Balance Key to Sports Nutrition
by Sylvia Blay

You don't have to eat a special diet, consume sport drinks or use supplements to reach your peak performance level.

Instead, it's about choosing the right kinds of foods in the right amounts.

Eating a balanced diet is the first key to sports nutrition. The right combination of calories from carbohydrates, proteins and fats will give you the energy you need to perform well.

Carbohydrates provide athletes with an excellent source of fuel and should supply 55 to 60 per cent of daily energy.

Whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, whole-wheat bread or starchy vegetables such corn, sweet potatoes and peas should be chosen more often because they provide both the energy athletes need to perform and the fiber and other nutrients they need to be healthy.

If you do not get enough carbohydrates to fuel your muscles or if you are following a low-carbohydrate diet, this will leave you feeling tired and worn out after exercising, which will ultimately affect your performance.

It's a mistaken belief that athletes need to consume a huge amount of protein to build large, strong muscles.

In reality, muscle growth comes from regular training and resistance exercise.

The average person gets more than the recommended amount of protein ( about 15 per cent of calories) through regular eating habits alone, without the need for special shakes or pills.

In fact, too much protein can actually hurt your performance. It could cause dehydration, provide excess saturated fats in the diet and prevent you from eating carbohydrates. It can be expensive, too.

Good sources of protein are fish, lean meats, poultry, eggs, dairy, nuts, soy and peanut butter. Adequate protein in the right forms is essential to every sports diet.

Fats should provide no more than 20 to 30 per cent of daily calories. Like most people, athletes need to look at getting most of their fat from unsaturated sources such as avocados or most vegetable oils, including canola, olive or sunflower.

Choosing when to eat fats is important, too. Fatty foods can slow digestion, so these types of foods should be avoided for a few hours before and after training.

Eating a balanced diet should provide your body with the right amount of the vitamins and minerals it needs to help you access energy for good health and sports performance.

Water is just as important to your performance as food because even mild dehydration can affect an athlete's physical and mental condition.

When you sweat during exercise, you are losing water and it's easy to become overheated and worn out.

In general, you should drink one to two cups (250 to 500 millilitres) before exercise and one-half to one cup (125 to 250 millilitres) every 15 to 20 minutes throughout exercise.

Don't wait until you feel thirsty, because thirst is a sign that your body has needed liquids for a while.

The carbohydrates and electrolytes in sports drinks may improve performance if you are exercising hard for more than 90 minutes or in really hot weather, but otherwise, your body will do just as well with water.

Remember that your diet should be based on a variety of factors, including your age, size, physical condition and the type of exercise you are doing.

If you need more help, contact a registered dietitian.

Prepared by registered dietitians in Elgin- St. Thomas, Kent-Chatham, Middlesex-London, Oxford, Huron and Perth health units. If you have a question on nutrition, send it to Every Bite Counts, c/o Middlesex London Health Unit, 50 King St., London, Ont., N6A 5L7.