If your goal is to stay fit while, at the same time, shedding those extra kilos, not only should you get regular exercise, you should pay special attention to sports nutrition. In this post, we’ll discuss this concept as well as who should follow a controlled diet and what type of training goes hand-in-hand with a diet like this. Let’s get going!
What is sports nutrition?
Any sporting activity should be based around a balanced nutritional diet, regardless of the intensity level, the training itself or your goal. Therefore, nutritionists seek to optimize athletes’ training sessions so they can bounce back faster after grueling workouts. A bespoke weekly meal plan should be followed that meets an athlete’s needs when it comes to carbohydrates, protein, vegetables and other types of food.
“Sports nutrition is unique to each person and their needs and is planned according to the sporting activity”.
So, sports nutrition is unique to each person and their needs and is planned according to the sporting activity, as well as weight, body constitution, metabolism and time spent training, among other important aspects.
Eat more vegetables
If a toned body is what you are after, then healthy foods are a must. They are very low in fat and contain some essential fatty acids such as omega-3 or monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. Vegetables and legumes are perfect for keeping hunger at bay, thanks to their high fiber content. What’s more, they’ll help rid the body of toxins and waste.
Some vegetables add healthy carbohydrates to a diet, as they contain high concentrations of natural sugars that give you the energy you need to train, but without running the risk of these carbohydrates being converted into unnecessary body fat. It is worth pointing out that they are low-calorie and the list of ways to prepare them is endless; they can be cooked, steamed, grilled, roasted or even eaten raw.
Follow a fiber-rich diet
Fiber is part of the unprocessed foods that the body can’t digest and is an essential part of sports nutrition. In fact, we recommend including it in your daily meal plan, as it will help maintain weight thanks to its satiating effect while improving intestinal health and digestion.
On the other hand, together with sport, it is great at kickstarting the immune system, lowering LDL cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.
Stay hydrated
Always remember that the amount of water you need to drink should be directly proportional to the amount of exercise you do. The more intense and grueling the physical activity, the more you sweat. In some cases, up to two liters of fluid can be sweated out. That’s why you must replenish this amount with electrolyte-replenishing isotonic drinks or water. Doing this not only takes care of your health, it reduces the likelihood of suffering from burnout.
Importance of minerals and vitamins
Vitamins and minerals are nutrients that the body needs to work properly. If we don’t get enough of them, performance level will slump. Fortunately, there are a wide range of foods containing these, among which cereals, fruit and dairy products stand out.
Your sports nutritionist will explain what water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins are and which foods contain each of the minerals the body is craving, such as copper, sodium, iron and potassium.
Who needs sports nutrition?
First things first; each type of physical activity requires a unique diet and a specific supply of nutrients depending on the intensity level and goals. Needless to say, going out for a run twice a week is not the same as being a professional athlete.
Professional athletes need to follow specific guidelines according to their needs. On the other hand, amateurs can be somewhat more flexible in their diet, although always emphasizing the importance of following nutritional guidelines supervised by specialists.
Nutritionists conduct personalized studies depending on the goals to be achieved. In other words, building or toning muscles is not the same as losing weight. There is a whole load of factors to take into account before choosing one diet over another. However, this does not mean that they should only be protein-centered to build muscle; they should have an acceptable glycemic index and a balanced proportion of:
- 50-60% carbohydrates.
- 25-30% fats.
- 10-15% protein.
Sports nutrition must therefore guarantee the nutritional balance of macronutrients (those listed above), as well as micronutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber and fluids. How does it differ for inactive people? Quantities; since the more you eat, the more calories you consume.
Athletes quite often find it tough to meet their energy needs. In these cases, specialists will suggest foods that are suitable for each specific training plan in order to ensure that athletes are getting enough nutrients. For example, if a nutritionist comes up with a 1,800 calorie meal plan, there should be some room for extra nutrients, in some cases even recommending a multivitamin-mineral supplement.
What sports require sports nutrition?
Whatever the sport, well-trained and well-nourished bodies are needed to achieve whatever goals have been set. That’s why it is so important to follow a well-balanced diet and an effective training routine. Getting in shape and ripped will prove difficult if you are hitting it hard in the gym and then binging on junk food or simply following an unbalanced diet. So, the two things need to go hand-in-hand.
Generally speaking, athletic performance is conditioned by different factors including training, motivation, physical condition and sports nutrition.
However, a person’s basic nutritional needs depend on the type of sport being done, gender, body mass or age, among other things. With this in mind, a nutritionist will analyze the type of sport you do and look at how intensively you train. The nutritionist will give you guidelines adapted to the type of training sessions, how long they are and how grueling they are.
Playing soccer or basketball is not the same as playing golf, just as hiking is not the same as strolling around the flat streets of your neighborhood. In any case, they all have one thing in common: a balanced diet adapted to the effort level.
Electrical stimulation training
We recommend electrical stimulation to boost your performance in every workout. The Wiemspro electrical stimulation suits are wireless and include an innovative electrical impulse system that induces involuntary muscle contraction. With this system, a 90-minute session will get you the same results as a 25-minute session. More bang for your buck in whatever sport you are doing.
So, what is EMS? It stands for Muscle Electrostimulation and is a technique that has been around for many years, in elite training and in physiotherapy alike. Now is your chance to put on a suit to train and work your muscles to tone, increase your strength, increase stamina, lose weight or help you achieve muscle hypertrophy; and much more.
This type of stimulation consists of inducing muscle contractions by means of an electrical pulse generator built into an electrostimulation suit or vest. These will simulate those emitted by the brain to reproduce a contraction when the motor nerve is stimulated. This generator sends the electrical impulses to whatever part of the body you want, triggering a beneficial muscular action.
We, as industry specialists, offer professional advice to answer any questions you may have about products like this. However, ask around about electrical stimulation to get an idea about just how many people are already using it. More than 530 professional trainers worldwide use the Wiemspro system with their clients.
Conclusions
Sports nutrition must be balanced and adapted to individual characteristics, energy needs as well as training type and intensity level. This is the only way to achieve your goal of reaching your ideal weight or safely improving your athletic performance. Whether you are a professional or amateur athlete, a well-balanced diet will provide you with enough energy to exercise in a much more efficient and effective way all year round. If you liked this article, don’t miss out on other content we post on our blog. Subscribe to keep learning interesting things!
