Posts Tagged ‘what should athletes eat’

Healthy Diet Menu For Athletes

What Should Athletes Eat, Healthy Diet Menu For Athletes

Athletes and active sports enthusiasts require properly balanced and nutrition rich menus. Any healthy diet menu for athletes includes all of the basic food groups in a very definitive balance to support their athletic body in the pursuit, achievement and maintenance of peak performance.

No healthy diet is set in stone and there is a certain flexibility in the amounts and proportions of the required food groups depending on the main activity and training focus.

Athletes that are focused mainly on endurance require slightly different set of nutrients than those who are looking for maximum  muscle gain.

A diet for an endurance runner would focus more on including larger amounts of healthy carbohydrates, such as whole grain bread pasta, steamed vegetables etc. to give them  sustained energy.

Athletes looking for muscle gain would eat more protein, especially fish, to help gain healthy muscle. Please realize that there are differing opinions on how much protein is too much. Excessive protein can be counterproductive in other functions of your body. The key is not to eat protein to the exlusion of everything else.

 healthy diet menu for athletes is necessary for peak performance

Always make sure that you include all food groups. Balanced diet means that you don’t neglect any food group completely. Your body will not function properly on just carbohydrates nor will it function properly on just proteins no matter what kind of athlete you are. What we are saying is that the emphasis can be different but nothing can be left out.

Athlete diet menu Examples 

One Day Menu Example For Athletic Endurance

Breakfast:

Oatmeal with Nuts and Berries

Snack:

Protein Shake

Lunch:

Brown Rice with Chicken or Fish

Snack: Nuts

Dinner:

Fresh or Steamed Vegetables, Meat, Pasta

One Day Menu Example For Athletic Muscle Gain

Breakfast:

Eggs and Whole GrainToast (Rye if possible)

Snack:

Protein Shake

Lunch:

Tuna Salad

Snack:

Nuts

Dinner:

Salmon, Chicken or Beef with Fresh or Stemed Vegetables.

The carbohydrates in the first menu provide large amounts of available energy stores for endurance.

The second menu supplies the body with large amounts of protein to help replace and build muscle.

There are many different fad diets out there but a balanced diet always gives the best results.

By adding a little bit more protein or carbohydrates in certain places athletes can specifically tailor their diet to their own personal needs.

As important as healthy food is healthy hydration and the proper amount of it is equally as important. Please carry with you clean, pure water which includes minerals. Some athletes highly recommend kangen water. The body cannot function without adequate amounts of liquids. Even partial dehydration causes sharp decline in physical as well as mental performance.

Good and healthy athletic diet doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact it can be and is quite simple as long as you follow the above tips for a balanced and healthy diet menu for athletes.

By HealthyDietWeightLoss.org

View video below on diet hints for athletes, what to eat before a match, a race.

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Nutrition For Young Athletes

What Should Young Athletes Eat

Nutrition for young athletes is infinitely important as it is for all children. It is often claimed that athletic children need more nutrients, particularly protein, in their diet.

Young Athletes Protein Requirement

While kids who are athletically active use more energy and certainly require more calories to replace it, more protein does not, contrary to popular opinion, add up to more muscle. This misconception most likely stems from the deterioration associated with protein deficiency, an extremely rare condition among American children. Nutritionists recommend a mere 15% daily intake of protein for athletes, with 50% allotted for carbs the body’s primary fuel.

Young Athletes And Supplements

Another common misconception is that kids who are active athletes need more vitamins than children who are not athletic. While some supplementation with carefully chosen natural vitamins and minerals may at times be helpful, great caution is called for. Taking too many supplements can lead to an overdose. A healthy, balanced diet is always best. The need for  supplements  arises in case of poor food choices such as fast foods, junk foods and supermarket ready made meals when they form a regular diet. Even then no supplements can fully make up for a well balanced healthy diet menu.

Hydration For Young Athletes 

   

Fluid requirements, on the other hand, are greatly elevated during any strenuous exercise, especially since lack of thirst is not considered a reliable indicator of sufficient hydration. The Center for Disease Control recommends drinking water every 15-20 minutes before, during and after exercising, especially in the heat. Avoid drinking pop and all carbonated drinks and also bottled reverse osmosis water as it is devoid of any minerals.

Bottled spring water is OK. Some athletes and nutritionists very highly recommend Kangen water.

 

To sum up the key points above, athletic children need extra food-energy but shouldn’t change the balance of calorie-type ratios in their diet. Even more important than a balanced diet for an athlete is constant attentiveness to their hydration schedule.

Timing Of Meals

Eating  directly before a vigorous activity will slow athletic performance.

Sugar And Temporary Energy Boost Myth

The energy rush we get from sugar strolls by leisurely more than it rushes.

The body relies on stored energy in the form of glucose stored in the muscles and liver. So not only is the sugar useless, but it can even increase the risk of gastrointestinal problems such as cramps and nausea according to Suzanne Nelson Sc.D. RD, University of Washington.

Parents Role In Young Athletes Nutrition

Incorporate a little fun and variety in the menu of your young athlete. Keep in mind that meal times are a perfect opportunity to embed a positive outlook on healthy eating in your children. So try to keep it fun and avoid conflict. Also, feel free to indulge them in their favorite foods occasionally (variety is a great way to build excitement and a positive attitude towards nutrition). Just don’t compromise healthy eating right out of their routine. Consider keeping a daily food diary. It will help to make sure that you stay on track. Always remember who decides the menu. Balanced diet menu is healthy diet menu and it will provide good nutrition for young athletes.

By: Alex Tatarinov-Levin

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

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Nutrition For Young Athletes Lecture In Front Of Kid Athletes Video:

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