How Should Sports Nutrition Be?

When the athlete has a healthy diet, a suitable lifestyle and accompanied by appropriate training, his/her performance increases positively.

Among the factors affecting a person's diet, a person's physical activity status is also important. For people with an active sports life, the type of sports, duration and frequency of sports also affect the diet and nutritional needs.

It pays attention to the type, amount and timing of fluids and macronutrients the athlete consumes. Additionally, it determines how and how much vitamin, mineral and supplements should be used.

Energy and nutritional requirements vary according to age, gender, weight, height, sport branch and frequency.

Regardless of the sport you do, you need to have a nutrition program according to the sport you do.

What is the Importance of Nutrition for an Athlete?

The criteria that determine the athlete's success can be listed as regular training, physical-spiritual motivation and a nutrition program suitable for the sport. It is inevitable that athletes who do not eat appropriately for the sport they do will have difficulty in both maintaining training continuity and maintaining physical and spiritual motivation. Therefore, it is possible to say that the most important criterion for an athlete's success is having the right nutrition program.

Performance in sports is directly proportional to the energy received through nutrition. If a person does not fully meet the calorie needs of his sport with the right food groups, he will experience poor performance in sports. The correct nutrition plan, combined with the training program, improves the athlete's endurance, increases motivation and maximizes athletic performance. In order to have an adequate and balanced diet, each individual must fully meet their daily carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamin, mineral and water needs.

These needs are shaped according to the person's age, gender, physical and mental health status, daily activity level and metabolic characteristics. For professional athlete nutrition, in addition to all these, the sport branch must be taken into consideration and the daily calorie and nutrient needs must be recalculated. Only in this way is the athlete's general health level improved and protected, resistance to injuries increased, and faster recovery in case of possible injury.

How Should Sports Nutrition Be?

When creating a nutrition plan for athletes, the daily energy requirement of the sport should be taken into consideration and the distribution of nutrients should be made accordingly.

Accordingly, sports branches are divided into 6 groups: endurance sports, sports that require endurance and strength, combat sports, team sports, strength sports and quick strength sports.

Endurance sports include sports such as medium/long distance running, 20-25 km walking and marathons.

The nutrition plan for athletes in this group should be created so that 60% of the daily energy need is obtained from carbohydrates, 25% from fats and 15% from proteins.

Sports that require continuity of strength along with endurance are sports such as speed rowing, cycling, swimming over 200 meters, canoeing, mountaineering and ice skating.

In these sports, the need for energy obtained from carbohydrates decreases slightly; The need for fat and protein increases.

For the healthy nutrition of people who prefer sports in this group, 56% of their daily energy needs should be met from carbohydrates, 27% from fats and 17% from proteins.

In combat sports such as boxing, wrestling, judo, karate and taekwondo, this ratio changes to 50% carbohydrates, 30% fat and 20% protein. In team sports such as football, basketball, tennis, handball, water polo and hockey, the calorie requirement from carbohydrates increases.

For athletes who prefer such sports, the nutrition plan should be arranged as 60% carbohydrates, 25% fat and 15% protein.

Strength sports are sports such as weightlifting, discus, shot put and hammer.

People who prefer sports in this group should consume foods containing 50% carbohydrates, 30% fat and 20% protein, just like those who prefer combat sports.

Short runs between 100-400 meters, ice skating up to 500 meters, swimming up to 100 meters, volleyball, gymnastics, fencing, table tennis, gymnastics, decathlon, skiing and jumping are called quick strength sports.

The nutritional distribution of the daily energy required in these sports areas is 55-60% carbohydrates, 25-30% fat and 15% protein.

Points to consider in nutrition before exercise:

• Food and beverages provide the necessary fuel for our bodies.
• Athletes need to be careful about their food and beverage choices because they have higher energy needs.
• Food and beverage selection and timing of nutrition positively affect training and competition performance.
• Energy is stored in muscles.
• The meal before exercise should be easy to digest.
• New experiments with foods and beverages should not be made.
• Since proteins and fats are digested slowly, they should be consumed sparingly and complex carbohydrates should be preferred.
• Foods with high fiber content, such as raw vegetables and fruits and legumes, should be avoided.
• Vegetable dishes that can cause gas, such as cabbage and cauliflower, should not be eaten. Food before the competition should be eaten slowly and chewed thoroughly.
• New foods should not be tried a day or two before the competition.
• A newly tried food and drink; It may cause negative consequences such as nausea, cramps and diarrhea.
• Be sure to consume a main meal 3-4 hours before exercising.
• Have a snack half an hour to an hour before exercise.
• You should consume enough fluids before exercising and drink approximately 500-550 ml of water.
• Thus, we can prevent diseases that may occur as a result of heat-related fluid loss.

Points to consider in nutrition after sports:

• Muscles are damaged during high-intensity exercises.
• Consuming the right food and drink at the right time after training reduces muscle damage, makes the athlete ready for the next training and allows faster recovery.
• After exercising, you should take quality protein to repair tissues and replenish stores.
• For this, instead of protein powders; Take advantage of the quality proteins in meat, eggs, milk and dairy products.
• Consuming adequate complex carbohydrates after exercise stimulates the resynthesis of muscle glycogen.
• Consume enough protein along with complex carbohydrates for better tolerance, especially after exercise.
• Within 3 hours after exercise, foods such as meat, milk and eggs containing essential amino acids and quality protein increase muscle protein synthesis.
• If you consume carbohydrates and protein together after strength exercise, it supports your muscle tissue. It positively affects your body composition.
• You can consume milk and fruit as a snack after exercise. In this way, you get carbohydrates and protein together and support your muscle tissue.
• Fluid intake after exercise is very important for electrolyte balance.
• You should supplement fluids according to the body weight you lose and drink approximately 200-300ml of water every 20 minutes.

Sports Nutrition is of vital importance, in order to avoid negative health problems; Please only seek professional support from "Dieticians" on this matter.