How Should Sports Nutrition Be?

A healthy diet and regular exercise increase muscle mass, provide endurance, increase flexibility and coordination, regulate our circulatory system and speed, and prevent obesity by providing weight control. Sports nutrition is the programs applied to increase the performance of the athlete and to keep the general health status at an ideal level. The body weight, exercise performance, health status and body components of the athletes who are fed in accordance with the program improve positively. The right nutrition program varies according to factors such as the amount of energy consumed by the athlete, general health status, weight, age, chronic diseases, and the sports branch he is interested in. For this reason, the nutrition of each athlete should be individualized.

In an exercise-oriented nutrition plan, the balance of protein and carbohydrate-containing foods and the time of consumption are very important. Carbs must be taken. Carbohydrates are the first step for muscle work and keeping blood sugar levels in balance. Research on this subject recommends a diet program that contains high carbohydrates (65% of calories are cho) during training. The higher the glycogen stores in the muscles are kept, the longer the body will be resistant. Complex carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, vegetables and legumes should be included in the nutrition programs of athletes. Our body needs protein in order to protect the body from external microbes and to reconstruct worn-out tissues. In short-term exercises, protein sources do not provide energy to the body. They only contribute 2-5% of energy in long-term exercises. Protein requirement can be met from animal products such as milk and dairy products, meat, eggs, fish, chicken, and legumes. 12-15% of daily calories should come from protein. This value can also be calculated per kilogram. Depending on the body weight, 1.2-1.4g/kg of protein can be taken daily. High protein intake can cause liver and kidney fatigue and excessive calcium excretion in the urine. In order for the muscles to develop, the amount of energy taken must definitely increase.

But they should not be from processed foods such as fast food, french fries. These foods do nothing but store fat in the body. With balanced protein and carbohydrate consumption, we can develop our muscles quickly. If it provides an adequate and balanced diet, there is no need to use additional vitamins/minerals in the diet. We need to pay attention to fluid consumption. We should try to consume an average of 2.5-3 liters of water per day. We should pay more attention to this, especially in the summer months. Dehydration, which develops due to water loss caused by exercise, decreases the leading performance.