How To Eat Your Way To Peak Athletic Performance

The one thing I always get asked about sports nutrition is what should I eat in order to perform at peak levels during training and races.

An athlete's body is subjected to enormous amount of strain during workouts. Also a great amount of energy is required and consumed during these periods. In order to perform well, the muscles must be strong enough and has enough energy to sustain the vigorous activities required during workouts.

Over the years, there have been no lack of arguments on what is the best diet for peak athletic performance. Dietitians the world over have various opinions on what the athlete should eat in order to perform at their best levels. No doubt, these arguments will continue to exist for many more years to come.

However, many people are agreeable on the fact that performance levels in physical activities and the recovery from them are enhanced by proper nutrition. They do agree that the right selection of food and fluids taken at appropriate times together with appropriate supplements are important for good health and optimal performance levels.

During times of high physical exertions, the body needs a lot of energy. The predominant source of energy comes from carbohydrates. They are stored as glycogen in the muscles and provide the fuel for short intense burst of energy. The more intense and longer the duration of exercise, the more glycogen is used. When it is depleted, your energy level will drop and you'll have to stop your exercise. In order to maintain an adequate store of glycogen in your muscles, you need to consume sufficient carbohydrates. Experts say that you'll need 3.6g of carbohydrates for each pound you weigh daily. For example, if your weight is 140lbs, then you'll need to eat 504g of carbohydrates per day.

In order to build strong muscles, you'll need protein because it is the basic building block for muscle tissues. Plenty of protein is required by athletes, especially those on strength training, to build those muscles. Experts recommended a daily dosage of 0.6 to 0.8 grams for each pound of body weight for serious strength athletes.

Fat is an essential nutrient that provide fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins. It also provide a moderate amount of energy to the body. However, you'll only need a small amount of it to be healthy. Only 20% to 25% of your total daily calories requirements should come from unsaturated fat

Athletes must be sufficiently hydrated. Besides the normal requirement to drink 8 glasses of water everyday, they are also required to drink before, during and after each workout to replenish fluid lost during these workouts. To make sure that you're adequately hydrated, drink 2 cups of fluid 2 hours before every workout. Drink 4 to 8 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes to keep yourself hydrated during the workouts. Drink 16 ounces of fluid after the workouts to replace fluid loss. To be more precise, weigh yourself before and after workouts and consume 16 ounces of fluid for every pound lost.

When your workouts are prolonged, lasting more than 1 hour, energy bars and sports drinks can help you to keep energized. Besides providing energy, you'll also get to be hydrated by sports drinks. After workouts, it's important to eat some protein and carbohydrates to help repair and rebuild your muscle tissues and to refill your glycogen stores.

You can consume creatine to give your muscles a slight boost of power during workouts. In order to gain maximum benefit from this nutrient, you need to have a well balanced diet and a good muscle training program. You can get a good dose of creatine from meat. You can also get it from supplements. For the first 5 days, you can load your muscles with creatine by consuming 5g of creatine monohydrate 4 times a day. After that, consume just 2g per day for maintenance.

I've just revealed to you all this great information about eating for peak performance. Go ahead and apply my tips. It's for your personal success.

Article Source: http://www.articlemonk.com

About the Author: Lenox Smith is a sports nutrition specialist dedicated to helping sportsmen and women achieve their optimum potential through proper sports nutrition. Get free insider access to his opt-in list, private blog and members-only Forum. SportsNutritionTactics.com

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