Nutrition Facts for the Athletes.
Nutrition for Aerobic Endurance Performance and Recovery
· Aerobic endurance athletes need to consume 5 to 10 g of carbohydrate and 1.0 to 1.6 g of protein per kilogram body weight per day, especially if training for 90 or more minutes.
· Athletes who eat at least 4 hours before competition should include approximately 1 to 4 g of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight and 0.15 to 0.25 g of protein per kilogram body weight. If the precompetition meal is consumed 2 hours before exercise, athletes should aim for approximately 1 g of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight.
· Athletes should consume 28 to 144 g of multiple types of carbohydrate (such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose or maltodextrin) per hour during prolonged aerobic endurance exercise to extend time until exhaustion and improve performance.
· During prolonged activity in hot weather, athletes should consume sports drinks containing 20 to 30 mEq of sodium (460-690 mg with chloride as the anion) per liter, 2 to 5 mEq of potassium (78-195 mg) per liter, and carbohydrate in a concentration of 5% to 10%.
· Post-exercise, approximately 1.5 g of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight should be consumed within 30 minutes after stopping the exercise. Some, though not all, studies show that the addition of protein to carbohydrate postworkout may attenuate muscle breakdown and soreness and increase muscle protein synthesis. The ideal amount of protein and the time period after exercise in which it should be consumed are not clear based on the current body of literature and may depend on whether the exercise was performed in the fed versus fasted state and on total calories consumed postworkout. However, as a general guideline, at least 10 g of protein should also be consumed within a 3-hour time period after endurance exercise (sooner may be better, though the exact time period has yet to be elucidated in the research)
· Glycogen stores should be replenished after exercise and before the next bout of training. A regular diet with sufficient carbohydrate intake can restore glycogen over the course of a 24-hour period. For faster glycogen synthesis, athletes should eat or drink a high-carbohydrate meal immediately after exercise and at regular intervals thereafter. This is especially important for athletes who train again less than 24 hours after their training session.
Nutrition for Strength
· Athletes should consider supplementing with carbohydrate before and during competition to maintain strength and minimize muscle breakdown. In general, strength/speed athletes should consume 5 to 6 g of carbs per kilogram body weight per day. As little as 30 g of carbohydrate after training may reduce muscle break down. The ideal time period for carbohydrate consumption post resistance training has yet to be fully clarified; however, consuming carbohydrate sooner (rather than waiting) may be more beneficial. p2rUcularly if training was carried out in a fasted state.
· Because low glycogen can impair muscle force, athletes should consume higher-glycemic carbohydrates immediately following weightlifting or strength and power competitions if they must compete or train again over the course of the 24-hour period after their initial competition. Otherwise, they can consume enough carbohydrate over the course of the day to restore glycogen levels before the next bout of training or competition,
· In general, strength/speed athletes should consume 1.4 to 1.7 g of protein per kilogram body weight per day, even if their sport or training includes an aerobic endurance component. After resistance training, younger individuals should consume at least 20 to 25 g (providing about 8.5 to 10 g of essential amino acids) of a high-quality, high-leucine protein (2-3 g), while older adults should consume 40 g or more to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis in the acute time period after training, If the exercise was performed in a fasted state (first thing in the morning or more than 3 hours after the last protein-rich meal), the protein should be consumed within 30 minutes after the end of the session; but if the exercise was performed in a fed state (pre-exercise protein-rich meal or supplement), this postexercise time window may be considerably longer.
· Between 30 and 100 g of high-glycemic carbohydrates should be consumed after muscle-damaging exercise to reduce muscle protein breakdown.
· Adult athletes should eat meals containing at least 20 to 30 g of a higher-leucine protein.
Nutrition for Hypertrophy
• Between 30 and 100 g of high-glycemic carbohydrates should be consumed after muscle damaging exercise to reduce muscle protein breakdown
• After resistance training, younger individuals should consume at least 20-25g (8.5 to 10 g of essential amino acids) of a high-quality, high-leucine protein (2-3g) while older adults should consume 40 g or more to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis in the acute time period after training.
• Adult athletes should eat meals containing at least 20 to 30 g of a higher-leucine protein every 3 to 4 hours.
Nutrition for Muscular Endurance
• Maintain adequate hydration by preventing water weight losses exceeding 2% of body- weight. • During prolonged training or competition, consider a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage to delay fatigue and improve performance, particularly if performing after an overnight fast. • Fully replace glycogen stores before the next training session or competition.
• Consume protein after training or games to minimize muscle damage and soreness.