Sports Nutrition & Weight Loss
-
Sports Nutrition
-
Sports nutrition equates to the nutritional guidelines regarding carbohydrates, protein and fluid intake in regards to athletic performance. Medical research has shown that optimal nutrition improves physical activity and the body's ability to recover after strenuous activity. By consuming the correct foods and fluids before, during and after an athletic event, the body will be able to maximize performance, maintain blood glucose levels--which help the body maintain energy levels--and improve recovery time. Most diets created by sports nutritionists are heavy on carbohydrates and low in fats.
Weight Loss
-
Weight loss Professional athletes and average individuals can benefit from the dietary format behind a sports nutrition program. These programs are designed to help the body reach peak fitness levels. Weight loss is something that both athletes and the average person are often working towards, which can be achieved by following a sports nutrition diet.
Sports Nutrition and Losing Weight
-
When aiming to lose weight on a sports nutrition program, experts typically recommend that the individual lose the weight gradually. Sports nutrition programs do not recommend losing any more than 1.5 percent of body weight per week. Even when aiming to lose weight, sports nutrition dietary programs promote a balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. To achieve weight loss, sports nutritionists recommend that you consume fewer calories per day than your body burns per day.
Warnings
-
The body requires a proper balance of nutrients, vitamins, protein, carbohydrates and fats to perform properly. By eliminating any of these sources, you will not properly fuel your body. Often individuals aim to lose weight through unhealthy methods, such as excessive exercise or severely restricting calorie intake. These behaviors have detrimental effects upon the body and therefore are not supported by sports nutritionists.
Dietary Plan
-
To help achieve weight loss, try following the guidelines behind sports nutrition. Fluid recommendations for sports nutrition include drinking at least two quarts of water per day and drinking two to three cups of water per pound of weight lost when working out. When following a sports nutrition diet, you should eat a diet that has about 60 to 70 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates. Recommended sources of carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, whole grain pastas, whole grain breads and brown rice. Regarding lean proteins, aim to eat 12 to 15 percent of your daily calories from lean proteins. Recommended sources include poultry, fish, nuts, low-fat dairy products, beans, eggs and nuts. Finally, sports nutritionist recommend eating a diet that has no more than 20 to 30 percent of daily calories from fat.
-