Postevent Nutrition - Essay Example

Post-event Nutrition Discuss the importance of post-event nutrition. What role does it play for the athlete Major nutritional challenges faced by athletes today include achieving carbohydrate and protein requirements on a daily bases, meeting daily vitamin and mineral requirements, balancing energy intake, maintaining adequate hydration, and food safety. It is very essential to choose the right food before and after the game to complete the nutritional requirement of the body as well as to provide enough energy for the athlete to perform well in sports.

For an athlete it is very essential that after rigorous training and competitions, the body must be refueled with right fuel and fluid to combat fatigue and to continue good performance. It is especially important to consciously take the right nutritious food to satisfy the energy requirement of the body. A post-event meal should help to restore fluid and electrolyte losses, replenish glycogen stores and prevent low blood sugar (SMCA n.pag 2nd edition).Inappropriate food intake during post event can have serious implications on recovery.

Post event meals are very important particularly for glycogen restoration. As it is a known factor that muscle glycogen is severely depleted for athletes, adequate recovery means that the muscles are rested, re-fueled, and ready to go again (Davis 2005). During an event the athlete encounters free radical attack and to overcome the free radical effects, it is important to take adequate antioxidants. Post event must also be the right time for replacing all those vitamins and minerals. These acts as co-factors in the body's enzyme complexes involved in the production of energy and vitamins which protect against free radical damage (SIS n. pag).Explain how and why an athlete replaces fluid and fuel.

The most critical factors that determine sports performance is the energy and hydration supply to the body. Similarly, after an event it is important to replace the lost energy and hydration. Athletes replace fluid and fuel by consuming both liquid and solid carbohydrate feeds. Since liquid is rapidly digested and absorbed into the body it should be given preference soon after the event. Fluids such as diluted fruit juices, sport drinks and water are appropriate for re-hydration after an event or even after exercise.

Within 2 hours of the event or exercise, it is important for an athlete to consume a high carbohydrate meal (SMCA n.pag 2nd edition). To be more specific, athletes may speed up the recovery by consuming at least 50 grams of high or moderately glycemic carbohydrates during the recovery phase when re-synthesis of glycogen is highest. It is estimated that re-synthesis of glycogen may take up to 24 hours and during this phase the total amount of carbohydrates ingested is important for recovery. Refueling basically depends on the body size and energy spent which is approximately 500-600 grams for an averagely built athlete.

If in case these fuels and fluids are not supplied then it can lead to chronic fatigue, injury and a slow but sure decline in performance (Davis 2005). The restoration of fluid balance especially in the post event period is an important part of the recovery process. Studies have suggested that effective re-hydration can only be achieved when both sweat loss and the sodium lost in sweat are replaced (Maughan, Leiper, and Shirreffs, 175-182). According to Shirreffs, Taylor, Leiper, and Maughan (1260-1271) at least 150% of the amount of fluid lost during exercise or a competition is needed to ensure complete re-hydration.

If lesser volumes of fluid are consumed, equal to sweat losses, optimal re-hydration may not be achieved due to ongoing urine production. In conclusion, it can be said that well planned post event diet that include correct proportion of fluids and fuels will help in fast recovery and in the future performances. Work citedDavis, K. Post-Event Nutrition (2005) MIT, 24 April 2007 Maughan, R. J., Leiper, J. B., and Shirreffs, S. M. Factors influencing the restoration of fluid and electrolyte balance after exercise in the heat.

Br J Sports Med, (1997) 31, 175-182.Shirreffs, S. M., Taylor, A. J., Leiper, J. B., and Maughan, R. J. Post-exercise rehydration in man: Effects of volume consumed and drink sodium content. Med Sci Sports Exerc, (1996). 28(10), 1260-1271.SIS, Nutrition for performance Science in Sport, 24 April 2007 SMCA, Nutrition for the Athlete Sport Nutrition Specialists - Adapted from the Sport Nutrition Resource Manual, 2nd edition, 24 April 2007