Post by Coach Campbell on Jul 26, 2011 13:27:30 GMT
Nutrition for Athletes
and Most Common Vitamin Deficiencies
Among Sportspeople
Is there any difference between nutritional needs in athletes and people who have sedentary lifestyle? The answer is yes! Athletes or active people have increased need in certain vitamins and minerals. Which ones and why you will learn right here!
Let's see what nutrition for athletes is appropriate and what vitamin and mineral deficiencies are most common among athletes and active people.
Athlete's body uses a lot of energy during workouts and exercises, so if that's you than your diet should include foods with high energy concentration and that means high-calorie food. But you should not worry about excessive calorie intake because all the calories that you eat are burned and used as fuel.
Prolonged and intense exercise causes athletes to lose significant amount of fluids and many other nutrients in sweat. To avoid dehydration in the system you need to drink 8 to 16 ounces of water one or two hours before exercising; 4 ounces every 15 minutes during your workout; after workout drink until you're no longer thirsty.
For rehydration you may chose water or special sport drinks, both are good choice. If you'll decide to choose sports drinks, just make sure it contains no artificial colors, flavors and preservatives so your body does not get harmful ingredients.
Athlete Nutrition —
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies
Deficiency of B vitamins is widely spread in athletes, and especially thiamin and riboflavin (B1, B2) deficiency. B vitamins are very important in athlete nutrition because they are involved in energy production and its shortage may affect performance and recovery after exercises.
Thiamin and riboflavin are easily lost in sweat, so the more you're active and sweating the more you need of these two vitamins. Vitamins of B family operate as a team and usually they are present in food together. To avoid deficiency of B vitamins — very important nutrients for athletes and sportspersons, increase your Vitamin B Foods consumption. Also you can add vitamin B complex supplement to your diet to ensure your body gets all necessary B vitamins.
Iron deficiency is the next common nutritional deficiency among athletes. Especially women and vegetarians that are involved in sport are at risk to develop iron deficiency. This mineral is easily lost through sweat, urine and in women through menstrual flow. Iron better absorbed from meat sources than from plant sources, that's why vegetarians need to pay extra attention to their iron intake and especially vegetarian women.
While I'm taking about nutrition for athletes and vitamin deficiencies in athletes systems, I can't overlook minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and zinc that are also lost through heavy sweating. Deficiency of potassium and magnesium in the athletes system may cause tiredness and fatigue after athletic pursuits.
But if you're eating balanced and high calorie diet most likely you're getting all necessary minerals with your foods. Only if you're vegetarian athlete than you need to be careful in order to get adequate amounts of minerals like zinc and iron, because those are present in higher quantities in animal sources.
Many young athletes develop vitamin C deficiency because they often eat food prepared at colleges, works or office restaurants, which is overcooked and poor in vitamins and especially vitamin C. Young athletes eat very little of fresh fruits and vegetables which are the richest vitamin C sources. Sportsmen need vitamin C for the production of body hormones and during excessive activity hormone production in athletes increases and so increases the need in vitamin C.
How to Prevent Nutritional Deficiencies
in Athletes
You can prevent these nutritional deficiencies that many athletes risk to develop by balancing your diet. Include vitamin rich foods in your diet so your body will get all vitamins and minerals necessary for your health. (Visit my Vitamins in Food page where you can learn more about vitamins in food and find which foods contain which vitamins.)
Also you may add multivitamin/multimineral supplements to your diet to fill in the gaps in your daily diet and your body will be filed with vitamins and other essential nutrients while you're playing volleyball, running, power walking or building muscles!
and Most Common Vitamin Deficiencies
Among Sportspeople
Is there any difference between nutritional needs in athletes and people who have sedentary lifestyle? The answer is yes! Athletes or active people have increased need in certain vitamins and minerals. Which ones and why you will learn right here!
Let's see what nutrition for athletes is appropriate and what vitamin and mineral deficiencies are most common among athletes and active people.
Athlete's body uses a lot of energy during workouts and exercises, so if that's you than your diet should include foods with high energy concentration and that means high-calorie food. But you should not worry about excessive calorie intake because all the calories that you eat are burned and used as fuel.
Prolonged and intense exercise causes athletes to lose significant amount of fluids and many other nutrients in sweat. To avoid dehydration in the system you need to drink 8 to 16 ounces of water one or two hours before exercising; 4 ounces every 15 minutes during your workout; after workout drink until you're no longer thirsty.
For rehydration you may chose water or special sport drinks, both are good choice. If you'll decide to choose sports drinks, just make sure it contains no artificial colors, flavors and preservatives so your body does not get harmful ingredients.
Athlete Nutrition —
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies
Deficiency of B vitamins is widely spread in athletes, and especially thiamin and riboflavin (B1, B2) deficiency. B vitamins are very important in athlete nutrition because they are involved in energy production and its shortage may affect performance and recovery after exercises.
Thiamin and riboflavin are easily lost in sweat, so the more you're active and sweating the more you need of these two vitamins. Vitamins of B family operate as a team and usually they are present in food together. To avoid deficiency of B vitamins — very important nutrients for athletes and sportspersons, increase your Vitamin B Foods consumption. Also you can add vitamin B complex supplement to your diet to ensure your body gets all necessary B vitamins.
Iron deficiency is the next common nutritional deficiency among athletes. Especially women and vegetarians that are involved in sport are at risk to develop iron deficiency. This mineral is easily lost through sweat, urine and in women through menstrual flow. Iron better absorbed from meat sources than from plant sources, that's why vegetarians need to pay extra attention to their iron intake and especially vegetarian women.
While I'm taking about nutrition for athletes and vitamin deficiencies in athletes systems, I can't overlook minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and zinc that are also lost through heavy sweating. Deficiency of potassium and magnesium in the athletes system may cause tiredness and fatigue after athletic pursuits.
But if you're eating balanced and high calorie diet most likely you're getting all necessary minerals with your foods. Only if you're vegetarian athlete than you need to be careful in order to get adequate amounts of minerals like zinc and iron, because those are present in higher quantities in animal sources.
Many young athletes develop vitamin C deficiency because they often eat food prepared at colleges, works or office restaurants, which is overcooked and poor in vitamins and especially vitamin C. Young athletes eat very little of fresh fruits and vegetables which are the richest vitamin C sources. Sportsmen need vitamin C for the production of body hormones and during excessive activity hormone production in athletes increases and so increases the need in vitamin C.
How to Prevent Nutritional Deficiencies
in Athletes
You can prevent these nutritional deficiencies that many athletes risk to develop by balancing your diet. Include vitamin rich foods in your diet so your body will get all vitamins and minerals necessary for your health. (Visit my Vitamins in Food page where you can learn more about vitamins in food and find which foods contain which vitamins.)
Also you may add multivitamin/multimineral supplements to your diet to fill in the gaps in your daily diet and your body will be filed with vitamins and other essential nutrients while you're playing volleyball, running, power walking or building muscles!