Proper Nutrition is essential for a sportsperson to optimize their performance for training and competition. A sports person should be able to meet their dietary needs by eating a wide variety of food at the proper times. Proper Nutrition can help enhance their performance; eating a good diet will provide them with the Energy they need to fuel up for their performance. In this blog, I will tell you about the Diet a sportsperson should have at proper intervals before and during Exercise. After Exercise for adequate performance and recovery, keep yourself Hydrated.
Hour Before Exercise
- Prefer to combine fruit with cereal like Bread+Banana+Peanut Butter or Apple with Oatmeal.
- Drink: Water, sports drink (if working out for longer than 90 minutes)
2-3 Hours Before Exercise
- Fuel yourself with Protein and Carbohydrates. Various options are :
- Boiled Egg whites with poha.
- Banana with peanut butter.
- Yogurt with berries and dried fruits.
- Chapati with Chicken or Paneer.
- Sweet Potatoes and Boiled Egg White.
- Drink: Water
4 Hours Before Exercise
- Eat a Carbohydrate-rich meal such as grains or fruit/vegetables with protein and healthy fats. An example of this is :
- Chicken sandwich with a choice of fruit.
- Chicken with Rice and Boiled Vegetables.
- Wheat flakes with Milk and Scrambled Egg or Roasted Paneer.
- Drink: Water
During Exercise: One does not eat anything during the Exercise. Keep yourself Hydrated during the Exercise, and if you feel hungry, try to have something easy to digest that will provide you with fast-acting Energy, such as fruit or an energy bar.
After Exercise: Refueling your body after a hard workout is very important. It's essential to have Carbohydrates and protein-rich meals post-exercise for the fastest recovery.
An essential key factor a Sports person must keep in mind is
One should have 50%-60% of Energy from carbohydrates such as Grains, Fruits, and Vegetables. 15-25% of Energy should be taken from Proteins such as Eggs, Paneer, Tofu, Chicken, Fis, and Legumes. 20 to 30% of Energy should be taken from Healthy fats such as Nuts, Seeds, Fish, and Vegetable oils. Following this helps to encourage muscle repair and replace glycogen.