Athlete Nutrition Guidelines
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What are some of the more important athlete nutrition guidelines and requirements? Calories are important for the athlete. Most athletes will burn most of their calories through activity so it is important they eat the right kind of calorie foods and often. Instead of eating three meals a day, the athlete should eat a minimum of four or five meals a day. Athletes depending on the sport or competition burn about 3,400 calories in a day. Compare that to a sedentary person who only needs about 2,400 calories a day, and sometimes less.
Athlete Nutrition Guidelines: Protein Foods
The most common protein foods are meats, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts and seeds, and legumes. But there are many other foods that have protein in them as well. Protein is one of the easiest vitamins to attain from food. However, not all foods are complete proteins.
To make beans a complete protein meal you would add brown rice or whole wheat bread to the meal. Complete protein is what the athlete needs because it has all of the essential amino acids the body needs.
Contrary to popular belief, an athlete can be a vegetarian and still receive adequate amounts of protein. Studies have shown that eating too many protein foods encourages the body to leach out calcium through urination.
An adult male only needs about 60 grams of protein and an adult woman about 50 grams. Anything over that is too much, which puts undue stress on the organs, particularly the kidneys.
Athlete Nutrition Guidelines: The Vegetarian Body Builder
The major source of protein for body builders and athletes is from meat, eggs, and dairy. All of these make up a complete protein. But there are meatless foods that the vegetarian can choose and combine to provide them with complete protein rich meals and a balanced diet as well. Vegetarians who know the ins and outs of nutrition are quite healthy and are not lacking in nutrition.
Soy milk, nuts and seeds, legumes and peas, sprouts and salads, and some whole grains are the favorite foods of the healthy vegetarian. All of these have plenty of protein. The knowledgeable vegetarian knows what combination of whole foods make a complete protein for optimal nutrition.
Athlete Nutrition Guidelines: Fad Diets
Some athletes believe that going on fad diet plans and taking certain supplements will help get them big and strong quick. But fad diet programs like the zone diet and the south beach diet are not diets the athlete needs. The athlete needs a good nutritionist guiding him or her to a well balanced diet that relies heavily on whole, organic foods.
The athlete needs to know the right energy foods that fuel the body well, and for longer amounts of time for stamina purposes. Eating a healthy breakfast is very important for the active person. Also eating five or more meals a day is crucial for the athlete who is continuously active throughout the day.
But most important of them all is bringing the right foods to the table that will keep the athlete on top of his or her game!
Source: Eating For Good Health – Readers Digest
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