What are the right dietary needs for an athlete?

Athletes exercise more than most people right? They burn their calories way more than normal people, which means if we logically think about it, they would need a lot of amount and type of nutrients so that their body can withstand the movements they do everyday and so that their bodies do not break down.

Video showing on how to eat like athletes do:

1. Load up on carbohydrates:

Carbs are an athletes main fuel. Your body changes them to glucose, a form of sugar and stores it in your muscles as glycogen.

When you exercise, your body changes glycogen to energy. If you exercise for 90 minutes, you have enough glycogen, you have enough glycogen in your muscles, even for high intensity activities.

But...

if your workout is longer than that, use these strategies listed:

• Eat a diet that gets about 70% of its calories from carbohydrates including breads, cereals, pasta, fruit and vegetables to achieve maximum carbohydrate storage.
• On the day of the big event, eat your last meal 3 to 4 hours before exercising, to give your stomach time to empty.
• Avoid eating sugary of starchy food within 30 minutes of starting an activity - they can speed up dehydration.

2. Get enough protein but not too much.

Protein does not provide a lot of fuel for energy but you need it to maintain your muscles.

• Know what you need: The average person needs 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day.
• Favor foods: Getting too much protein can put a strain on your kidneys.
• Drink up: "Milk is one of the best foods for recovery after an event, because it provides a good balance of protein and carbohydrates" Dubost says.

3. Go easy on fat

For long events, such as marathons, your body turns to fat for energy when carbohydrate sources run low.

Most athletes get their fat needs by following the basic dietary guideline to eat mostly unsaturated fat food such as nuts, avocados, olives, vegetable oils and fatty fish like tuna and salmon.

Avoid fatty foods on the day of an event, since they can upset your stomach.

4. Drink fluids early and often  

Intense exercise, especially in hot weather, can quickly leave you dehydrated. Dehydration in turn can hurt your performance and in extreme cases, threaten your life.

"All high intensity athletes should drink fluids early and often" Dubost says. "and don not wait until your thirsty. By the time you parched, you may be seriously dehydrated.

One way to monitor hydration is to keep an eye for the color of your urine. A pale yellow color means your getting enough fluid. Bright yellow of dark urine means you are falling short.

It is a good idea to drink fluid before and during an event.

Endurance athletes such as marathon runners or long distance cyclists should drink up 8 to 12 ounce of fluid every 10 or 15 minutes during an event. when possible, drink chilled fluids which are more easily absorbed than room temperature water. Chilled fluids also helps you cool down your body.

5. Replace lost electrolytes

Sweating removes both fluids and electrolytes. Electrolytes help transmit nerve signals in your body. To replenish them, reach for sports drinks. If you are losing a lot of fluid as you sweat, dilute sports drinks with equal amount of water to get the best balance of fluid and electrolytes.