The American College of Sports Medicine ACSM also notes the importance of consuming protein both before and after exercise for strength athletes. By contrast, endurance athletes would need to consume mostly carbohydrates and a small amount of protein roughly 1—4 hours before exercise.

Both the ISSN and ACSM emphasize the role of meal timing in optimizing recovery and performance and recommend athletes space nutrient intake evenly throughout the day, every 3—4 hours. Some people may find that consuming meals too close to the beginning of exercise can cause digestive discomfort.

It is therefore important to eat an appropriate amount and not exercise too quickly after eating. People who are training or racing at peak levels may find it challenging to consume enough food for their energy requirements without causing gastrointestinal GI discomfort, especially immediately before an important workout or race.

For example, the ISSA highlights the importance of hydration and carbohydrate loading for competitive swimmers. At the same time, it emphasizes consuming easily digestible carbohydrates, such as bananas and pasta, prior to events to avoid GI discomfort.

Athletes may need to work with a sports nutritionist, preferably a registered dietitian , to ensure they consume enough calories and nutrients to maintain their body weight, optimize performance and recovery, and plan a timing strategy that suits their body, sport, and schedule.

Athletes need to eat a healthy and varied diet that meets their nutrient requirements. Choosing whole grains and other fiber -rich carbohydrates as part of a daily diet generally promotes health.

However, immediately prior to and during intense trainings and races, some athletes may prefer simpler, lower fiber carbohydrates to provide necessary fuel while minimizing GI distress. The following is an example of what an athlete might eat in a day to meet their nutritional needs.

Breakfast: eggs — either boiled, scrambled, or poached — with salmon , fresh spinach , and whole grain toast or bagel. Lunch: stir-fry with chicken or tofu, brown rice , broccoli , green beans , and cherry tomatoes cooked in oil.

Dinner: a baked sweet potato topped with turkey, bean chili, or both, served with a watercress , peppers, and avocado salad drizzled with olive oil and topped with hemp seeds. Snacks are an important way for athletes to meet their calorie and nutrition needs and stay well fueled throughout the day.

Options include:. Athletes need to plan their diet to optimize their health and performance. They should consider their calorie and macronutrient needs and ensure they eat a varied diet that provides essential vitamins and minerals.

Hydration and meal timing are also vital for performing well throughout the day. Some athletes may choose to take dietary supplements. However, they should be mindful of safety and efficacy issues and ensure that their sporting association allows them. Both amateur and professional athletes may benefit from consulting with a sports nutritionist to help them plan the optimal diet for their individual needs and goals.

Many athletes look for safe and efficient ways to boost their performance. In this article, we look at six vitamins and supplements that may help. Diets particularly suitable for athletes are those that provide sufficient calories and all the essential nutrients.

Learn about the best meal…. What are micronutrients? Read on to learn more about these essential vitamins and minerals, the role they play in supporting health, as well as….

Adding saffron supplements to standard-of-care treatment for ulcerative colitis may help reduce inflammation and positively benefit patients, a new…. My podcast changed me Can 'biological race' explain disparities in health?

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. Why is diet so important for athletes? Medically reviewed by Alissa Palladino, MS, RDN, LD, CPT , Nutrition , Personal Training — By Louisa Richards on April 20, Importance Macronutrients Other nutrients Calories Meal timing Tailoring nutrition Example meals Summary Athletes will have different nutritional needs compared with the general public.

Why is nutrition important? Micronutrients, supplements, and hydration. Sufficient calories. Meal timing. Tailoring nutrition for sport type. Meal examples. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles.

You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Share this article. Latest news Ovarian tissue freezing may help delay, and even prevent menopause. RSV vaccine errors in babies, pregnant people: Should you be worried? Scientists discover biological mechanism of hearing loss caused by loud noise — and find a way to prevent it.

How gastric bypass surgery can help with type 2 diabetes remission. Atlantic diet may help prevent metabolic syndrome. Micronutrients , aka vitamins and minerals, are vital to eyesight, brain function, oxygen delivery, and a healthy immune system.

The range for how much of each micronutrient you need varies greatly from one to the next, and just like macronutrients, certain athletes may need more or less depending on what their specialty is.

And, not to sound like a broken record, micronutrient needs will also vary depending on exercise intensity. The dangers of dehydration are well known but warrant repetition. Athletes who become dehydrated can experience increased heart rates and body temperatures, which can lead to decreased performance and may cause severe damage to your body.

Then add how much fluid water or sports drink you consumed during your training session, and you get your sweat-loss volume. Tip: one liter of water is one kilogram, so half a liter is 0.

So if the 90kg athlete weighs 89kgs after a training session or competition and drinks half a liter of water, their sweat-loss volume is 1.

