Sports Nutrition for Athletes

Athletes are always aiming to build their lean muscle mass to increase their athletic performance. One key to achieving your muscle gain goals is to have the proper calorie uptake for your workout routine. Most competitive athletes know that not all calories are created equal so eating the right calories is key to proper sports nutrition.

Carbohydrates For Sports Nutrition

Carbohydrates are the leading energy resource for building strength in muscles. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the muscles to provide energy for short, explosive bursts of exercise. The harder and longer you workout, the more carbohydrates your muscles need. If your stored glycogens are exhausted then you will feel a drop in energy and find it very difficult to continue exercising. If you continue to work out without any energy stores then the body will start burning muscle instead of fat reducing your exercise effectiveness. You can see why eating enough of the proper foods for good carbohydrates is important when building lean muscle through strength training.

Sports Nutrition Protein

In order to build muscle your body needs protein because it is the foundational building block for muscle tissue. The amount you exercise and body weight will both play a factor in how much protein your body requires. You should consult a nutritionist or personal trainer to determine the proper protein uptake you need but a general rule is around half a gram of protein per pound of body mass for average athletes. If you are serious about strength training and workout 5 or more times a week you may want 0.6 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight.

Burning Fat

Even though your ultimate goal is to burn fat and build muscle you need to include some fat into your diet to keep your body healthy. This will help your body burn fat and keep muscle along with giving you some wiggle room in your diet. You should aim for 25% of your calories to come from unsaturated fat.

Sports Nutrition Hydration

Athletes require more than the standard eight glasses of water a day to replace the fluids lost during an intense workout. It is a good idea to consume about a liter of water during a workout and 2 cups of water before and after your workout. This will ensure your body does not become dehydrated during an exercise routine lessening the impact of your efforts.

Extending Energy with Sports Drinks

Protein bars and sports drinks (anything that ends in "ade") are good for a boost when you exercise more than an hour a day. If you workout twice a day or have an extended workout then sports drinks are a great supplement for energy and hydration. It is best to save the energy bar or some other protein rich food for after your workout routine. Another option is a protein shake designed as a meal replacement; although this may just be a snack if you are really pushing hard. It is important to recharge your body after exercising with protein, carbohydrates and hydration so that your body is fully fueled for the next intense session. This will help promote fat burning after your workout and complement building muscle mass in future workouts.

Sports Nutrition Supplements

There are many nutrition supplements touted as the best thing ever however trained athletes should know that most of these products are gimmicks. Since nutritional supplements including sports nutrition supplements are not regulated by the FDA there is a lot of room for stretching the truth. Seasoned strength trainers do utilize a few supplements including whey protein powders, creatine and fish oils.

Training With Creatine

Creatine is a supplement that helps muscles recover from a workout and is a good way to speed up muscle building when coupled with a solid diet and exercise regiment. Creatine occurs naturally in some meats but you can take about 5 grams for 5 days for an extra boost. It is a good idea to rotate creatine usage to maximize its affect in building muscle. Many athletes take it for 5 days then take 5 days off and start using again. Be aware that if you take creatine everyday eventually it will lose effectiveness.

Remember to always consult a registered nutritionist, physician or personal trainer for nutritional guidance.