What does the athlete’s diet look like?

Proven content

Diet is a very important element. Regardless of whether we are professional athletes or sport is our passion, and the gym is a second home – the diet is important. First of all, the athlete’s menu is rich in large amounts of carbohydrates and proteins. The former are burned during training and later used during the regeneration of muscle fibers. Foods rich in carbohydrates are: groats, brown rice, pasta, wholemeal bread and oatmeal. It is worth remembering that you should not eat immediately before training. Athletes should also not forget about providing vitamins and minerals from vegetables and fruits.

An example of a high-protein diet

Protein is the substance of which all organs and tissues in the human body are made. After eating a meal, the proteins in the products are digested by the digestive system into amino acids. In this form, they are absorbed into the blood. With physical exertion, the demand for protein is greater. An athlete’s diet should contain approximately 250 grams of protein per day. The products rich in wholesome protein include: meat and its products, fish, milk and eggs.

How should physically active people eat?

First of all, food should be tender, light. It is worth limiting the consumption of products that cause bloating. These include: beans, peas, lentils, cabbage, onions, and garlic. It is better to give up some spices as well, i.e. vinegar, pepper, curry, paprika, allspice, bay leaf, mustard, nutmeg and mustard. Fat also plays an important role in the athlete’s diet as it provides energy. However, this does not mean that an athlete should eat fried foods. It is better to steam your meals by cooking or stewing them. It is worth remembering that fried food is difficult to digest and stays in our stomachs for a long time. Interestingly, vegetable oils should be used raw, for example by adding them to salads. We cannot forget about the aforementioned carbohydrates. Thanks to them, the athlete has the energy to exercise.

Each of us should remember that breakfast is the most important meal. For athletes, it is especially important if the training takes place in the morning. However, it should be remembered that the time interval between breakfast and physical activity should be at least 2 hours. This is very important. If the interval is shorter, blood can drain into the blood vessels that accompany the muscle tissue, and food digestion stops. Consequently, the undigested breakfast will remind you of itself while exercising. Abdominal pain, colic and vomiting may appear. Let’s remember the important rule not to train right after a meal. If we did not have time for breakfast in the morning, we can replace it with a drink that contains carbohydrates. Interestingly, proper digestion is also influenced by the time interval between physical activity and the next meal, i.e. lunch. The break is closely related to the intensity of the training performed. For moderate activity, 30 minutes is enough. If the training was more exhausting, we should wait an hour. This time is needed for blood to drain from the muscle tissue into a part of the digestive system.

Hydration of the body is also very important. Each of us should take care of this, whether or not we are physically active. During intensive training, our body loses a lot of water and electrolytes. When the fluid loss reaches 2 percent of our body weight, we should remember that our body’s efficiency will be 20 percent less. It will be more difficult for us to do the exercises. In extreme situations where fluid loss is very long, death can result. What we drink also matters. You should give up carbonated and cold drinks. It is worth replacing them with isotonic drinks or plain water. You should drink before, during and after training. However, we should take small sips and not drink a lot of fluid at a time. Thanks to this, we will not increase the amount of substances in the vessels, while taking care of the work of our heart.

Reading – a diet for athletes

There are many books available on the market that can help us establish a diet. Examples of readings are:

1. “Nutrition in sport. Complete Guide “Anita Bean,
2. “Sports calories, or a healthy diet for young athletes” Iwona Bates,
3. “Cookbook for active people. Race Weight “Matt Fitzgerald, Georgie Fear,
4. “Sports nutrition” Justyna Mizera, Krzysztof Mizera.

Everyone will surely find something for themselves.