This number is less than two percent of their body mass, which is the mark you should keep your sweat-loss volume at. While this is a good strategy for most athletes, there are many cases where calculating your sweat-loss volume may be impossible — such as team sports, running, and biking.

And most of the time, these athletes underestimate their sweat-loss volume, which leads to them under-hydrating. The best strategy for these types of situations is to begin your training session completely hydrated — again, a nutritionist can determine how to achieve that.

The U. Anti-Doping Agency, echoing research from nutrition experts , recommends athletes drink about four to eight ounces of water at minute intervals. Electrolytes are simply minerals with a small electrical charge, which help the body regulate your heartbeat, muscle contractions, fluid regulation, and more.

Sodium, commonly found in salt, may be one of the most overlooked electrolytes. The Food and Drug Administration recommends people get 2. A lack of proper electrolytes can lead to increased heart rates and physical discomfort, and in extreme cases, can lead to heart attacks and even death.

After spending most of his life overweight, he dropped 80 pounds and took control of his health and fitness.

Outside of work, he still enjoys Little Debbie cakes but offsets them with rigorous hikes and workouts. View All Articles. BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization.

BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar Training Nutrition. Macronutrient Calculator Imperial Metric. Male Female. Feet Meters. Pounds Kilograms. Fat Loss. Muscle Gain. Sedentary: little or no exercise.

Very intense exercise daily, or physical job.

Breakfast: eggs — either boiled, scrambled, or poached — with salmon , fresh spinach , and whole grain toast or bagel. Lunch: stir-fry with chicken or tofu, brown rice , broccoli , green beans , and cherry tomatoes cooked in oil. Dinner: a baked sweet potato topped with turkey, bean chili, or both, served with a watercress , peppers, and avocado salad drizzled with olive oil and topped with hemp seeds.

Snacks are an important way for athletes to meet their calorie and nutrition needs and stay well fueled throughout the day. Options include:. Athletes need to plan their diet to optimize their health and performance.

They should consider their calorie and macronutrient needs and ensure they eat a varied diet that provides essential vitamins and minerals.

Hydration and meal timing are also vital for performing well throughout the day. Some athletes may choose to take dietary supplements. However, they should be mindful of safety and efficacy issues and ensure that their sporting association allows them.

Both amateur and professional athletes may benefit from consulting with a sports nutritionist to help them plan the optimal diet for their individual needs and goals. Many athletes look for safe and efficient ways to boost their performance. In this article, we look at six vitamins and supplements that may help.

Diets particularly suitable for athletes are those that provide sufficient calories and all the essential nutrients. Learn about the best meal…. What are micronutrients?

Read on to learn more about these essential vitamins and minerals, the role they play in supporting health, as well as…. Adding saffron supplements to standard-of-care treatment for ulcerative colitis may help reduce inflammation and positively benefit patients, a new….

My podcast changed me Can 'biological race' explain disparities in health? Why Parkinson's research is zooming in on the gut Tools General Health Drugs A-Z Health Hubs Health Tools Find a Doctor BMI Calculators and Charts Blood Pressure Chart: Ranges and Guide Breast Cancer: Self-Examination Guide Sleep Calculator Quizzes RA Myths vs Facts Type 2 Diabetes: Managing Blood Sugar Ankylosing Spondylitis Pain: Fact or Fiction Connect About Medical News Today Who We Are Our Editorial Process Content Integrity Conscious Language Newsletters Sign Up Follow Us.

Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. Why is diet so important for athletes? Medically reviewed by Alissa Palladino, MS, RDN, LD, CPT , Nutrition , Personal Training — By Louisa Richards on April 20, Importance Macronutrients Other nutrients Calories Meal timing Tailoring nutrition Example meals Summary Athletes will have different nutritional needs compared with the general public.

Why is nutrition important? Micronutrients, supplements, and hydration. Sufficient calories. Meal timing. Tailoring nutrition for sport type. Meal examples.

How we reviewed this article: Sources. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Share this article. It can then be used as a key energy source during exercise to fuel exercising muscle tissue and other body systems.

Athletes can increase their stores of glycogen by regularly eating high-carbohydrate foods. If dietary protein intake is insufficient, this can result in a loss of protein muscle tissue, because the body will start to break down muscle tissue to meet its energy needs, and may increase the risk of infections and illness.

Current recommendations for carbohydrate requirements vary depending on the duration, frequency and intensity of exercise. More refined carbohydrate foods such as white bread, jams and lollies are useful to boost the total intake of carbohydrate, particularly for very active people.

Athletes are advised to adjust the amount of carbohydrate they consume for fuelling and recovery to suit their exercise level. For example:. A more recent strategy adopted by some athletes is to train with low body carbohydrate levels and intakes train low.

