If you participate in sports, and you don’t properly understand nutrition for athletes, you are severely limiting your ability to perform on and off the field. It is absolutely essential that you know what your body demands, when it demands it, and how much to give it. Follow these basic principles, and I guarantee you will feel healthier, more vibrant, and more focused….
Nutrition For Athletes Rule #1: Eat Enough Calories
Put simply, calories provide you with the energy you need. Everything you do requires energy, from lifting weights to sleeping. Although I generally don’t think it’s necessary to count calories or even keep a food journal, I do think it’s critical to know how many calories your body needs and to know (approximately) how many calories are in your favorite foods. An easy way to determine how many calories you need:
Body Weight (in lbs.) x 15
For example, I weigh 170 pounds. So, 170 x 15 = 2,550 calories per day. This reflects how many calories an active person needs (3-5 vigorous workouts per week). This is the amount of calories to maintain your current weight.
(Note: If you need to “bulk up” or slim down for any reason, one of the safest and simplest ways to do this is by adding or subracting 500 from your daily caloric needs) By adding or subtracting your calories by 500 daily, you are either adding or subtracting 3500 calories per week, which is equal to one pound.
Make certain that you are eating “clean” calories. Load up on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and protein. These are the building blocks of a solid nutrition foundation. Cut out (or severly limit) anything that is overly processed, caffinated, salty, or otherwise known as “junk food.”
If you drink regular soda, consider switching to diet. If you drink diet, consider switching to tea or water. And, if you drink more than a few alcoholic beverages per week, consider cutting back or eliminating alcohol all together.
Don’t be too strict with yourself, but do make a conscious effort to begin or continue transforming your diet. (PS: I hate the word “diet.” Notice what the first three letters of diet spell. 
Instead focus on changing your eating and drinking habits, instead of bouncing back and forth between diets. Soon enough you will be making heathy choices automatically and unconsciously).
Remember, that if you are training hard, you need to EAT. Just be sure you’re eating healthy.
Nutrition For Athletes Rule #2: Focus On Meal Timing
Just because you train hard or are a regular at your local gym doesn’t mean you are getting the most out of your workouts (or even healthy for that matter!). In my opinion, nutrition for athletes accounts for nearly 80 percent of any health objective, whether that be: better performance, weight loss, muscle gain, and general wellness. If you’re not eating properly, and at the right times, you could be doing your body more harm by working out than by not working out. (When you do any sort of exercise you are causing “micro-tears” in your muscle fibers, that can only be repaired if there are the proper nutrients available)
So, one of the main topics of nutrition you should be concerned about, at least until it becomes habitual, is meal timing. American culture implies that 3 square meals a day will do. Your parents told you not to snack before dinner because it would ruin your appetite. If only this article were around back then!
The new rules of nutrition, and countless research studies, suggest that you should eat and drink every 2-3 hours. Remember that I’m not talking about mindless snacking on Hershey Bars and Reeces all day long. Supply your body with nutrient dense foods whenever you are hungry! The more often you eat, the more your body burns. Shoot for between 300-500 calories meals roughly 6 times per day. Alternatively have larger breakfast, lunches, and dinners – which are smaller than you’d normally eat – say, 70 percent or so, and then have 100-300 calorie snacks in between those meals.
If you want a metaphor, imagine a fire….
You need to consistenly supply the right amounts of dry wood throughout the life of the fire. You don’t want to use wet wood or spray ligher fluid on the fire (although I must admit, it is quite fun). Wet wood represents foods that your body can’t efficiently use for energy. Lighter fluid is comparable to a sugary or starchy food, or maybe a highly caffinated beverage). There is roaring amounts of energy for a short time, and then nothing. Caffeine buzz, then crash. Or sugar high, then carbo crash. You get the picture…
Next, you want to make sure you time your meals around your workouts. I usually eat a small balanced meal about an hour before I train. I also make sure I’m properly hydrated. New research suggestst that even if your cells are dehydrated by 1 percent, your results and performance are severly limited. Drink at least 16 ounces of water before training, and then sip water or a sports drink during and after.
If you really need motivation to get in the gym and work hard, it is alright to have some caffeine before a workout. I usually don’t consume more than 200 mg of caffeine in any 24 hour period (about 1 cup of regular coffee).
Futher, it is IMPERATIVE to have a “recovery meal” immediately after your workout concludes. This is one of the few times that you want a “high-GI” carbohydrate source (high-GI carbohydrates are synonymous to sugary or insulin spiking foods, such as white bread or sugar).
In addition to a high-GI carbohydrate source, you want a fast digesting protein, such as “whey protein.” Even better is a whey and “casein” protein blend, which combines a fast acting protein, whey, and a sustained release protein, casein. One of my favorite ways to accomplish this is combine water, 20-40 grams of whey/casein protein, and 40-80 grams of dextrose or maltodextrin in an athletic shaker cup.
By using a “recovery meal” shortly after your workout ends, you will maximize muscle building and fat loss potential. You are replacing all of the nutrients that your body burned through during your workout. In my experience, this also significantly aids in helping reduce muscle soreness the following day(s).
