport is a huge part of the Australian psyche. From a young age we are encouraged to play sport and exercise to ensure positive health and wellbeing. But what we often overlook is the role of diet and nutrition in sporting performance, not only in relation to training and competition, but also in recovery between training sessions and for long term health.
So which nutritional components should we consider to deliver optimal athletic performance?
Sufficient energy intake
It may seem obvious, but all athletes – whether casual or elite – need adequate energy intake to perform optimally. Since energy comes from the food you eat, it’s important to understand your total energy needs so you can maintain performance during training sessions, race days, and recovery times between sessions.
You also need adequate energy for overall health, and to reduce your risk of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). This occurs when athletes don’t eat enough to match the energy they expend during their sporting activities. REDs can lead to health problems such as fatigue, weakened bones, and poor performance, and if they persist for a long time, REDs can cause serious health problems with heart health, bone health, growth, and even mental health. To prevent REDs, it’s important that athletes get enough energy from food to properly fuel their bodies.
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Mind your carbs
Carbohydrates are macronutrients that provide quick bursts of energy to support endurance or resistance training. If you exercise daily, you should consume whole grain carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, pasta, and rice, as well as fruits and vegetables that provide carbohydrates, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn.
If you train for about an hour a day, you need a daily intake of 5-7 g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight. And if you train for 1-3 hours a day, you need about 6-10 g per kg of body weight.
If a training session or competition lasts less than 60 minutes, it is generally not necessary to take in additional carbohydrates during training.
For those training or competing for longer than 60 minutes, additional carbohydrates are needed to ensure peak performance, with athletes requiring between 60-90g of high GI carbohydrates per hour. High GI carbohydrates maximise how quickly nutrients are absorbed and delivered to your working muscles where you need the energy supply.
The best source of carbohydrates depends largely on your preferences and what you can tolerate. Some options include CHO-containing sports drinks, jelly sandwiches, crackers, energy gels, easy-to-eat fruits like bananas, and granola bars.
A place for proteins
Proteins are essential for maintaining and building muscle mass, but they are also vital for general tissue repair and maintaining a strong immune system.
Your protein intake will vary depending on whether you’re an endurance athlete or a strength athlete, but either way, you’ll need to consume more protein than someone who doesn’t exercise. Protein needs start somewhere between 1.4 grams per pound of body weight for endurance athletes, and two grams per pound of body weight for strength athletes. We find that most athletes are already meeting their protein needs, so paying more attention to protein intake may be more relevant for vegetarians and vegans.
Make sure you drink enough fluids
Although not a nutrient, fluids are an essential part of your diet that you should consider. All athletes should have a fluid plan – both to prevent dehydration and to regulate body temperature. On average, a person should consume about 2 liters of fluid per day. As an athlete, you will need to drink more, but it is difficult to generalize exactly how much. This will vary from athlete to athlete, as it depends on the level of training, environmental conditions (such as heat and wind), and individual sweat rate. When you do not consume enough water, your physical and cognitive performance begins to deteriorate, which will clearly affect your athletic performance.
The easiest way to check if your child is hydrated enough is to look at the color of his first morning urine. It should be a light hay color.
Should You Use Ergogenic Supplements?
Once you have developed a healthy eating plan that meets your energy and carbohydrate needs for your workout, you may want to consider using supplements.
The resources that are scientifically proven and do not cause harm include:
- Creatine Monohydrate is a useful supplement for vegetarians and vegans, as this protein is only found in muscle tissue. It helps regenerate your creatine-phosphate energy system, which is responsible for fueling quick bursts of activity, such as lifting weights, sprinting to the finish line, or flagging the football.
- Beet supplements contain nitrate, which your body, including the microbiome in your mouth, converts into nitric oxide. When this happens, your blood vessels dilate, transporting more blood (and therefore oxygen) to your working muscles. Since bacteria are crucial to generating this process, it is important that athletes do not use antibacterial mouthwashes or lollipops, as this will limit the effectiveness of the beetroot supplement. For performance benefits, the beetroot product (whether juice, powder, or food) should contain between 350-600mg of inorganic nitrate.
- Caffeine is a stimulant that reduces your perceived exertion, allowing you to train harder and perform better. You need about 3mg of caffeine per kg of body weight. While coffee is a great way to get the kick you need, levels vary greatly from coffee shop to coffee shop and even from one barista to another. That’s why athletes often take caffeine as a supplement to get the right dose.
As with any ergogenic supplement, it is always important to try it out during training before using it in a competition. This way you can check how your body reacts to it during heavy training. Some ergogenic supplements can cause side effects such as gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea in runners, cramps, nausea and headaches, so it is very important that you check the effect on your body.
it comes down to
Providing your body with enough of the right nutrients can make a huge difference to your performance and health. Remember, there are lots of great resources out there on healthy eating, performance fuel and health, so be sure to check out the Sports Dietitian Australia (SDA), Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) websites. For more personalised advice, speak to your registered sports dietitian.
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