A balanced diet is essential to enjoy good health. In addition, it is also essential to obtain good sports performance in athletes, both in professionals and in people who are starting to practice a sport.
Like the general population's diet, it must provide all the necessary nutrients, which in the case of athletes are more specific and vary according to the sport that is practised, among other parameters. In this post, we explain the relationship between diet and physical performance.
What is a sports performance, and why is it related to nutrition?
Sports performance is the relationship between the goals achieved by an athlete and the resources used to achieve them. Several factors influence this performance, including physical capacity and factors linked to health, which can be influenced by genetics, circumstantial factors, psychological factors, among others, and, one of the most important, feeding.
Although an adequate diet is not an element that can lead an athlete to win a competition, having an inadequate diet at the specific sporting moment in which he finds himself, as we will see below, can negatively influence their sports performance.
An adequate diet for athletes will provide all the necessary nutrients in each of the different moments of sports practice:
- Training
- Competition
- Recovery
- Break
Depending on each of these moments, nutrition for athletes will focus on providing the necessary energy and nutrients to maintain and repair tissues (especially muscle). In this way, the body will obtain all the nutrients it needs for optimal sports performance.
If you want to know more about the diet that each athlete needs at a specific time, you can read our article "Keys to a diet for athletes", where we explain the differences.
What nutritional needs should the nutrition for athletes cover?
As you have seen, food varies depending on the moment of the sporting activity in which we find ourselves, and for this reason, it is also one of the most determining factors in sports performance. Now we will explain the general nutritional needs that an adequate diet for athletes must cover, taking into account that it has to be adapted to specific circumstances such as age, sex or type of sport, among others.
Energy needs of athletes
Before seeing how much energy an athlete needs, let's see some concepts related to the energy we all need.
Did you know that, in addition to when we do sports or any physical activity, we also consume energy while at rest?
Therefore, the total energy that human beings need is divided into three groups:
Minimum energy we need to maintain vital functions, a process called basal metabolism.
Energy after the consumption of food is called the thermogenic action of food. It encompasses the processes of digestion, absorption and metabolism of the same, essential to use the components of food.
The energy needed to perform physical activities which involve body movements thanks to the contraction of our muscles. This includes the movements we make as part of everyday life and the performance of specific sporting activities.
We get all the energy from food, and it is important to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly to maintain good health. If you would like to know more about a balanced diet and the role of sport in our health, you can read articles on our blog such as "the beneficial health effects of a balanced diet".
Athletes carry out more physical activity than sedentary people; hence they also need more energy and, therefore, to obtain it, they must consume nutrients according to this energy expenditure.
But do all athletes need the same amount of energy? The answer is no, since, as we have mentioned before, it will depend on the specific type of exercise they do, the intensity or its duration.
The key role of carbohydrates in nutrition for athletes
In the previous point, we have seen that our body needs energy both to maintain vital functions and for each of the physical activities that we carry out throughout the day, including sports. Well, carbohydrates are the most important source of energy. In addition, our body can also obtain energy from fats and proteins, as we will see later.
Carbohydrates are the first source of energy used by the body, and that is why they have a fundamental role in sports performance, since they are an essential source of energy during training and competition and, in addition, a correct intake of the same helps in muscle repair after sports activity.
That is why in nutrition for athletes, the intake of carbohydrates must be adequate; otherwise, a lack of energy may occur during training and a slower recovery.
When talking about carbohydrates, we must remember that they are present in most whole grains, potatoes, rice, pasta and dairy products, among other foods. Still, not all carbohydrates are the same (they differ mainly if they are composed of glucose, fructose, starch or galactose), and not all are assimilated at the same speed. That is why, depending on the physical activity that we carry out, some sources of carbohydrates will be preferable to others.
Why is protein important in sports nutrition?
As we have mentioned before, proteins can also be a source of energy for our bodies. However, our body only uses them as an energy source during long periods of fasting, when there is not enough fat or carbohydrates, or during periods of prolonged physical exertion, common in some sports.
In athletes, proteins can contribute between 5% and 10% of the total energy they use.
But then, what role do proteins play in our body during sports practice? Although we can also use them to supply energy, their essential role is "construction" since they are made up of amino acids, part of cellular structures, enzymes, hormones, etc. They are the main constituent of cells and essential for the growth, repair and continuous renewal of body tissues.