Nutrition For Athletes Rule #3: Eat At Least 6 Servings of Vegetables and Fruits Every Day
As long as your stay away from sugar infused, breaded, or deep fried imitations of raw fruits and vegetables, you’ll be just fine. (Add potatoes to the list of vegetable imposters as well). In fact, you’ll probably be in the top 3 percent of Americans if you follow guideline number three consistently.
Your mission is to eat a minimum of 6 fruits and veggies that are as close to their raw and organic form as possible. I’m not saying you need to only eat organic, but fresh, unadulterated produce should be a staple in your diet and a regular in your fridge. Not only are fruits and veggies loaded with nutrients they will help keep you hydrated, seeing that they are mostly water.
Austrailian researchers recently discoverd that participants who reduced fruit and vegetable intake by 1 serving per day reported feeling much more tired before, during, and after workout sessions. Not only were they somewhat dehydrated, they had a shortage of essential vitamins and minerals.
So, this time you should listen to your Mom’s advice: “Eat your vegetables!!”
Nutrition For Athletes Rule #4: Eat Healthy Fats
When most people suspect a food is high in fat, they automatically assume it is bad for you. A recent example of this was proven by scientist who discovered that people that ate 2-4 eggs (with the yokes) had lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared to people who went egg-free.
Fats play an essential role in your body’s operations. For example, without fat, you cannot effectively produce testosterone or many other hormones.
You want a balance of fats in your diet. Monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and even some saturated fats. As you probably already know, stear clear of trans fat, a subcategory of saturated fat. Don’t be fooled by clever food marketers, who make claims that their food is 100% trans fat free. Many times, the FDA allows them to advertise their food is trans fat free, even though it contains significant amounts of this deadly fat.
Trans fats can be disguised as “partially hydrogenated fats,” so make sure you read labels carefully. Trans fats are most commonly found in: cakes, cookies, crackers, pies, bread, baked goods, margarine, french fries, potato chips, corn chips, popcorn, shortening, salad dressing, cereal, and candy.
Nutrition For Athletes Rule #5: Eat Quality Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are your primary source of energy. I’m not sure if you’ve ever tried a low carb diet, but one of the first things you will experience (for the first few days or weeks), is extremely low energy. This is because if your body has carbohydrates available, they will be burned for energy first.
Your muscles and liver will store carbohydrates in the form of “glucose.” When these stores are full, any additional carbohydrates are immediately converted to fat. Think of your muscle and liver stores as a gas tank. If your car can hold 10 gallons of gas, and you try to put in 11 gallons, 1 gallon will inevitably spill over onto the ground. The same principle applies to carbohydrates and fat.
Although there is a limit to how much glucose your liver and muscles can store, there is no limit for how much your body can store as fat. This is why it is smart to be mindful of how many carbohydrates you are consuming.
I’m not an advocate of very low or no carb diets. I’ve tried several before, and they are pure hell. If you thought you had bread cravings now….
Carbohydrates are incredibly important to sustained, healthy energy. When you eat starchy or sugary sources of carbohydrates, your euphoria lasts only so long. Work towards substituting high sugar foods for whole grains and fiber. An easy switch you could make is substituting oatmeal for sugary breakfast cereal.
One concept about nutrition that I like to keep in mind is that if you can trace what you are eating back to where it came from, without breaking a sweat, you are probably on the right track. Oats are produced in fields, M & M’s aren’t.
Nutrition For Athletes Rule #6: Load Up on Protein
Sentiment in main stream society is to eat less than 1 gram of protein per 2 pounds of bodyweight. U.S. Olympic coaches and nutrition advisors, along with bodybuilders and dieticians, suggest to aim for .9 – 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of bodyweight. (For me, a 170-lb active male, would be a minimum of around 170 grams of protein per day)
The reason active people need much more protein than sedentary people is because activity, especially strenuous activity, leads to muscle damage. With every step, breath, or bench press you perform you are causing tears in your muscles. Muscles are made of amino acids, the buidling blocks of protein. You could say that protein is one of the most important aspects of proper nutrition for athletes.
So, the harder you workout, the more protein you need to assist in repairing your muscles (and consequently relieving soreness). When your body doesn’t have enough protein it goes into a catabolic state, where body is breaking down. Catabolic is the opposite of anabolic (think anabolic steroids), which means body growth.
Additionally, the you weigh or the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn without doing anything extra. Compare two men, each 200 lbs and 6 feet tall. Man #1 is 30 percent body fat, and hasn’t visited his local gym since 1993. Man #2 is 6 percent body fat, and works out on a regular schedule. Man #2 will burn SIGNIFICANTLY more calories per day, even if they are both sedentary! This means, just to maintain his muscle and energy, Man #2 needs to eat more calories, especially in the form of protein.
If you are having a hard time hitting your target of 1 gram per pound of body weight, pick up some protein supplements, such as whey protein or casein protein. NOTE: Men, avoid consuming Soy protein products. They have been scientifically shown to seriously lessen testosterone production and increase estrogen production.
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Article Source: Nutrition For Athletes