The Nutritional Requirements of a Male Sprinter - Report Example

The Nutritional Requirements of a Male Sprinter 5/28 The Nutritional Requirements of a Male Sprinter Athletes have different metabolic needs according to the particular sport that they take part in. Every athletic game has its own training methods and there are differing nutritional requirements for each of them. The nutritional requirements as well as the training sessions also differ according to the sex of the athlete. The effect on the body also differs according to the sport. It is believed that the body fat of a male sprinter is about 6 to 14 percent. This is because sprints assist in reduction of the body’s fat content and it also improves the efficacy of the heart and the associated vasculature. This paper will primarily focus upon the nutritional requirements of the male sprinter. This is an important subject to this sport and the Dietitians of Canada, the American Dietetic Association and the American College of Sports Medicine share a common stand on the issue that proper nutrition is very essential for an athlete and his performance (Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research 2000 and Nestle 2009). The major Olympic event comprises of sprints ranging from 100 m to 400m. The major source of energy for a sprinter is basically considered to rely upon the anaerobic component of metabolism. The basic aim for the sprinters is the maintenance of a balance between the weight and the power. This is more important for already trained and developed sprinters. But for the new sprinters development of the muscle mass comes first and then it is the power that needs to be looked upon. After this phase it is essential to maintain equilibrium between these two factors. The male sprinters possess an additional benefit that their body fat content is naturally lower as compared to that of the females (Australian Institute of Sport 2010 and Sprintic Magazine). The sprinter requires muscle mass and power for these which basically come from protein and energy. It needs to be understood that a sprinter requires a balanced diet and just relying on one nutrient is not the optimal method. Rather it is essential that a balanced diet is provided for the sprinter. It also needs to be known that dietetic variations occur according to the situation that is a sprinter would require a different form of diet at the time of training and this nutritional requirement would change at the time before the athletic event (Tipton et al 2007). The metabolic pathways utilized in the process of the event rely upon the length of the sprint. A sprint less than or equal to 200 m relies almost completely on the metabolism without oxygen. This is done by the usage of high energy phosphates particularly phosphocreatine. On the other hand sprints greater than 200 m require the process of glycolysis. This difference basically exists because in the shorter sprints there is requirement of immediate energy and this can mainly be provided by the instant forms of energy which are the high energy phosphates. On the other hand the sprints which are higher than 200 m require a constant supply of energy and the high energy phosphates would be exhausted in these races because they go on for a prolonged time. Hence both the pathways are utilized for this form (Tipton et al 2007). The carbohydrate requirement of the athlete is determined according to the weight of the body. It is recommended that an athlete should consume 5 grams of carbohydrate per kg of body weight. This is important because when an athlete is getting trained the liver glycogen is used to meet the energy requirements by means of the process of glycogenolysis to maintain blood glucose levels in the training period. Thus to replenish this glycogen carbohydrate intake should be maintained to this level. An athlete who has attained the required muscle mass should have a maintained carbohydrate level but in case if the sprinter is working towards increasing his muscle mass he should also subsequently raise his carbohydrate diet for greater provision of energy. To increase muscle mass it is advised that immediately following a training episode a sprinter should be given a high protein diet. The reason behind this is that during the training session there is protein breakdown and a quick replenishment of protein leads to build up of proteins immediately. The fat content in the diet should be reduced to the minimal levels. This is because major source of energy for muscles is the carbohydrate and the aim is to basically raise the energy levels for the muscles to improve performance. The protein requirement differs from one sprinter to another and thus a generalization should not be made as per the requirement. This is because a new sprinter might require greater protein for buildup of muscle mass. Also glycogen is known to play a role in assisting the development of muscles by providing them with adequate energy. Other essential dietary components also play a role. These include beta alanine which is an amino acid which functions to increase the content of