You are what you eat is an old expression that has revitalized currency as the the link between performance and diet continues to be reaffirmed.

Today, the statistics provided on food labels can provide anyone with information on fat, calories, protein, fiber and much more. With both the diet and performance implications of your diet, there are no magic wands, silver bullets, or short cuts to achieve superior results. What you need to know is on the labels. The rest is consistency and discipline.

What are your basic diet requirements? First, you want to achieve an approximate calorie target without obsessing on counting and making your friends crazy. Second you want to achieve an appropriate balance in your diet of roughly 55% carbohydrates, 10% protein and 35% fat, almost exclusively from non-saturated sources. (Saturated fat is in solid form at room temperatures. You eat fat, you get fat.) These are the recommendations of the American Dietetic Association.

Carbohydrates originate from fruits, vegetables, grains, and processed Hours and sugars. Keeping the sugar portion of the diet to a minimum is essential. Refined sugars and chocolates do not create energy; they cause the liver to freak out, followed quickly by weakness. Please avoid this trap. The Snickers ads are appealing, but eating them will hurt your performance.

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The body converts simple (candy, fruit, juice, etc.) and complex (pasta, potatoes, cereal, etc.) carbohydrates into glucose, which is burned for quick energy; any extra gets stored in the muscles as glycogen. It’s these glycogen stores that the muscles rely on for the extra exertion of athletic competition. Anytime you plan to be physically active for more than an hour, it’s going to be harmful to your performance to be on a very high simple carbohydrate diet.

All the glucose is going to burn away, your insulin levels will rise, you 11 become weak and sweaty and you’ll be in for trouble. A mainstay in the diet for very active people is complex carbohydrates, which provide the energy for sustained activity.

if you’re tremendously active-training for marathons or other endurance sport-physical activity that goes on hour after hour and day after day, fat in the diet is essential. There is no way we can eat that many carbohydrates to keep up with the demands of a hugely active body, so fats can supply a source of energy for extended physical activity. Marathon runners are coming around to this fact.

(If you are a marathon runner, you will need this topic for the injuries to the back, hips, knees and feet that will inevitably follow your participation in this physically destructive sport. If your goal is general fitness and long a long active life of participation, this highly destructive sport simply puts too much strain on the joints.)

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Protein is derived from animals and animal by-products. Protein is what comprises the muscles. Cells are constantly dyeing and being destroyed. During the day, this cell destruction must be replaced. Lean sources of protein like skinless chicken and fish is recommended over fatty red meats. Protein is also needed since certain vitamins are fat soluble and the lack of these vitamins is unhealthy.

Fat is a product of animals and their by-products, cheeses, milks, cottage cheese, ice cream, etc..

I think the current guidelines are two heavy on the fat, and need real specificity as to the sources of fats, carbohydrates, and protein. Specifically, you could superficially meet these targets with a diet high in sugars, fats, and salts.

If you get your carbs from grains, vegetables and fruits, your protein from lean sources like skinless chicken and fish, and get your fat in unsaturated form you do not need to obsess on scientific precision. If you are not fat, have good energy, and do not fade in your chosen sport, your diet is probably on the mark.

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Younger people need more protein to develop muscles. Heavy weight lifters need more protein because of the cell destruction from heavy lifting. As you get older your body needs less

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Despite a lot of hype, amino substitutes appear to be redundant for those with a proper balanced diet.

Football players, being in a sport that emphasizes strength and requires weight training, need to get enough protein to maintain and gain muscle. The long-distance runner needs maximum stores of glycogen to supply him with energy over time. Those involved in lengthy tennis matches or other aerobic activities need to make sure they attend to their nutritional needs for both fuel and cell nutrition before, during, and after their sport.

Myriad supplements exist for which adequate testing and evidence is not available in definitive form. However, it is available in anecdotal form. Creatine is an example. In truth, it will help in strength sports and help one gain more muscle, power and mass. However, it is not a source of energy and does not meet your nutritional requirements. Dehydration and muscle pulls are a frequent product of this supplement.

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Fluid intakes for athletes are as critical a concern as nutrition. Hydration must be a lifestyle event. The way you eat is not about temporary deprivation followed by rampant excess. Likewise, fluid intake and proper hydration cannot occur just during the sport. You must drink water before, during and after your sport.

Once you are thirsty, it is probably too late to rehydrate on the fly during your event. You can’t repair a car at 50 miles per hour, and you can’t successfully rehydate after the thirst has set in.

When you are thirsty, you are already 3 % dehydrated and in most sports, this leads to at least a 10 percent decrease in performance ability, if not outright failure.

Hydration is about good old water, not sports drinks. Save your money, drink water.