Now is the time to do more for your own fitness. Anyone who has started running laps, yoga classes or strength training sessions will soon have to deal with the topic of sports nutrition.
Pizza and chips are no-gos
This raises the question of the most sensible diet to support your sporting activities. However, long nutritional value tables or avoidable secret recipes only cause uncertainty - what we need are individual, practical tips that put us in the right frame of mind when it comes to nutrition and fitness.
Fitness immediately seems a lot easier than expected.
The fact is that a varied mixed diet is the be-all and end-all for recreational athletes or those involved in popular sports. This ensures the necessary nutrient and energy intake. A certain consistency in nutritional behavior therefore sufficiently covers the energy requirements of recreational athletes. It is important to have a healthy mix of plenty of plant-based foods with moderate amounts of animal foods and healthy fats. Trained competitive athletes also have a high energy requirement as well as an increased need for proteins, carbohydrates and micronutrients. If the increased energy requirements are not fully covered by a balanced diet, nutritional supplements are useful to compensate for the increased nutrient requirements.
Exercise and the time of day
Breakfast before your morning exercise! Easily digestible carbohydrates are recommended - however, yoghurt in the morning is digested more slowly than white flour products and could be unintentionally heavy on the stomach. Breakfast grouches should at least eat a banana to prevent hypoglycaemia and pack a small snack for longer sports sessions.
If you then exercise during the day, such as a long running session or strength training in the gym, it is best to eat complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, pasta, rice, bread or muesli. This provides energy that can be consumed during continuous exertion.
The aim of carboloading
Carboloading, which means "loading up with carbohydrates", is the basis for endurance performance - and sports nutrition is the energy supplier. The burning of sugar, i.e. carbohydrates, and fat takes place simultaneously in the body. However, depending on the duration of the sporting activity and the intensity of the training, the respective proportions of the two energy systems in the energy supply gradually change. Athletes should therefore pay attention to optimizing their fat metabolism in order to conserve their carbohydrate stores
The motto is: burn fat in the blazing fire of carbohydrates!
Nevertheless, the body's own carbohydrate stores are exhausted after about an hour - the length of time varies depending on the individual level of training. This is followed by a drop in performance and hunger pangs set in. However, this rapid low can be avoided if the stores are not completely depleted. Refueling with the right sports nutrition is the solution.
Depending on their level of physical fitness, untrained people obtain comparatively little energy from fat, even under prolonged stress. Trained endurance athletes, on the other hand, cover their energy requirements from fat even under high stress. They burn fat more easily. Consequently, obtaining energy from fat metabolism is purely a matter of training.
Time is important
On sports days, three hours should pass after a carbohydrate-rich meal before training. If more than four hours have passed, small snacks such as a muesli bar or a banana provide the necessary balance. The necessary energy can also be provided with the help of soluble oatmeal, for example: Melting flakes are then stirred into an electrolyte-containing drink such as a fruit juice spritzer. If you are exercising for longer than an hour and a half, it is best to fortify yourself with dried fruit or a fruit slice in between to combat fatigue. It is a good idea to pay attention to the individual tolerance of snacks during exercise.
Experts call the time after training the nutrient window because the body is particularly receptive to nutrients in the first two hours. A post-workout shake with high-quality whey protein is then ideal. The complete meal that follows consists of lots of protein, complex carbohydrates and little fat. Chicken, pasta, baked potatoes, fish, rice or quark can be used to make light meals. They combine plant and animal protein and provide amino acids for muscle building.
The best sources of nutrients
For example, both active athletes and newcomers need plenty of iron. Even short-term iron deficiencies lead to rapid fatigue and a drop in performance. Persistent iron deficiency can severely impair the body's resistance. A balanced mixed diet with vegetables, wholegrain products and meat counteracts iron deficiency. The absorption of iron is also supported by vitamin C. Strawberries, citrus fruits and acerola cherries are good sources of vitamin C. Vegetables that provide the body with a good supply are sauerkraut, red peppers, broccoli, potatoes and cauliflower. High-quality nutritional supplements with vitamins, minerals and trace elements complete the spectrum of valuable foods in sports nutrition.
