Sports Nutrition For Athletes

By: Mark Simon

Athletes are always aiming to build their lean muscle mass to
increase their athletic performance. One key to achieving your
muscle gain goals is to have the proper calorie uptake for your
workout routine. Most competitive athletes know that not all
calories are created equal so eating the right calories is key
to proper sports nutrition.


Carbohydrates For Sports Nutrition

Carbohydrates
are the leading energy resource for building strength in
muscles. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the muscles to
provide energy for short, explosive bursts of exercise. The
harder and longer you workout, the more carbohydrates your
muscles need. If your stored glycogens are exhausted then you
will feel a drop in energy and find it very difficult to
continue exercising. If you continue to work out without any
energy stores then the body will start burning muscle instead of
fat reducing your exercise effectiveness. You can see why eating
enough of the proper foods for good carbohydrates is important
when building lean muscle through strength training.

Sports Nutrition Protein

In order to build
muscle your body needs protein because it is the foundational
building block for muscle tissue. The amount you exercise and
body weight will both play a factor in how much protein your
body requires. You should consult a nutritionist or personal
trainer to determine the proper protein uptake you need but a
general rule is around half a gram of protein per pound of body
mass for average athletes. If you are serious about strength
training and workout 5 or more times a week you may want 0.6 to
0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight.


Burning Fat

Even though your ultimate goal is to
burn fat and build muscle you need to include some fat into your
diet to keep your body healthy. This will help your body burn
fat and keep muscle along with giving you some wiggle room in
your diet. You should aim for 25% of your calories to come from
unsaturated fat.

Sports Nutrition Hydration

Athletes require more than the standard eight glasses
of water a day to replace the fluids lost during an intense
workout. It is a good idea to consume about a liter of water
during a workout and 2 cups of water before and after your
workout. This will ensure your body does not become dehydrated
during an exercise routine lessening the impact of your efforts.


Extending Energy with Sports Drinks


Protein bars and sports drinks (anything that ends in "ade") are
good for a boost when you exercise more than an hour a day. If
you workout twice a day or have an extended workout then sports
drinks are a great supplement for energy and hydration. It is
best to save the energy bar or some other protein rich food for
after your workout routine. Another option is a protein shake
designed as a meal replacement; although this may just be a
snack if you are really pushing hard. It is important to
recharge your body after exercising with protein, carbohydrates
and hydration so that your body is fully fueled for the next
intense session. This will help promote fat burning after your
workout and complement building muscle mass in future workouts.


Sports Nutrition Supplements

There are
many nutrition supplements touted as the best thing ever however
trained athletes should know that most of these products are
gimmicks. Since nutritional supplements including sports nutrition supplements
are not regulated by the FDA there is a lot of room for
stretching the truth. Seasoned strength trainers do utilize a
few supplements including whey protein powders, creatine and
fish oils.

Training With Creatine


Creatine is a supplement that helps muscles recover from a
workout and is a good way to speed up muscle building when
coupled with a solid diet and exercise regiment. Creatine occurs
naturally in some meats but you can take about 5 grams for 5
days for an extra boost. It is a good idea to rotate creatine
usage to maximize its affect in building muscle. Many athletes
take it for 5 days then take 5 days off and start using again.
Be aware that if you take creatine everyday eventually it will
lose effectiveness.

Remember to always consult a
registered nutritionist, physician or personal trainer for
nutritional guidance.

About the author:
Kornax provides discount sports nutrition products to athletes,
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