Sports nutrition: 3 important principles and 4 groups of indispensable substances

Sports nutrition is one of the most important, even decisive factors in a workout plan. If you put in the effort to exercise hard but do not pay attention to nutrition, you will definitely not achieve your goals and desired results.

What is sports nutrition?

Sports nutrition is an important foundation for successful training. This is an eating plan designed to help athletes or athletes perform at their best. It provides the full range of foods, energy, and nutrients to help the body function at its peak. Sports nutrition is usually tailored for each person and can be changed on a daily basis, depending on specific energy needs and personal goals.

3 important principles in the diet for sports people

Diet will change depending on many factors: each person’s body, sports goals, work characteristics… Therefore, there will not be a general formula for everyone. However, basically the diet for sports people will be based on the following 3 principles:

1. Don’t skip breakfast

The first meal of the day is very important. According to a report published in the journal Harvard Health Letter, eating breakfast regularly is associated with a reduced risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. In particular, a healthy breakfast is very important in nutrition for sports people. If you skip breakfast, you may feel sluggish and lack energy during exercise.

A breakfast rich in fiber and protein can fight hunger for longer and provide the energy you need to keep working out. You can try oatmeal or other whole grains that are high in fiber and add some protein from milk, yogurt or nuts to your breakfast. If you love cakes, substitute refined flour for whole grains for the ingredients. You need to make breakfast a daily habit.

2. Refuel before and after exercise

When it comes to fueling before or after a workout, you need to strike the right balance between the groups of substances. Before a workout, snacks that combine carbohydrates with unsaturated fats will help you feel more energized and work out more efficiently. After a workout, protein-rich foods are a great way to help muscles recover and grow.

3. Split meals

If you exercise every day but only eat 3 main meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner, you will definitely feel hungry and lack energy. So, divide the energy you need into several meals a day. This also helps you to be in a more comfortable mood, better absorb nutrition and improve sports performance.

4 groups of substances that are indispensable for sports nutrition

Sports nutrition is a scientific ratio of a combination of macronutrients and micronutrients including:

Carbohydrates (Starch)

Carbohydrates (abbreviated Carbs) are one of the most important macronutrients for the body. The digestive system breaks down carbohydrates into glucose or blood sugar, thereby providing energy for cells, tissues and organs in the body.

The main role of carbohydrates in athletic performance is to provide energy. If the diet for athletes does not contain enough carbohydrates, the ability to function and recover will be impaired. Because it is an important fuel for the brain and muscles during exercise.

Carbohydrates are of two types, simple and complex. Carbs are simply sugars that are naturally found in foods like fruits, vegetables, and milk. Foods like wholemeal bread, potatoes, vegetables and oats are representative of complex carbs. Divide your carb intake into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks to align with your planned workout. Athletes should get between 50% and 60% of their daily calories from carbohydrates.

Protein (Protein)

Protein is made up of a chain of amino acids, which are essential for every cell of the human body and play a big role in muscle recovery and growth. These amino acids are essential but cannot be produced by the body and must be supplied by food. Protein is important in athletic performance, helping to reduce muscle soreness and promote muscle repair.

A common misconception in sports nutrition is that, focusing on consuming more protein to increase muscle mass without consuming enough carbohydrates. Note, if the protein intake is too high, it will increase your energy (calories) and can lead to overweight.

The current protein recommendations for adults are 0.75g of protein per kilogram of body weight. If you are participating in sports and exercising regularly, your protein needs can increase to about 1.2 – 2.0g of protein. In addition, the ideal time to consume protein should be from 30 minutes to 2 hours after exercise.

Fat

Fat plays an important role in providing energy for the body to absorb vitamins and minerals. These include saturated and unsaturated fats.

Unsaturated fats are considered healthy and good for health, they are derived from plants such as olive oil, nuts, fish… Healthy fats provide energy, help develop body, protect organs and maintain cell membranes. In particular, omega 3 and omega 6 are essential fatty acids that are especially important for sports nutrition.

On the other hand, saturated fat is found in animal products such as red meat and high-fat dairy, which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, overweight, etc. Ideal sports nutrition will maintain saturated fat consumption at 5 – 10% and for unsaturated fat will be between 20 – 30% of total calories intake.

Fiber, vitamins and minerals

These 3 substances belong to the group of micronutrients, they participate in cell structure, metabolism, provide energy for the body’s vital activities and are indispensable in sports nutrition. Foods including fruits and vegetables are rich sources of natural fiber, vitamins, and minerals. You should choose colorful fruits and vegetables so that your body is supplemented with nutrients from plants fully and comprehensively.

Hopefully the above information will provide you with useful knowledge about sports nutrition.