Every athlete dreams of their next personal best. To achieve it, you should not only structure your training correctly but also pay attention to your nutrition. Food provides you with energy, enables improved performance, and supports rapid recovery. Here you'll learn what your body needs.
1. THE BASICS OF HEALTHY SPORTS NUTRITION
In addition to training and proper recovery, a diet tailored to your sport and training goals is important. Generally speaking, as an athlete, you have an increased need for nutrients, which you should meet in order to beat your personal best.
The role of your training goal
The Role of the Training Goal: Your exact needs depend on your goal. This could be fat burning, muscle building, performance improvement, or general well-being . The nutrients are the same for all goals, but the amounts must be adjusted to your needs. Let's first take a look at the necessary macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Carbohydrates and fat - your energy suppliers
Not all carbohydrates are created equal. Carbohydrates consist of glucose molecules , which are strung together in chains of varying lengths depending on the food. The longer it takes for digestive enzymes to break down the carbohydrate chains, the longer they are available to you as an energy source. Accordingly, whole-grain products are generally a better energy source than a donut, which can cause your blood sugar levels to skyrocket.
If carbohydrates are not available, your body begins to derive its energy from fat [3]. The ketogenic diet relies on this effect .
To be clear, there is no such thing as THE right diet for everyone. Depending on their genetics , each person may have a certain type of diet that works better for them. Therefore, there are certainly people who benefit from a low-carb diet .
Proteins - the building blocks of your body
Proteins consist of amino acids , which, among other things, make up your muscles . This makes them especially popular among strength athletes. Stress during exercise causes micro-tears in the muscles . The subsequent repair processes improve muscle function and, depending on the training, muscle size. Proteins are needed as building blocks for these regeneration processes. But be careful: Even as an endurance athlete, your body needs sufficient protein for regeneration, muscle maintenance, and many other functions.
Proteins are therefore particularly important for regeneration and muscle building.
2. THE RIGHT NUTRITION BEFORE SPORTS
Before training, timing is crucial . Your stomach needs energy to digest a meal, which you'll lack if you eat too late. Therefore, your last large meal should be 2-3 hours before exercise.
What you should eat before training depends on your individual goals . The basic components of your snack are proteins . If you want to lose weight, you should eat little before training or train on an empty stomach.
If you want to build mass or are about to embark on a strenuous endurance workout, carbohydrates are essential. These carbohydrates provide energy and protect your muscles. Note: Although whole-grain products are usually recommended, you should avoid them, especially before competitions, due to their high fiber content. You can also have a small snack like a banana about 30 minutes before an endurance workout.
3. THE RIGHT NUTRITION AFTER SPORTS
For post-exercise nutrition, the targeted intake of the right nutrients is also important [2]. The exact composition depends on the sport you practice most frequently. Therefore, the optimal nutritional values for endurance athletes are different than for strength athletes, for example.
If your main goal isn't weight loss, you should provide your body with carbohydrates, electrolytes, and some amino acids immediately after intense training sessions. You can do this with a post-workout drink, juice, or half a banana. Then follow with a balanced meal approximately one hour after training.
These ingredients are essential for every athlete:
- Amino acids from proteins are the building blocks of proteins, hormones, and neurotransmitters, for example. Your cells, muscles, and tissues are largely made of amino acids. They transport nutrients, influence the functions of organs, glands, tendons, and arteries, and are involved in metabolic processes. You need them to maintain your muscles and for wound healing after injuries [3].
- Carbohydrates are needed so that the body can replenish its energy reserves. If carbohydrates are unavailable for a short time, your body may break down muscle.
- You lose electrolytes through sweating during exercise. Magnesium deficiency often results. This results in muscle cramps and slower recovery. Too little calcium, potassium, or sodium chloride can also cause cramps if your body lacks electrolytes [5].
- Zinc, vitamin B6, and selenium support your immune system after exercise. After intense exercise, your immune system is initially weakened. This effect is also known as the "open window effect . "
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YOUR TAKE-HOME MESSAGE ON SPORTS NUTRITION:
Fundamentally, you should tailor your diet to your goals and your sport . At the same time, there is no single right way to eat. Instead, you should experiment to find what works for you. The basic building blocks of sports nutrition are water, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, which you consume in amounts tailored to your goals and sport.
INDIVIDUAL REFERENCES:
[1] Jéquier, E. & Constant, F. (2010) European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 64. [ https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn2009111 ]
[2] Hamm, M. (2009) Riva Verlag. The Right Nutrition for Athletes: Optimal Energy for Maximum Performance.[ https://books.google.de/books?id=9RpRAwAAQBAJ&dq=optimale+n%C3%A4hrstoffe+sportart&lr=&hl=de&source=gbs_navlinks_s ]
[3] Gröber, U. (2018) Swiss Journal of Nutritional Medicine, Volume 2, pp. 22-26. Selected Nutrients in Competitive Sports. [ https://www.rosenfluh.ch/media/ernaehrungsmedizin/2018/02/Ausgewaehlte-Naehrstoffe-im-Leistungssport.pdf ]
[4] Predel HG, Weisser B, Latsch J, Schramm T, Hohlfeld A, Randerath O. (2017) German Journal of Sports Medicine, 2017 Vol. 1. Magnesium in ambitious recreational sports – an update.[ https://www.germanjournalsportsmedicine.com/archiv/archiv-2017/heft-1/magnesium-im-ambitionierten-breitensport-ein-update/?L=0 ]
