Sports Nutrition All you need to know

We all see famous athletes running around the pitch all the time. Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the biggest football players of all time, Steph Curry, one of the biggest basketball players of all time, Usain Bolt, the fastest man on earth. All these players seem to be way too energetic. However, this athleticism is not gifted; their fuel consists of special elements to provide them with enough energy to do what they do best. Athletes do not eat Mc chicken from McDonald's for lunch and a slice a pepperoni pizza for dinner. They have a diet that is perfect for their bodies and supplies them the power to be fast enough and beat their opponents in every aspect Australian Sports Nutrition has gained a lot of interest over time as people have started to take care of their diets to get in shape. These golden rules will help you ensure that you are ready to be the next biggest Olympian and take the gold trophy home.

• No exercises while starving

If your stomach is empty and you need to work out, then you need to make sure you have something to eat before you grind in the gym. In case of emergency, when you are running late, grab a banana or something that supplies you with enough sugar to crush those dumbbells. In case you are exercising without any excessive diet or proper care, it will result in a waste of your efforts. You are just stressing your body and not gaining anything.

- For sessions that are 45 minutes or less: a piece of fruit would be enough. However, make sure that your body can digest the fruit easily and is familiar.

- For sessions that are an hour or hour and a half: These sessions require an energy drink halfway through the session to regulate the bloodstream with carbohydrates and fruitful vitamins.

-For Sessions that exceed 90 minutes: Longer sessions require more energy hence better carbs supply. You might want to consider adding a snack with the drink. A protein bar or boiled potato would suffice. Adding multiple items will help you last longer during exercising until lunchtime.

• Avoid skipping breakfast

Breakfast is the essential meal of the day for a reason. After sufficient 6-8 hours of sleep, your body needs quality food to start the day. Many people report that they are not hungry when they wake up. In such a case, try an egg or a glass of milk. If this is not enough, then try adding an avocado to your egg or a smoothie/ milkshake instead of milk; This will provide you with enough energy to work throughout the day until your next meal of the day and avoid fatigue that will make you hesitant to work as hard you could. Instead, a breakfast would kick start your day and unleash your full potential so that you could finish all your tasks beforehand.

• Plan your diet a few days before the event.

If you are about to be a part of an event where you will be playing the sport you have been practising for a day in and day out, make sure that you have a consistent diet so that your training sessions the days before works better and are more efficient. To make your plannings easier, avoid new foods that your body is not familiar with. Pack your days meal ahead of the time so that you do not need to eat something unhealthy, while in a hurry. 2:1 is the ratio between carbs and protein you should aim for. If you start your diet a few days prior, this will help your body digest food easier on the day when you are already stressed out.

• Recovery meals

Avoid skipping recovery meals. Recovery meals are extremely important and help you see the advancements in your body after training sessions. After 45 minutes of your training sessions, your body requires food to build onto the changes made during sessions which will ensure that your hard work was fruitful enough. The "recovery window" is open for a limited time (45-60 minutes after a workout) so make sure you intake the meal within this time frame. It is better to use liquid items as they are easier to digest and flows through your body. After the workout, grab a protein shake that is convenient and easy to absorb. Later after you get home, take an equally distributed meal that has every essential element; This will add to the hard work you have put in the gym and regain strength for an even harder day next morning.

• Snacks before bed

Before going to bed, get a nutrient-dense snack, which means a snack that gives you a constant supply of sugar and avoids instant sugar supply. Consistency in sugar levels is key when you are asleep. A couple of berries or nuts would suffice. Balance diet is essential as most of us are already aware, so make sure your diet follows the health pyramid and has equally distributed healthy fats, protein and vitamins.

• Conclusion:

Many dietitians do not recommend having multiple snacks in a day; however, when you need fuel for the sports, you want enough energy to keep you going throughout the day. As well as that, you also burn the excess fats when you are working out in the gym or training sessions. So if you do consume fats that add an extra calorie or two, they will eventually get burned during your regular workouts while you are sweating and releasing energy. Therefore, you need not worry about taking tiny meals; they will not give you a belly

However, following a strict diet is not as easy as it sounds; you first need to make up your mind that you will follow the recommended diet at all cost and will avoid skipping them. To change your body, you must first change your mind. Your hard work will truly show itself, once you do your homework without cheating. Everyone needs to have the right balance of food and drink, and those actively participating in a sport must be mindful that it can also have an impact on performance. Working more than an average human means you are burning more calories than an average human. Hence you need more calories to burn. There are many foods out there that provide fats that have a ton of calories. However, a few of these are unhealthy and regular intakes may result in diseases or worse condition as they build up. Therefore, it is important to follow a strict regime that has all the good stuff and excludes everything that is unhealthy and keeps you away from accomplishing your milestones.