Sport Nutrition - Essay Example

"Sport Nutrition" is a perfect example of a paper on food and nutrition. Physical activities and healthy eating are connected. An individual eating healthy begins to become conscious of eating manner to boost physical fitness. Eating healthy only fuels sports performance by facilitating the building and repair of muscles following intense exercise. Furthermore, athlete performance is optimized in competitive activities and improves the overall health and wellness of an individual. However, there is a real difference in nutrients requirements along the designated spectrum of athletes.

Therefore, call for a personal sports nutrition plan and strategies to guide one on valuable nutrient uptake. In this regard, the practical application of sports nutrition knowledge is essential for curbing challenges of poor sports performance.Nutrients are essential in promoting the growth and repair of muscles for sports performance. One aiming to maintain a healthy diet has to consider seven basic nutrients in their dietary plan. Moreover, such basic nutrients range from beverages to food and are divided into macronutrients that the body needs in large quantities and micronutrients the body needs in small amounts.

Typically, macronutrients constituent are proteins, fats, and carbohydrates while micronutrients are composed of water, minerals, fibers, and vitamins. However, all six nutrients are considered essential for proper body function.Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are the most vital nutrients needed in an athlete’s diet. Typical examples of foods with significant sources of carbohydrates include corn tortillas, brown rice, whole oats, spelled, Fruits such as fresh, frozen, or canned own juices as well as milk, yogurt, and vegetables.

When ingested, they get reduced into smaller glucose molecules that are stored in the liver to be utilized as fuel during vigorous activities such as work out. Also, when taken in adequate amounts it facilitates muscle gain for proper body and brain function. In this regard, it fuels sports performance by allowing an athlete to compete effectively at higher calibers for a long time with delaying fatigue. Thereby, stimulates the attainment of peak performance by an athlete during sports competition (Hannon et al., 2020).Proteins Athletes need protein to primarily rebuild and repair muscles that worn-out during exercise.

Nevertheless, Proteins also facilitate nutrient transportation and enzyme production. Several foods supply proteins in varying quantities such as fish, eggs, meat, fruits, and nut. The time and intensity of work out is a vital factor to be considered when determining the amount of protein for consumption. In this scenario, the quality of protein plays major role in optimizing the aforementioned two factors. Importantly, the Optimal effect of Protein is generated when protein doses contain content of leucine of approximately 700-3000mg.

athletes are encouraged to consume protein sources with full complements of essential amino acids. Therefore, athletes should consider spacing the intake of proteins throughout the day (Huan, 2020). Fats Fats are the main source of fuel for long-duration, low-to moderate-intensity activities such as sports. Sources of fats include fish, dairy, and beef products. The utilization of fats to fuel exercise performance entails three major steps. First entails breaking down and converting fat into useful forms.

However, the process can consume up to six hours before completion. Second, involves transportation of the fats products into working muscles to be used as energy. Eventually, the last process is time-consuming and involves converting body fats into energy. In this regard, athletes need to keenly time when and how too much fat to eat for proper fueling of exercise performance. However, proper dietary fat facilitates blood lipid management, maintains endocrine and immune faction, controls inflammation, supplies essential fatty acids as well as boasting of the body composition of athletes.

Athletes should aim at low-fat diets so as to acquire more proteins and carbohydrates for muscle repair and growth.WaterStaying hydrated during sports aids athletes attain the best performances. However, when a sportsman fails to drink enough fluids, signs such as thirst, headache, and dizziness, low blood pressure, increased heart rate, flushed skin, dry lips, and mouth may hinder quality performance during sports. In this case, water is the best fluid to drink before taking part in sports. Water helps to prevent dehydration, muscle cramp and getting exhausted too quickly.

Therefore, Athletes are recommended to drink at least 1 to 2 cups of 250-500ml of fluid up to 4 hours before taking part in sports to stay hydrated (Meyer et al., 2020).Vitamins and minerals Vitamins and minerals aid the recovery of athletes from exercise and injury through the synthesis and repair of worn-out muscle tissues. Important minerals and vitamins for athlete's diets include; iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin B and D respectively. Foods containing the aforementioned nutrients include; dairy products, kinds of seafood, nuts, legumes, eggs, fruits, cereal foods, meat, and poultry.

Sportsmen are, however, encouraged to consume these essential micronutrients in order to promote energy production, hemoglobin syntheses, protect the body against oxidative damages as well as maintaining bone health (Bailey, & Hennessy, 2020). ConclusionIn summary, adhering to a healthy diet practice and having regular exercise not only makes one fit but also perform best in sports. Constantly eating a balanced amount of fats, proteins and carbohydrates go hand to hand with playing spots at best.

Formulation of a food guide for sportsmen will inhibit poor eating habits as well as encourage intake of useful nutrients essential for vigorous activities. Lastly, start your journey of being a successful sportsman by choosing more fruits and grain material for extra fueling during intense training as well as meeting the required amounts of fats by including at least 30-45 unsaturated fats every day.