John Myers
Can you finally run a marathon? Increase your own muscle strength. Balanced sports nutrition also depends on what your personal goal is. Read here which diet suits which sport!
Sports nutrition – just as important as a good training plan
In addition to a good training plan, a tailored nutrition plan is also important for an athlete in order to achieve optimal performance. The nutrition plan supplements the training and shows when, what and how much is eaten. Regardless of whether you start in an official competition or only do sports for your own fitness, the right sports nutrition will help you to successfully achieve your goal.
Weight training or endurance sport?
Both sports include a good quality and balanced diet. During exercise, nutrients are lost through exertion and sweating. The additional requirement, especially for vitamins and minerals, must therefore be covered. If you don’t know your own daily requirement, you can use a calculator to adjust your diet according to the additional requirement through exercise. Maximum strength is required in weight training. Under these training conditions, the body mainly burns carbohydrates. Therefore, with this type of sport, carbohydrate-rich foods should be eaten before, during and after training or competitions. A diet enriched with proteins and fats is recommended between training sessions. You can find nutrition tips for a flat and muscular stomach in our article on the topic of six-pack nutrition.
The End of Carboloading?
There are two schools of thought for the necessary energy in endurance sports: Some say that without carbohydrates as a first-class source of energy, you cannot do it. Extensive noodle parties by athletes are said to increase glycogen stores, while carbohydrates are constantly consumed through isotonic drinks, bars or bananas during competitions. Emptying the body and then filling it up with carbohydrates 3-4 days before a competition is also called carboloading. However, modern approaches show that a low-carb diet can also support performance. In contrast to fat as an energy store, carbohydrates bind a lot of water and thus take up a large volume. The body can therefore only store a limited amount, which means for the endurance athlete: If the store is empty, the speed has to be reduced. The low-carbohydrate diet, on the other hand, optimizes the fat metabolism. When it comes to mastering long distances, the body should obtain a lot of energy from fats at high intensities and thus conserve the glycogen stores. One kilogram of body fat can provide athletes with up to three times more energy in the form of kilocalories than glucose (simple sugar). However, a low-carbohydrate diet requires close monitoring of your own nutritional values.
Protein
Protein plays a special role in sports nutrition. Every training stimulus causes muscles to build up again. Protein is the building block required to build muscle. Protein and protein powders, which are rich in essential amino acids and also so-called BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids, which means branched amino acid chains, e.g. whey protein), can be ideal dietary supplements for protein-rich food. If you are on a meatless diet, vegan protein powders are also available. Protein shakes do the same job. After building muscle, our tips against sore muscles will help you.
Sports to lose weight
Sport makes you happy and can also help you lose weight. By building muscles, the basal metabolic rate of fat burning increases both when doing sports and when resting. More energy is used between training sessions than non-athletes. Losing weight therefore means: training, exercise in everyday life and a protein-rich and carbohydrate-conscious diet. This makes strict diets superfluous.
Healthy recipes for sports nutrition
Many varied fitness recipes fulfill the described nutrition plan for athletes and still taste delicious. Low-fat and above all carbohydrate-conscious recipes (whole grain products) combined with protein-rich foods (such as Serrano ham and Harz cheese) and plenty of vegetables ensure a balanced diet and guarantee the supply of important vitamins and minerals. A great recipe for this is, for example, a colorful vegetable pan with brown rice and chicken breast fillet. You can find ideas for the perfect breakfast for athletes here. The right fitness snack can also make a difference during training.
