A balanced diet is essential for our health and performance. And an athlete has even higher energy needs. A suitable diet providing the proper nutrients is therefore necessary. But what is adequate nutrition for athletes? Pasta, meats, or energy drinks? We will tell you all about crucial foods for athletes.
1. Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the primary energy suppliers for our body. They fuel athletes who should preferably consume foods with a low glycemic index (GI), for example, whole products (wholemeal bread).
2. Wheat germ: Wheat germs are the seeds of wheat that have not yet germinated. They contain many valuable nutrients, including vitamin E, B vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.
Our advice: in the morning, add a tablespoon of wheat germ to your cereal!
3. Vitamin C: Vitamin C helps neutralize free radicals. Our body naturally produces free radicals. In athletes, this production is increased by the increased effort. Even if our body needs free radicals to a certain extent: too many free radicals can harm the body (premature aging of cells).
4. Yogurt: Yogurt and other dairy products provide the body with various nutrients: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and vitamin B. Our bodies need these nutrients to strengthen muscles and bones. A pot of yogurt is an ideal snack – not just for athletes!
5. Banana: Bananas are a top-rated food source for athletes, and for a good reason: they are very rich in magnesium, potassium, and fiber. Also, it provides us with easily digestible carbohydrates. In short: it is the ideal snack before playing sports!
6. Toaster Bread: It is not advisable to take a heavy meal before sport. Light and easily digestible, toast bread with honey provides short-term energy and does not weigh heavily in the stomach. Like bananas, it is an ideal snack before any sporting activity.
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7. Potatoes: The nutritional value of potatoes is often underestimated. And yet, the good old potatoes contain many nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
Our tip for faster regeneration after exercise: eat a portion of potatoes (boiled or steamed) with spinach and a fried egg!
8. Lentils: Small but very nutritious: green lentils, blondes, coral brown. Whatever the color, small lentils are rich in protein and provide us with essential vitamins and minerals.
Good to know: lentils can cause bloating, so it is advisable to consume them after sporting activity.
9. The pasta: It’s well known: the day before a marathon, runners all get together for a Pasta Party – a pasta party. The goal is to replenish the glycogen stores in the muscles. Optimizing carbohydrate reserves is particularly important for endurance sports.
10. Eggs: Eggs are high in protein but low in fat and, at 90 kcal per egg, relatively low in calories. They are, therefore, perfect for rapid regeneration after exercise. But don’t overdo it: depending on the size, just one egg covers our entire daily cholesterol requirement!
11. Poultry: Chicken or turkey: poultry is lean (low in fat) but high in protein. And proteins are essential for building new cells or for repairing already existing cells. It is necessary to consume it regularly in physical activity but without overdoing it (unlike what some athletes do in excess).
12. Fish: Oily fish like salmon, herring, or tuna are very rich in omega-three fatty acids. Our body cannot produce these fatty acids on its own; it must absorb them through food. It is therefore advisable to eat fish at least once a week, and not only athletes!
13. The vegetables: By sweating, the body loses potassium, magnesium, and calcium, essential elements for many metabolic processes in our organism. It is therefore vital to eat several servings of vegetables every day; they contain these essential nutrients.
14. Nuts: To play sports, you need energy, minerals, and trace elements. Nuts contain it all! The downside: they are also high in fat and fiber, which can be challenging to digest. You should therefore avoid eating too many nuts before or during sport.
15. Energy bars: Energy bars can in no way replace a balanced diet. But they allow athletes to quickly provide their body with proteins, carbohydrates, and other nutrients. These small bars are therefore convenient for refueling during sports activity.
16. Water Consumption: Who says sport says sweating. And who says sweating says water loss. Even the loss of a small amount of water decreases performance. It is therefore essential to drink plenty of water when exercising. Depending on the sporting activity, intensity, and the outside temperature, it is advisable to drink between half a liter and one liter of water per hour of physical activity.
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