Nutrition

Energy balance is the key to sporting success. Poor energy balance can lead to a loss in muscle, severe fatigue and difficulty in training. Consuming too few carbohydrates can lead to decreased training ability and poor recovery between training sessions.

Carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are critical to energy. High-intensity exercise requires a large amount of carbohydrates to fuel the workout. Carbohydrates are easily burned by your body and serve as your body’s first choice for fuel during exercise. If your body’s carbohydrate reserves are low, high-intensity training will become difficult and recovery after training is impaired.

Eat foods high in carbohydrates like wholegrain bread and pasta, cereals, fruits and vegetables as they offer a variety of important nutrients like Vitamins C and A and antioxidants which are crucial for maintaining healthy cells in the body. Sports drinks provide carbohydrates that can be used to maintain blood sugar levels and to fuel muscles during exercise.

Protein
Protein is essential for building, maintaining and repairing enzymes, tissues and muscles and also helps fight against infections. It provides roughly five percent of the total daily energy for exercise.

Amino acids, the individual building blocks of protein, can be used for energy if the carbohydrate supply becomes low. Eating protein after training aids in muscle repair.

Fat
Fat fuels muscles too, but not as efficiently as carbohydrates. Fatty acids provide nearly half of the total energy that muscles need during moderate-intensity exercise. The body stores fat when too much is consumed; its supply is almost unlimited.

What to eat?
An easy way to eat for fitness is to divide the plate into three equal portions. Fill one-third with unrefined carbohydrate like wholewheat pasta or wholemeal bread, one-third with fruits and vegetables and one-third with lean protein sources, like chicken or turkey breast, lean roast beef, eggs or low fat or fat free yogurt. Then, choose a high nutrient drink like skimmed milk or pure fruit juice.