All In One Sports Nutrition Resource: Oct 29, 2008

All In One Sports Nutrition For Your Reading Pleasure

Sports Nutrition Education

Sports nutrition Education doesn?t end with carbohydrates, but it is tough to argue that it doesn?t begin with carbs. Carbohydrates, particularly starches, are the fuel that supplies the energy needed to engage in sports at peak ability.

Although not all sports nutrition education experts agree, of course, many do believe that up to sixty percent of an athlete?s daily caloric intake should be made up of carbohydrates; and that rate should rise as high as seventy to eighty percent during periods of intense training.

But back to the starch. A good rule of sports nutrition education that takes the carb route, is that of that sixty to eighty percent should be ingested in the form of starchy foods. Starches include, of course, such things as rice and grains, pasta and cereal, fruits and veggies.

Sports nutrition education based on a high carbohydrate content diet should not be confused with the long-established practice of carb-loading, in which athletes would eat practically nothing but carbs and sugars right before competing. Studies have shown that only those athletes who are going to be involved in endurance activities such as long distance running or cycling actually benefit from this practice.

Another no-no when it comes to sports nutrition education is understanding which are the best foods to pack in right before exercise or a competition. The reason you sometimes get stomach cramps when you?ve exercised on a full stomach has to do with blood flow. Everything in the body is powered by oxygen delivered by the bloodstream; your digestive system kicks into overdrive after you?ve eaten heartily and the blood naturally makes its way there to help out.

But when you start exercising, the muscles send out their own help signal to the blood and as a result you don?t get the necessary supply of blood that you need to properly digest food, resulting in the painful cramping. A better bet is to eat enough so that you stave off any hunger you might feel during exercise or competition.

Although many sports nutrition experts will tout the usefulness of such things as protein, vitamins and amino acids, there really is only one other item on the menu that must be seriously considered in connection with carbohydrates. And, in fact, it?s actually part of that word: hydrates. Or, to be specific, hydration.

Sports nutrition revolves around keeping the body in peak shape and few things can do that better than plain old water. True, there are literally dozens of juices, energy drinks and protein shakes on the market designed to help for sports, but nothing has yet been invented that provides the body as much help as good old H2O. But don?t wait until you?re already thirsty; by then you may already be on the road to dehydration.

Most sports nutrition education experts recommend keeping regularly hydrated while exercising and in competition. This is especially important for endurance athletes who run the risk of overingesting fluids and experiencing muscle cramps.

Author: Matt Garrett
? 2007 http://www.MyNutritionInsider.com - Discover the secret of better health through good nutrition.