There is accumulating evidence that carefully planned periods of training with low carbohydrate availability may enhance some of the adaptations in muscle to the training program. However, currently the benefits of this approach to athletic performance are unclear. The GI has become of increasing interest to athletes in the area of sports nutrition.

However, the particular timing of ingestion of carbohydrate foods with different GIs around exercise might be important. There is a suggestion that low GI foods may be useful before exercise to provide a more sustained energy release, although evidence is not convincing in terms of any resulting performance benefit.

Moderate to high GI foods and fluids may be the most beneficial during exercise and in the early recovery period. However, it is important to remember the type and timing of food eaten should be tailored to personal preferences and to maximise the performance of the particular sport in which the person is involved.

A high-carbohydrate meal 3 to 4 hours before exercise is thought to have a positive effect on performance.

A small snack one to 2 hours before exercise may also benefit performance. It is important to ensure good hydration prior to an event. Consuming approximately ml of fluid in the 2 to 4 hours prior to an event may be a good general strategy to take.

Some people may experience a negative response to eating close to exercise. A meal high in fat, protein or fibre is likely to increase the risk of digestive discomfort. It is recommended that meals just before exercise should be high in carbohydrates as they do not cause gastrointestinal upset.

Liquid meal supplements may also be appropriate, particularly for athletes who suffer from pre-event nerves. For athletes involved in events lasting less than 60 minutes in duration, a mouth rinse with a carbohydrate beverage may be sufficient to help improve performance.

Benefits of this strategy appear to relate to effects on the brain and central nervous system. During exercise lasting more than 60 minutes, an intake of carbohydrate is required to top up blood glucose levels and delay fatigue.

Current recommendations suggest 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate is sufficient, and can be in the form of lollies, sports gels, sports drinks, low-fat muesli and sports bars or sandwiches with white bread.

It is important to start your intake early in exercise and to consume regular amounts throughout the exercise period. It is also important to consume regular fluid during prolonged exercise to avoid dehydration.

Sports drinks, diluted fruit juice and water are suitable choices. For people exercising for more than 4 hours, up to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour is recommended. Carbohydrate foods and fluids should be consumed after exercise, particularly in the first one to 2 hours after exercise.

While consuming sufficient total carbohydrate post-exercise is important, the type of carbohydrate source might also be important, particularly if a second training session or event will occur less than 8 hours later. In these situations, athletes should choose carbohydrate sources with a high GI for example white bread, white rice, white potatoes in the first half hour or so after exercise.

This should be continued until the normal meal pattern resumes. Since most athletes develop a fluid deficit during exercise, replenishment of fluids post-exercise is also a very important consideration for optimal recovery. Without it, your body is more likely to break down and become frail after years of intense athleticism.

So, how much protein should you eat? However, no professional nutritionist organization has any real standpoint on when you should eat protein.

Instead, spread your protein intake evenly throughout the day — about grams per meal. This can range anywhere from five grams per kilogram of body weight to 12 grams for endurance athletes.

The following are some loose guidelines based on prior research but check with your nutritionist to hammer out a strategy that works best for your needs. One study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine states athletes seem to benefit from eating to grams of carbs about three to four hours before an athletic event.

This gives the body enough time to digest the carbs and turn them into energy. The same study also said athletes should aim for 30 to 60 grams of carbs during exercise to maintain blood sugar levels. After the event, aim for about 1. This advice is in line with the recommendations laid out by the International Society of Sports Nutrition, which also stresses these food sources should be of high quality.

Focus on complex carbohydrates like brown rice, vegetables, and whole grains over simple sugars and junk food. Here are some carbohydrates that all athletes should incorporate into their diets, as suggested by the Mayo Clinic. Fats are no stranger to controversy, especially since they live up to their name by being more fattening — they pack nine calories per gram, compared to four per gram from protein and carbs.

Similarly, hormones like testosterone need fat. Multiple studies have found that lower-fat diets are linked with decreased testosterone in athletes, leading to reduced muscle mass and frail bones.

Micronutrients , aka vitamins and minerals, are vital to eyesight, brain function, oxygen delivery, and a healthy immune system. The range for how much of each micronutrient you need varies greatly from one to the next, and just like macronutrients, certain athletes may need more or less depending on what their specialty is.

And, not to sound like a broken record, micronutrient needs will also vary depending on exercise intensity. The dangers of dehydration are well known but warrant repetition.

Athletes who become dehydrated can experience increased heart rates and body temperatures, which can lead to decreased performance and may cause severe damage to your body. Then add how much fluid water or sports drink you consumed during your training session, and you get your sweat-loss volume.