SPORTS NUTRITION

Picture of Paola Boillos
Paola Boillos
fitness, nutrition, balanced diet, sports nutrition, nutrition and fitness, healthy life, healthy diet, how to eat healthy
Feb 19, 2021 9:55:18 AM

Healthy Eating sign with a beautiful day

Looking for a healthy life? Wanting to be fit and take care of your body? NUTRITION is the clue for this! Even if you are a top sporty person or even just starting up, you must take care of what you put in your mouth. Food is the essential source of energy and eating a balanced diet helps you get the calories you need for the day-to-day activities. It is not all about getting rid of snacks and junk food but eating the appropriate quantities at the right time. 😆😜

Moreover, some other benefits of keeping up a balance diet include:

  • Performing better activities and sports ✔️
  • Reducing the risk of an illness✔️
  • Recovering faster from long exercise✔️
  • Increasing your energy level✔️
  • Reducing high blood pressure✔️
  • Improving memory and brain health✔️

Here, we show you some general tips related to having a good alimentation:

pyramid_-_nutrition_4

5 GENERAL ADVICE FOR EVERYONE 🖐️

  1. PROTEIN is key-mostly for the contribution of muscle repair.
  2. Drink a lot of WATER-hydration is very important.
  3. Eat SLOWLY-so that you can chew the food pieces for a better digestion.
  4. HUNGER is the enemy-it is just psychological.
  5. QUALITY over quantity-give importance to what you eat instead of how much.

By following these simple tips, you might notice a difference in your lifestyle alimentation. JUST THIS SIMPLE!

Nevertheless, nutrition also depends on the sports intensity and physical conditions of each and person. In other words, there is much difference between those who are just beginning to be more active in order to have a better lifestyle those whose passion is fitness and are willing to meet severe, intense exercise or professional athletes. For the last ones, nutrition plays a very important role in their lives, which might need help of a sports nutritionist or dietitian.

Do not worry! Next, we have already collected some clues regarding nutrition and fitness, for both beginners and professionals.

CLUES FOR BEGGINERS IN FITNESS

Portrait of a fitness woman doing abs exercises isolated on a white background

As you may listen many times, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, since it helps you get the energy lost during sleeping. Just waking up and having breakfast can contribute to power your muscles and brain as well as preventing from illnesses such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Therefore, skipping breakfast is not recommendable. If you are exercising in the morning, please, DO NOT SKIP BREAKFAST!

A good source of energy for the morning includes fibre and protein. This is GRAIN CEREALS high in fibre and MILK or YOGURT. Moreover, try to avoid butter and add eggs. In case of bread, include whole-grain bread.

For the rest of the day, count on right carbohydrates since they help digestion and keep your energy during the day. Vitamins and minerals are also important for keeping your body running. Proteins such as fish, diary, legumes, eggs, and poultry are also vital for a healthy life. In addition, fruits and vegetables are rich sources of natural fibre and are low in calories.

When it comes to fat, the clue here is to pick up the right ones, including olive oil, nuts, seeds or avocados.

We show you personalised meals for the Pre-Workout:

  • Sandwich on whole-grain bread, lean protein and a side salad

  • Egg omelet and whole-grain toast topped with avocado spread and a cup of fruit

  • Lean protein, brown rice and roasted vegetables

 

CLUES FOR PROFESSIONALS IN FITNESS

Side view of a muscular couple doing planking exercises-1

Professionals in fitness probably look for specific nutrition to improve their performance.

Regarding pre-workout nutrition, it is important to fuel your body with the right nutrients so that you can perform better. In this case, carbs are vital as they increase glycogen stores and utilization while boosting carb oxidation during exercise.

Moreover, some studies claim that to improve athletic performance, proteins contribute to muscle growth and recovery, as well as increasing body mass.

It’s recommended to consume a full meal 2–3 hours before your workout. For meals eaten closer to your workout, choose simpler carbs and some protein.

These are some Pre-Workout meals for better muscle performance including the necessary nutrients:

  • Greek yogurt and fruit
  • Nutrition bar with protein and wholesome ingredients
  • A piece of fruit, such as a banana, orange or apple