Performing well in sports is not just a function of how many hours of practice the players have had in the last weeks and years; more immediate factors affecting performance are sleep and nutrition. Even an athlete with superior training must be physically capable of performing those tasks that they’ve been highly trained to do, and the best way to prepare the physical body is through sleep and proper nutrition.
Sports nutrition is a burgeoning field, as physical therapy and other related domains are. Being a top-notch athlete is no longer solely about practice and performance. Nutritionists specializing in sports nutrition adapt ‘average’ bodily needs to those of high-performance athletes. The most important factors in sports nutrition are proper hydration and adequate and appropriate levels of fuel…i.e. food.
While the average daily activity of a person requires an intake of 8 classes of water a day, athletes need much more than this. It is important to stay hydrated before and after activity as well as throughout the activity. This can be more difficult than it seems, because there is no ‘magic number’, only the fact that athletes need more than 8 cups per day.
In terms of eating, a high percentage of carbohydrates are needed in an athlete’s diet. Carbohydrates are the body’s natural fuel source; while protein is effective for muscle building, protein has to be converted before it can be used as energy. Carbohydrates (60-70%) and fats (‘Good ones, please) should constitute the largest percentage of an athlete’s diet. Protein is, of course, needed for building strength, but sports nutrition will never recommend Atkins as carbohydrates are the body’s first source of energy.