Some of the best protein sources are legumes, milk and its derivatives, meat, fish, eggs or tofu. But, just like carbohydrates, not all proteins are created equal. First, it depends on whether they are made up of essential amino acids. Our body does not synthesize them, so we must incorporate them through the diet or non-essential.
But in addition, proteins, among other characteristics, also have a biological value, which is the number of essential amino acids that make up the protein. Normally, proteins of high biological value contain the nine essential amino acids and are mainly of animal origins, such as meat, fish, eggs or milk.
Fats essential for energy supply
As we have seen, our body can obtain energy from fats, which are also necessary for other essential functions of our body. In high-intensity training, such as HIIT, some studies show that subcutaneous fat is significantly reduced, especially abdominal fat, and improves the amount of VO2 max, a marker with which we can measure our sports performance.
As with carbohydrates or proteins, not all fats are the same. They are mainly divided into saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are found in foods of animal origin, such as meat milk, among others, although some vegetable oils also contain saturated fats.
This type of fat is related to an increase in bad cholesterol levels in the blood, so it is advisable to reduce its consumption, not only in the case of athletes but in the general population. On the other hand, within the unsaturated fats, we find the monounsaturated ones present, for example, in olive oil, and the polyunsaturated fats whose main source is oily fish such as salmon rich in omega-3, one of the most recommended fats. What's more,
Some of the best sources of healthy fats are oily fish, nuts, olive oil or avocado.
Minerals and vitamins: the importance of replenishing them after sports activity
Both vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients as they are essential for the proper functioning of the body. In addition, they are called micronutrients since we need them in very small amounts (milligrams or micrograms).
Some of the most important minerals in sports nutrition are:
Sodium: participates in muscle contraction and the regulation of body fluids, so it is essential to maintain good hydration of the body during sports.
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and is essential for muscle building, as it participates in the transmission of nerve impulses and muscle contraction.
Potassium is a mineral whose function is closely related to sodium since together, they regulate body water levels and participate in nerve cells, muscle contraction, and increased muscle mass.
Iron: is part of haemoglobin, a molecule found in red blood cells, responsible for transporting oxygen to different organs. If we have a low level of iron, the level of haemoglobin will also be below. Therefore the supply of oxygen will be less, increasing the work of the heart and therefore the feeling of tiredness and the ability to recover from overexertion in the athlete.
When you play sports, more minerals than normal are eliminated through sweating, and the only way to recover these lost minerals is through diet. The deficiency of some of these minerals can negatively affect muscle contraction and recovery after exertion. However, an excess of minerals can also be harmful as it can cause toxicity and impair the absorption of other minerals. That is why, before taking any mineral supplement, you should know what your specific situation is by consulting a specialist.
As we have mentioned before, Vitamins are essential for the proper functioning of the body, and there are some that our body cannot synthesize and therefore, it is essential to supply them through the diet. There are different types of vitamins. Some of the essential ones are the antioxidant vitamins C and E that protect cells from oxidative deterioration, which can increase during sports activity by subjecting the cells of our body to greater stress. Vitamin D, apart from influencing the immune system, participates in proper bone strengthening. B vitamins such as B1, B6 and B12 can increase serotonin levels and improve motor skills.
As for vitamin supplementation, the same thing happens with minerals. They are only beneficial when there is a vitamin deficiency, so you must go to a specialist before taking any supplement. They will tell you if you need them and They can be beneficial to your health.
The importance of good hydration in athletes
Regardless of whether you are an athlete or not, you must provide your body with the right amount of fluids. Water is the main component of our weight since it accounts for 85% of blood, 80% of muscle mass and a quarter of bone mass. That the organism remains with an adequate level of water is important for the chemical reactions that allow us to stay alive and for the nutrients to reach the different organs and tissues.
Not only do we lose water by sweating, but a loss also occurs when breathing or urinating. When exercising, you sweat more, and through this sweat, you lose fluids and minerals, and therefore it is important to drink more fluids to stay well hydrated.
In the case of athletes, it is especially important to maintain adequate hydration since otherwise, their physical performance may be reduced. Obtaining energy by the muscle is affected if hydration is not appropriate to reduce strength. There is a greater predisposition to suffer muscular and joint injury. Some symptoms of dehydration are being very thirsty (a signal from your body to drink water), headache, feeling tired, or dark-coloured urine.
As you have seen in this article, for an athlete to achieve maximum performance, not only is it enough to train but having a balanced diet that provides all the specific nutrients you need is also essential.