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There is more public awareness of the importance of good nutrition than ever before, for good health as well as for optimal athletic performance. Winning athletes often have a favorite nutritional program that they feel contributes to their success. Despite the abundance of food available, studies show that Americans routinely don't get the minimal requirements. We may eat too many calories, but we're often not eating the right stuff. What's the real truth?
Before embarking on a program of sports supplements or vitamins, it's helpful to go back to basics. The basic requirements are filled when we eat 3 to 4 servings of dairy (or alternate calcium source), 1 to 2 servings of protein, 4 to 6 servings of fruits and vegetables, and a variety of carbohydrates, especially complex ones, every day. If you're not eating that in your regular, daily diet, adding in what you're missing is the smartest thing to do. It's always better to get nutritional elements from foods than from supplements, as foods contain many beneficial factors that aren't even on the list on the back of a vitamin bottle. Vary your diet. If you're used to drinking that same glass of orange juice and eating that same banana every day, try grapes, mangoes, or some other fruit instead. If you're bored with broccoli, try snap peas or wintergreens instead.
If you're getting the basics, but want to improve your intake for sports, consider the following. As you increase your energy output, you'll need to increase your energy intake. Even if you intend to lose weight, it's healthier and more effective to increase your caloric intake a little bit when you embark on an increased exercise program. Fats provide the most energy per ounce, and will give more calories over a longer period of time. A modest increase in protein is probably a good idea for the very active athlete, though training doesn't require as high a protein intake as some people think. Again, food is better than supplements. Your body will get more value out of beans and rice or a chicken breast than it will out of a protein shake.
Be careful of supplements that promise to give you more energy. Anything with calories provides energy. Sometimes energy supplements are full of sugar, which technically does provide energy, but may not have any other nutritional value. Even more concerning, some supplements promising energy contain stimulants. And don't be fooled into thinking that products are safe just because they're herbal. Avoid sports supplements or drinks that contain caffeine, and especially avoid ephedra, and herbal stimulant also known as ma huang. It's an herbal stimulant that has been used for energy or weight loss, but has been associated with serious side effects. It's also banned by the Olympics, so don't threaten your eligibility for something that doesn't help and isn't safe. Read your labels!
There's no evidence that vitamin and mineral supplements taken just before an event will improve endurance or performance. But ongoing deficiencies can affect athletic performance. Iron deficiency anemia, especially in females, can be subtle enough not to cause obvious symptoms, but can affect performance and endurance. Those who avoid red meat for health or moral reasons have to be particularly careful to get other sources of iron in the diet. Female athletes should have their iron status checked periodically. Again, a varied diet that covers all the food groups should give you the nutritional elements you need.
What about sports nutrition for kids? Again, review the basics. A reasonable guideline for a serving size is about a tablespoon per year of age, or about the size of the palm. So just a few bites of broccoli may be a good serving size for a 6 year-old. Children have less glycogen storage, so during prolonged exercise, they need to stop for snacks more often than adults. They also tolerate dehydration stress less well than adults, especially if exercising in a hot, humid, or high-altitude environment. Kids and adults need to drink lots of fluids before, during, and after exercise. A sport drink with minerals and calories carry the right combination, and should be consumed frequently during exercise. If a sport drink isn't available, eating food with sodium and potassium before and after exercise is a good way to keep good mineral balance.
What should you eat on the day of competition? It's easy to get nerves and skip breakfast, but that's not a good idea. Eating too much heavy food too close to the time of a match can make you sluggish or nauseated. Eat a good breakfast with a balanced combination of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Make a potassium-containing food one of your choices, like a banana. While you're waiting for your match, don't let your blood sugar get low. If you wait until you're hungry or thirsty, you've waited too long. Carry snacks with both protein and carbohydrate. If you can't carry food with you, stash a sport bar in your bag. Keep drinking fluids while you warm up, before you compete, between matches, and after you're done. If you cut back on fluids to avoid the inconvenience of going to the bathroom, you'll be dehydrated, and you won't perform as well.
All in all, the basics are not that hard, and will carry you through. Put in premium fuel, and you'll run like a racecar.
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