Suggested Menu for Proper Sports Nutrition: What Everyone Needs to Know about Nutrition and Meal Planning for Peak Performance

Suggested Menu for Proper Sports Nutrition: What Everyone Needs to Know about Nutrition and Meal Planning for Peak Performance
Page content

Importance of Nutrition

Having a sensible, balanced diet is the basis for a solid foundation to improve in any sport, and diet determines how well a person performs. Eat junk, and you know you can count on poor performance in your physical activities. Therefore, by eating the right foods and at the right time, you can ensure your athletic performance to be at its best.

Three Basic Elements

Sports nutrition relies on the nutrients that play important roles in the diet. Each macronutrient is a component to building a good diet. These macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein and fats. Carbohydrates provide glucose, which is the energy source used as fuel for the body. It is best to consume complex, fibrous carbohydrates that are unrefined and unprocessed to get the maximum benefit as an energy source. Protein is valuable in helping to build and repair muscle tissue and recover from training faster. Fats are needed to help absorb nutrients from food, provide cushion to joints, and help with muscle recovery after hard training.

A Balanced Diet

To eat right for your sport, take a look at the dynamics of your sport and ask yourself a few questions. Is it done at a slow, moderate or fast pace? Do you move in a continued pattern or start and stop frequently? For example, if you participate in a full body fast-paced anaerobic sport, your body will need a ratio of 55 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein, and 15 percent fat.

This macronutrient ratio changes as the demand for energy output increases and so does the need for more carbohydrates to produce this energy. Remember to eat as fresh and wholesome as possible. This means staying away from those fast food drive-thrus and preparing meals ahead of time to avoid those processed, preservative-filled meals.

Here are ideas for a suggested menu for proper sports nutrition, and some tips on how to get the full benefit from food to fuel your training and competition. Make sure you consume six meals a day at a minimum, and add a post-recovery meal after workouts to replenish glycogen stores. There are also many supplements that, if taken properly, have the capability to increase the results you desire.

For building muscle and high intensity sports:

In the morning (upon waking) take 5 grams glutamine

Before training: 20 to 40 grams whey protein, 5 grams creatine, 5 grams glutamine. Oatmeal or sweet potato (yam) is good with this as it is slow to digest and gives you fuel.

Immediately after training: 20 to 40 grams whey protein, 3-5 grams creatine, 5 grams glutamine, 1000 mg Vitamin C. Consume fast digesting carbs with this; for example, three slices white bread with jelly or a big slice of watermelon.

  • Meal option: Two cups high protein cereal and one and one-half cups nonfat milk, banana or one cup mixed fruit.
  • Meal option: Two servings protein powder and a whole wheat bagel or two whole wheat english muffins.
  • Meal option: Two tablespoons of peanut butter, two granola bars and a banana.
  • Meal option: Two cups cooked oatmeal with one cup nonfat milk, one ounce nuts, and a banana
  • Meal option: Six to eight egg whites with one-fourth low-fat cheese and chopped vegetables, two slices whole wheat toast, and a piece of fruit.
  • Meal option: Two chicken breasts with two cups brown rice or a large baked potato
  • Meal option: A large salad with low fat cheese, apple, and six ounces of turkey breast (low-fat lunch meat is fine)
  • Meal option: Three cups spinach and other vegetables with one can white tuna, one piece of fruit, and one ounce nuts
  • Meal option: One cup whole wheat pasta, six ounces grilled or broiled seafood (your choice), and steamed broccoli
  • Meal option: Six ounces of turkey breast on whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomato, and one cup non-fat milk

Nighttime meals before sleep: Protein powder with water or one cup lowfat cottage cheese or yogurt

You can pick and choose any meals you want spaced seven to eight times a day, two to two and one-half hours apart.

Here is a menu designed for shedding fat during training:

  • Meal one: Six to eight egg whites or egg substitute, one-half cup plain oatmeal, one-half cup one percent milk (nonfat milk is great) or
  • One cup high protein cereal with one percent milk and one piece of fruit like an apple.
  • Meal two: Two scoops high quality whey protein powder mixed with three-fourths cup blueberries, one tablespoon natural peanut butter, and water
  • Meal three: One bare grilled chicken breast, one-half of a baked potato (eaten dry or use butter spray or salsa), one-half cup steamed broccoli or squash (a whole wheat tortilla can be substituted for the baked potato)
  • Meal four: One cup lowfat cottage cheese and one serving whole wheat crackers, or one cup lowfat yogurt with one-half cup lowfat granola
  • Meal five: One large can of tuna (drained), three-fourths cup plain brown rice, one-half cup mixed vegetables or
  • Whole wheat pita bread instead of rice, raw spinach or other dark greens, grilled fish instead of tuna, and salsa if desired
  • Meal six: Protein with water on non-workout days or fruit smoothie with protein boost on workout days

By following this simple guidelines, you can easily prepare healthy menus for proper sports nutrition.

Resources

Sport Nutrition: Sport Performance and Food-www.wholefitness.com/sportnutrition.html

Tailoring Your sports Diet, Andrea Rouda-www.foodfit.com/fitness/sportsNutrition.asp

Nutrition for Fighters-www.fightfit.com

Foods to Improve Stamina-www.healthguidance.org