carnosine in the muscle. This is found mainly in meat. The increased carnosine in the muscle leads to increased activity of muscles and greater energy. Thus this improves the efficacy of the sprinter (Tipton et al 2007). Creatine also functions in a similar way and it has been associated with very excellent results in increasing the performing capacity of the sprinters. It increased the speed of the sprinters in the events (Tipton et al 2007 and Skare et al 2001). The liver stores glycogen which is utilized in times of need. At the time of the sprint the glycogen stores do not get depleted and hence it is not a pre sprint measure to give a very high carbohydrate diet. It is rather more important to just restore the liver glycogen levels to normal. This can be done by providing adequate rest to the athlete or the training should be reduced to low levels so that the diet can easily compensate to restore the normal levels of glycogen (Australian Institute of Sport 2010 and Sprintic Magazine). It is very important to understand that on the day of the sprint the athletes should not load him with food and the integrity of the intestine should be maintained such that the athlete does not experience any disturbances of the gastrointestinal tract. It would be very difficult to accomplish the event if the sprinter overeats and food should not be consumed at least an hour before the sprint. The athlete should have normal blood glucose levels and he should have a proper water intake to avoid dehydration as well. Suggested food items that should be consumed about four hours before the event include a combination of either pasta with any low fat item or cereals along with milk. Many other meal combinations exist and the main aim is to provide a high carbohydrate diet with a low fat content. This is for the maintenance of the blood glucose levels. With the decreasing time the male sprinter is advised to have a light diet as the recommended diet just an hour before the exercise includes sports bars or drinks that can be easily absorbed (Australian Institute of Sport 2010 and Sprintic Magazine). A healthy diet is very essential for sprinters and because many sprinters try to decrease their body fat they adapt strict dieting procedures which can result in low iron levels. Iron is an essential component for maintaining normal bodily functions and hence its levels should be checked to prevent any medical complications for the sprinter. Also it should be understood that supplement tablets are not the measure for maintaining the normal minerals and nutrients in the body. Rather a sprinter should understand the fact that diet has a great role to play in the maintenance of optimal activity for the event. Hence proper understanding of nutrition as well as its intake is important (Australian Institute of Sport 2010 and Sprintic Magazine). Proper water intake is important before an event and the sprinter can drink up to one liter of water an hour before the exercise. This is essential because loss of water takes place during the sprint and if the person has a low water content it can lay burden on the heart. After the sprint the athlete should again drink an ample amount of water and also eat something which contains sodium chloride which is actually lost in the form of sweat (BBC Sport). Thus it can be analyzed that a proper and well balanced nutritional intake is very important for a male sprinter not only at the period of training but also during the training period. A male sprinter needs to keep a maintenance of his muscle mass and his strength and this can only be achieve if he consumes a balanced diet rich in the required amounts of nutrients required. References: “Common Nutrition Issues.” SPRINTIC MAGAZINE http://www.sprintic.com/articles/common_nutrition_issues/ “Fuelling sports two different engines.” BBC SPORT. BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/athletics/features/newsid_3526000/3526024.stm Top of Form Nestlé. Food and Nutrition Communication / Ed. by the Corporate Wellness Unit. [Vevey]: [Nestlé], (2009) http://www.research.nestle.com/NR/rdonlyres/2243A5FE-E728-484E-AD3D-EA01CBE4DFE0/0/Nutr_Perform2010.pdf Top of Form "Position of Dietitians of Canada, the American Dietetic Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance."CANADIAN JOURNAL OF DIETETIC PRACTICE AND RESEARCH. 61 (2000): 176-192. http://www.dietitians.ca/news/downloads/sports_nutrition_position2000.pdf Top of Form Skare, O.-C, Ø Skadberg, and A. R Wisnes. "Creatine Supplementation Improves Sprint Performance in Male Sprinters." Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports. 11. 2 (2001): 96-102. “Sprinting” AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF SPORT. Australian Government. Australian Sports Commission. (2010). http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/factsheets/sports/sprinting Top of Form Tipton, Kevin, Asker Jeukendrup, and Peter Hespel. "Nutrition for the sprinter." Journal of Sports Sciences. 25. 01 (2007): 5-15. http://www.torontotrack.com/manuscripts/manuscript1.pdf Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Read More