An Athlete's diet Pre competition/Performance and Recovery

     Proper nutrition is one the most important aspects of an athlete’s performance and training. A proper nutritious diet supplies athletes and individuals with the adequate nutrients needed to exercise and perform at high levels of intensity. Before an athlete engages in exercise or sport performance they will consume a variety of food, water, or sports drinks to provide their body with energy.

    Athletes consume lots of carbohydrates before their workout to supply their muscles with glycogen. Glycogen provides the body with energy and it allows individuals to exercise for long durations or at high intensities. However, it’s important to note that athletes consume the majority of their carbohydrates several hours before their sport performance or workout. An athlete will consume only a small portion of carbohydrates before their workout (usually 2-3 hours before) to keep their stomach full and prevent hunger during a workout or sport performance. The pre competition meal should contain about 200 to 500 calories that consists of carbohydrates that can be easily digested. Some good quality carbohydrate sources before a workout or sport performance that can be easily digested would include: juices, protein bar, fruits, milk or vegetables.

      In addition, foods to avoid before competition or exercise would include: pasta, breads, steak, and any other high fat meats or slow digesting carbohydrates. Foods that contain high fat such as steak tend to take several hours to digest and it is one of the worst foods to consume right before performance. The steak would be ideally consumed the night before competition or after competition to provide the body with the necessary nutrients needed to repair the broken down muscle.

    Slow digesting carbohydrates provide the body with most of its glycogen for sport performance. Slow digesting carbohydrates are consumed usually between 6-24 hours before sport competition or exercise. Some good slow digesting carbohydrates include: potatoes, oatmeal, vegetables, whole wheat bread, and brown rice. Athletes and performers should load up on these types of carbohydrates, as they provide the majority of muscle glycogen (energy) used for exercise and sport performance. Also, maximizing glycogen intake prior to sport performance or exercise will prevent liver glycogen stores from getting low, which will reduce the risk of hypoglycemia during an athletic event.

     Furthermore, it’s important for athlete to consume lots of water daily in order to store carbohydrates in the muscle. On average water is stored in the body at a rate of 2.6 grams of water per 1 gram of glycogen. This shows that in order to store carbohydrates in the muscle, an individual must drink plenty of water throughout the day. In addition, an increase or decrease in muscle and liver glycogen stores can lead to an alteration in body weight of about 1-3 pounds.

     Therefore, athletes and individuals should consume foods that are low in low fat and high in carbohydrates that are easily digestible prior to exercise or sport performance. Also, athletes should consume high carbohydrate meals that are slowly digestible within the first few hours after training, in order to replenish depleted glycogen stores and prepare the body for future exercise bouts. Furthermore, it's important to note that athlete also consumes a good quality proteion source along with their carbohydrates after their workout to ensure full recovery.  


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