Sports Nutrition

Sports nutrition is more than healthy food. It can be high octane fuel for well conditioned athletes. It adds a competitive edge that can make the difference between winning and losing. Pre-workout meals, post-workout meals, hydration, and carb-loading is essential if you want to compete with other serious athletes. Below you will find the nuts and bolts to fueling your body with sports nutrition that will take you to the next level regardless of where you are at.

Protein, Fats, Carbs

Sports Nutrition 101: All calories come in the form of either protein, fats, or carbohydrates. These are the only forms of "energy" your body uses. Get a grip on each one and we'll move on from there.

 Protein

Protein rebuilds muscle and other tissue. It is essential in muscular strength and endurance. The harder you train, the more you need to resupply your aching muscles. Read more on my

Good Sources Of Protein Page

• Recreational Athletes  should consume .8-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily.
• Endurance Athletes should consume 1.2-1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight daily
• Strength/Power Athletes should consume 1.5-1.7 g of protein per kg of body weight daily.

You should Never exceed 2 grams of protein per kg of body weight daily or you will surely risk kidney/liver failure and other serious ailments.

Calculations

To find weight in Kg just divide by 2.2 (175lb/2.2=79.5kg).

A 175 pound endurance athlete should consume between 90.6 and 127 grams protein per day. (79.5x1.2=95.4) (79.5x1.6=127)

If you are unwilling to do simple calculations and read food labels you will never gain the sports nutrition edge, and you should probably stop reading. If you are willing to crunch numbers and write them down then read on.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates fuel the body. It is the main energy source while exercising or sprinting past an opponent. The main difference between carbs is how fast it breaks down to usable blood sugar. There are high and low glycemic carbs. The higher the glycemic index, the faster it's turned into blood sugar. For more see my:

Glycemic Index Page

• Moderate Intensity Athletes should consume 5-7 grams per kilogram of carbohydrates.
• Moderate/High Intensity Athletes 7-10 g/kg. Long Duration/High Intensity Athletes 10-12 g/kg of carbs.

Fats

Fats get a bad reputation. The truth is they are essential to good health but only in moderation. For a trained athlete they should only amount to about 10% of all calories. The important thing to remember is to steer away from most saturated fats and run/hide from trans fats. The good fats are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. These are found in fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, and most plant based oils including olive oil.

Pre-Exercise Nutrition

To perform at the highest level possible, you should know the scientific research about pre-exercise sports nutrition. Click Here

Nutrition During Exercise

Fluid replacement and electrolytes are most important during exercise. See the newest research on nutrition during exercise. Click Here