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Maintaining a healthy and powerful athletic performance requires more than of training and practice in order to keep in proper shape. Obviously, your body needs proper nutrition, adequate rest and hydration to continuously perform and respond. It’s important to consider a nutritious diet designed to a sports enthusiast. The diet will help to perform at its peak and to recover fast afterward.

Guide on Proper Sports Nutrition

  1. Load Up on Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy that keeps the body moving. The carb is transformed into glucose and is stored in the muscles in the form of glycogen. However, as a person engage in physical activity, the glycogen is again transformed into energy. If you’ll be attending high-intensity activities, it is recommended to load up on carbohydrates at least 4 days before the event. You should also consume a diet that contains 70% of carbohydrates.

  1. Fuel Sources & Vitamins

To take full advantage of the athletic performances, it is recommended to consume adequate calories from different food sources. It’s because the body has the tendency to burn more calories when doing activity as compared to resting. However, you should consider a balance intake of fuel sources in order to obtain the right amount of nutrients needed by your body.

Aside from carbohydrates and proteins, your body also needs vitamins and minerals responsible in unlocking the energy found in foods so that it can be used by your body as fuel. Make sure to eat foods that contain the essential vitamins and minerals that can rev you up.

  1. Get Enough Protein, But Not Too Much
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Though protein doesn’t works as fuel for energy, yet it’s important to obtain enough protein to maintain the muscles. It helps in repairing and rebuilding the muscles after an intense game or workout. It’s important to get the right amount of protein to get amino acids that are significant during workout. The first thing to do is to know the amount of protein that your body requires. The requirement varies between an average person and an athlete. Be aware to take only the needed amount of protein, otherwise it will affect your kidneys. You can consider eating lean meats, poultry, fish, milk, eggs and beans.

Drink milk because it contains good balance of carbohydrates and protein that facilitates fast recovery of the body after an event. The combination is very beneficial for athletes because the whey protein can absorb quickly while casein helps in digestion.

  1. Drink Fluids Early and Often

An athlete who engages in intense exercise should drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Being dehydrated can affect your performance and worse threaten your life. When doing high-intensity training, you should drink frequently and don’t wait to feel thirsty. The color of the urine is a determining factor whether a person is dehydrated or not.

  1. Prime the pump with a Pre-exercise snack

If you’re going to work out three hours after your last meal, the best thing to do is to take pre-exercise snack. This will help to achieve better workout. However, make sure to have small snack so that it will be easier to digest such as graham crackers with a glass of milk. Foods that contain more fat and fiber are not recommended prior to workout.

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Indeed, the nutritional needs of an athlete or sporty person is different from an average individual. As long as you follow the information discussed above, you can expect for better result of working out. You can also seek help from a Nutrition Inspector to ensure that you’re doing the right thing.