Can Good Nutrition Improve Your Sports Performance? Expert Shares Views

Ever wonder how what you eat affects how you play? Learn how a good diet can up your game, read here.

The right balance of macronutrients, micronutrients, and hydration is key to supplying energy for physical activity (Pic: Freepik)

Ensuring proper nutrition is crucial for sports performance, aiding in both growth and development. The right balance of macronutrients, micronutrients, and hydration is key to supplying energy for physical activity. Young athletes must grasp the importance of what, when, and how to consume food and fluids before, during, and after their workouts to maximize their performance.

Food helps in the optimal growth and development of the body. The proper amount of macronutrients, micronutrients, and fluid is essential for providing energy for growth and activity. 

It is very important to know what, when, and how much needs to be consumed to optimize the performance. 

"Pre and post-performance meals also play a very important role. Proper nutrition in a balanced way helps and enhances performance", says Sharvari Umesh Gude -Senior Dietician at Manipal Hospitals Goa, which by way reduced fatigue and risk of injury and the most important part of the body to help recover faster. 

Macronutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, and fat provide the fuel for physical activity and sports performance. 

Carbohydrates- CHO is the most important nutrient for athletes because it provides the glucose used for the energy requirement of the body. 1 gm of carbohydrates contains approximately 4 kilo calories of energy. 

Protein- Protein helps in the building and wear and tear of the muscles in the body. For the mild workout of short duration, protein does not act as a primary source of energy. Higher duration workout or performance needs higher protein intake to help maintain blood glucose through liver gluconeogenesis. 1 gm of protein provides 4 kilocalories of energy to the body. 

Fat- Fat is necessary to absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A.D.E.K. Mentioned vitamins help in protecting organs and providing insulation to the organs internally in the body. Fat provides satiety and a feeling of fullness to the body. High-fat diet options are not recommended for an athlete's performance as 1 gm of fat provides almost 9 kilocalories. Good fats like omega 3 fatty acids can be loaded post the performance for better recovery of the body. 

Recovery foods- Recovery foods should be consumed within 30 min of a workout or performance to help reload the muscles with glycogen and allow proper recovery of the body.