With the influx of social media and the constant pressure from society to look a certain way, athletes are turning to different diet methods and pills to achieve “social norms”. However, unlike the general population, an athlete needs to consume more calories simply because they are burning more calories than the average person. The nutrients that athletes receive from the foods that they consume help tissue grow, injuries repair, and provide energy for the body.
According to the athletic trainers at Plattsburgh State University in New York, if the athlete is “exercising for more than an hour the glucose levels start to decline and stored muscle and liver glycogen also diminishes .” When this occurs, the body cannot respond and is literally “out of gas.” Researchers at Pure Health MD, recommend that an athlete consumes “60 - 70 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 10-15 percent from protein, and 20-30 percent from fat”.
Another consideration athletes need to consider when developing a diet plan is the type of sport in which they participate. For instance, endurance such as runners, tennis players and cyclist need a high carbohydrate diet to prevent glycogen depletion. Strength athletes on the other had need less carbohydrates. The amount of protein needed also varies depending on the athletes and their training program. According to Caryn Honig MEd., RD, LD endurance athletes need to consume 1.2 – 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of weight while, power athletes need 1.5 – 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of weight.
Tune in next week to get a look at the different diet programs and methods.
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