It’s the season of sports! Wimbledon, Tour de France and lots more lined up to keep us on the edge of our seats. What fuels the sportsmen to maintain their A game ? Lets take a look at the vital nutrients for athletes and other sportsmen.

Nutrition plays a major role in enhancing vitality and stamina for those engaging in vigorous competitive sports. Special effort and planning needs to go into meeting energy requirements of those engaging in extremely intense physical activity for extended periods. Dehydration and nutrition deficiencies can be life threatening in some cases, where optimal nutrition is not taken care of.

While it is common for most athletes and competitive sportsmen to resort to sports drinks, energy bars and supplements, they can be harmful in excess, and add to unwanted weight gain. Scientists suggest that all calorie and nutrient needs be met from natural, healthy diets with special emphasis on meeting energy needs in accordance with the physical activity.Once you’ve eaten a meal or snack, allow between one and four hours to pass before you start exercising. Your body needs time to digest. The amount of time will depend on the amount of food you’ve eaten.

The timing of meals matter too.  Eating around two to three hours before you exercise works well.  An hour before the actual sport or competition, a  meal or snack that is rich in carbohydrate, low in fat and moderate in protein, such as porridge made with low-fat milk or a fruit smoothie, or egg wholegrain sandwich would be ideal. Too much protein or fat will slow down the movement of foods from the stomach, and will make you feel uncomfortable.

Here are some foods that are not only energy dense, but healthy options as well.

Lentils :  Studies suggest that low glycemic index foods such as lentils, (whole pulses and dals) support endurance better than high starch foods such as banana, potato or bread.   Because pulses release carbohydrates slowly, and do not spike or crash the sugar levels, they result in a more stable source of energy for endurance sports.   They also help restore the glycogen stores in the muscles after the exercise.  Glycogen is the storage form of sugar or glucose in the body, and is depleted during heavy exercise.  Replacing it with appropriate carbohydrates in the diet is important to build up a reserve again.

Nuts and seeds:   Fats provide the most calories, i.e., 9 calories per gram as compared to proteins or carbohydrates which yield 4 calories per gram.   Fats can become a more convenient way of meeting energy demands in some extreme sports .  But given the  dangers of overloading with the wrong kind of fats,  nuts and seeds are the best options with heart healthy and safe fats.   Rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), nuts also provide fiber, calcium, iron and vitamins besides being high in energy(energy dense—- a small portion gives more calories) .

Oily fish:   Omega 3 fats are another healthy source of fats, that are energy dense.   Besides, fish is a good source of proteins.   Some researchers suggest an intake of 3 grams of proteins for every 4 grams of carbohydrates, although this is still debated.   Safe level of protein intake remains at 0.8 gram to 1.0 gram per  kilo of body weight.  This level of proteins is needed to “spare” the carbohydrates as energy sources, and utilize proteins for muscle repair and building – which is the intended role of proteins.

Nut butter:  Peanut butter may be an ideal way of getting more energy in a healthy form.  Nut butter again, is a rich source of MUFA and will not compromise health .

Figs: Just three figs provide a whopping 30 grams of good carbohydrates along with a multitude of B vitamins, calcium and potassium to help ensure peak muscle function and optimal bone health. Figs also are an excellent source of soluble pectin fiber, shown to lower cholesterol and ultimately reduce cardiovascular risk.

Getting your balance of nutrition right, whether you are into competitive sport, or a vigorous workout enthusiast is now easy with Calorie Care.  All meals and snacks are planned down to the last calorie and nutrient requirements, so all you need to do, is log onto caloriecare.com and choose your way to health.