How Should Sports Nutrition Be?

Healthy nutrition and regular exercise increase muscle mass, provide endurance, increase flexibility and coordination, regulate our circulatory system and its speed, and prevent obesity by providing weight control. Sports nutrition are programs implemented to increase the performance of the athlete and keep the general health condition at an ideal level. Body weight, exercise performance, health status and body components of athletes who are fed in accordance with the program improve positively. The correct nutrition program varies depending on factors such as the amount of energy the athlete spends daily, his general health status, weight, age, height, chronic diseases, and the sport he is interested in. Therefore, each athlete's nutrition should be personalized.

In an exercise-oriented nutrition plan, the balance and consumption time of foods containing protein and carbohydrates are very important. Carbohydrates must be taken. Carbohydrates are the first step for muscle functioning and keeping blood sugar levels balanced. Research on this subject recommends a diet program containing high carbohydrates (65% of calories should be cho) during training. The higher the glycogen stores in the muscles are kept, the longer the body will be resistant. Complex carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, vegetables and legumes should be included in the nutrition programs of athletes. Our body needs protein to protect the body from external microbes and to restructure worn tissues. Protein sources do not provide energy to the body during short-term exercises. They only contribute 2-5% of energy during long-term exercises. Protein needs can be met from animal products such as milk and dairy products, meat, eggs, fish, chicken and legume sources. 12-15% of daily calories should come from protein. This value can also be calculated per kilogram. 1.2-1.4g/kg protein can be taken daily depending on body weight. High protein intake may fatigue the liver and kidneys and cause excessive calcium excretion in the urine. In order for muscles to develop, the amount of energy taken must definitely increase.

But these should not be from processed foods such as fast food and french fries. These foods serve no purpose other than storing fat in the body. We can quickly develop our muscles with balanced protein and carbohydrate consumption. If it provides an adequate and balanced diet, there is no need to use additional vitamins/minerals in the diet. We need to be careful about fluid consumption. We should try to consume an average of 2.5-3 liters of water a day. We should pay more attention to this, especially in the summer months. Performance decreases due to dehydration that develops due to water loss during exercise.