Sport Foods
By Mohamed Idow
About sports food
1. Mix it up – Eat a varied and well-balanced diet that supplies the right amount of energy and essential nutrients.
2. Fuel up – Eat plenty of carbohydrate-rich foods such as cereals, grains, bread, pasta, rice, fruit and vegetables.
3. Strive for five – Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day; fresh, frozen, dried, canned all count.
4. Refuel – Start refueling with carbohydrate foods and fluids as soon as possible after exercise.
5. Think fluid – Ensure you are well-hydrated by drinking throughout the day as well as before, during and after exercise, as appropriate.
Fuel up – carbohydrates No matter what your sport, carbohydrates are vital for the best performance. Exercising muscles rely on carbohydrate as their main source of fuel. The amount you need will depend on your training programme and dietary goals. In general, the more intense the training programme, the more carbohydrate you need to include in your diet. A diet low in carbohydrate can lead to a lack of energy during exercise, early fatigue, loss of concentration and delayed recovery.
Carbohydrates
Split your total carbohydrate intake into several meals and snacks throughout the day and always remember to refuel as soon as possible after exercise.
Always have portable choices such as fresh fruit, dried fruit, cereal bars and powdered recovery shakes or some low fat chocolate milk
Sports drinks, sports bars and carbohydrate gels can boost your carbohydrate intake around training and competition.
Protein
Do not let protein dominate all meals, leave enough space on your plate for all the carbohydrate – rich foods and vegetables etc
Always choose lean meat and low fat dairy products.
If you are a vegetarian you will need to make special effort to ensure that your diet provides enough good quality protein