Sports Nutrition is the specialized study and research of diet and nutrition specifically with regards to enhancing anyone’s sporting performance. Sports Nutrition is quite popular among athletes and fitness buffs, especially being equally popular in endurance sports and weight-training sports. It is also a principle component of wellness and health management. With numerous theories on how it works, Sports Nutrition has been formulated as a science. It can be best described as the application of knowledge and principles in sports that aim to optimize an individual’s performance in any sporting activity.
The use of sports nutrition supplements in nutrition and diets of athletes have been widely recognized as an effective way of augmenting an athlete’s daily nutritional needs. The purpose of using such diet aids is to meet those requirements without the need for excessive food intake or stressing oneself too much about the diet plan. With the right kind of diet supplement, the absorption rates of nutrients are significantly increased and thereby feeding the required muscle cells with the right amount of nutrients that can fuel the energy needs of the muscles for effective action. For example, the carbohydrates content present in such supplements act as fuel for the muscles and this content is often enough for an anabolic environment of the body that helps in the training and performance of an athlete.
One of the most common beliefs of most athletes and fitness buffs is that it is the consumption of high-calorie foods that fuels the exercise process. However, this is not true. The role of carbohydrates in the athletes’ diet and Sports Nutrition regime largely depends on the type of exercises performed. The two main categories of Sports Nutrition exercises are aerobic and anaerobic exercises.
Aerobic exercises include running, cycling, swimming, playing sports such as tennis and football, and much more. In these activities, there is an increased fluid intake and also an increase in overall body temperature. During the workout, there is an increased heart rate and fat are burned off faster. The increased fluid intake during aerobic exercises helps in removing excess sodium from the body, which is flushed out during the exercise. The increased heart rate stimulates the blood vessels and allows the transport of more oxygenated blood from the lungs to the muscles. This helps in improving the oxygenation of the body.
The second category of Sports Nutrition exercise is anaerobic exercises. These are a combination of weight training and sprinting. Although these are considered to be endurance exercises, it is still imperative for an athlete to take in appropriate amounts of nutrients for better stamina and energy. Some of the most common anaerobic dietary supplements include protein shakes and creatine. There are other supplements for Athletes that are available in the market today such as nitric oxide, testosterone boosting hormone, caffeine, L-carnitine, glutamine, arginine, and many others.
As parents, we should ensure that our kids take in the right amount of nutrients that they need. This can be done by ensuring that a balanced diet is provided to them. Most of us do not have the time to prepare healthy meals for our family, especially during busy times. Sports nutritionists and dietitians ensure that proper nutrition is provided to athletes and their families. Some of the common dietary supplements that are recommended by most dietitians are protein powders, multi-vitamin tablets, amino acids powder, vitamins, and minerals.
One of the most overlooked components of proper nutrition for athletes and other active individuals is fluid consumption. Athletes have a high demand for adequate amounts of fluid because they perspire extensively. For instance, a baseball player who has been playing baseball all throughout his career may experience dehydration after every game. To prevent dehydration, athletes should maintain proper levels of fluid consumption.
Sports nutrition has changed a lot over the years. It has now turned to the arena of sports training and performance enhancement and all of its attendant supplements in order to provide athletes with optimum levels of health and vitality. Proper exercise nutrition supplements such as protein powders and multi-vitamins are now being used by athletes around the world. Proper nutrition and fitness are now considered to be one of the foundations of a successful career in sports, and the use of nutritional supplements such as multivitamins and liquid protein powders can definitely contribute to your success in achieving these goals.