Proper feeding is not responsible only for the health of athletes, but also and the results they are achieving in the competitions. Improper diet is not only reducing the competitive ability, but also can, according the given effort that the organism does during the training, is leading to the diseases, especially when it comes to young people, who have not yet reached its full development.
There are three basic characteristics that are common to all athletes that should be taken into account when planning a diet for them:
- energy needs of the athlete are greater than the needs of persons of the same age, weight and height, which is not involved in sports;
- due to the intense accumulation of muscle metabolic products, acidic reaction leads to decreasing of the alkaline reserve in the blood and the tissues, and is leading to decreasing of the functional abilities of the organism.
- The competition and the active training is followed by a big loss of water and minerals, particularly sodium chloride, and vitamins, therefore is required hydration of the organism with water, minerals and vitamins in the stage of active training and competition.
When we are preparing meals for athletes we should be avoiding foods that are hard to weld, as well as the foods that are producing large quantities of gas in the intestines, such as: pork, bacon, ham, pâté, hot bread, mayonnaise, nuts and legumes, etc. Other kinds of meat, eggs, grain products and cereals provide ashes acid reaction, and should be kept to minimum. Also the alcohol, coffee and strong spices should be taken to the minimum even it is good to be prohibited.
Milk, milk products and fruit, especially fruit juices, should be taken in big quantities. Milk has a big advantage over other foods, not only for increasing of the alkaline reaction, but also it compensates the biologically valuable proteins, minerals and water. Fruits, fruit juices (orange and lemon) and fresh fruit, especially one that can be eaten as raw (lettuce, carrots, kohlrabi) have a very favorable effect on physical fitness. Between the competitions, it should be given certain amount inactive yeast, that is an natural concentrate of vitamins from the group of B-complex and simple sugars that are easily and quickly proceed. It is recommended that honey or glucose should be given 20-30 minutes before the competition or active training, to make a reserve of sugar in the blood and muscles, which will be for quick restoration of energy, and as reserve for the muscle cells. This measure is necessary for long-distance runners and marathon runners.
During the period of resting, the daily amount of food that should be used, should be divided in three to five meals. In the active period, the foods must provide not only the necessary amount of energy, building blocks and protective substances and water, but must be so selected and prepared to avoid the interference in the digestive organs, like foods that are easily digestible and does not create gas during the processing. It is essential that on the day of the contest, the food intake should be at least 2-3 hours before the competition, and is recommended to be only one meal with a higher calorific value but less volume and weight, 4-5 hours before competition.
Aggressive reducing of the body weight through the limitation or even excluding or reduction of the food and water, combined with enhanced sweating in the sauna, or violent increasing in weight gaining by increasing of the intake of salt and water in the body, are measures that are applied in a sport where is essential the weight of the athlete, for the classification according the body weight, for example in boxing. However, these violent measures are affecting negatively for the functional and competitive ability, so they shouldn't be applied.
In young athletes, in which the process of growth and development is not completed, one of the best indicators of the validity of nutrition is constantly increasing of the body weight and proper height growth, the healthy organism and optimal functional ability. However, in mature athletes, the proper nutrition is reflecting as constancy of body weight, normal health and the normal function. These are the signs that balance is achieved between energy demand and quantity and biological value of food they consume.
We can say that during the making of the athletes diet we should be looking for the next food properties:
- virtually none of the foods are or would be contraindicated, and none of the foods are with great beneficial effect on the ability of the competitors.
- If the food is properly balanced, and all the nutrients are taken by the food, then, the athletes do not have the need for intake of the synthetic nutrients and vitamins.
- Drinks that increase physical activity and are stimulating the brain centers (coffee, tea, cocoa), can be taken in moderate quantities. All other chemical stimulators are prohibited.
The next post will be for the Herbalife Sport line food supplements H24 and the testimonials of the worldwide athletes which are using the H24.
No comments:
Post a Comment