Healthy Diet for Athletes
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The diet of people who regularly engage in sports, just like that of more sedentary individuals, must be balanced above all. However, athletes require a diet adapted to their higher energy consumption to avoid deficiencies, fatigue, and to meet their body's needs.
Muscle energy consumption is very high. Therefore, athletes need to consume more energy-rich foods and more nutrients (vitamins and minerals) as sweating results in a significant loss of minerals. The athlete's body is put to the test and needs to be regularly nourished.
Is an Athlete's Diet Special?
The foods consumed by athletes are the same as those for other people. What changes is primarily the meal planning to allow for a regular energy intake throughout the day. An athlete's diet should include the following elements:
- Carbohydrates: in sufficient quantity to provide fuel for effort. Carbohydrates can also be supplemented with energy drinks during exercise.
- Protein: from meat or vegan equivalents, to support muscle renewal, growth, and iron intake.
- Fats: to supply essential fatty acids for proper body function.
- Dairy Products: to supplement protein and calcium intake.
- Fruits and Vegetables: daily, for their vitamins and minerals. They help rehydrate the body, and the sugar from fruits (fructose) is preferentially stored as glycogen in the liver.
Nutritional intake should be spread throughout the day, considering training times, the type of sport, and the season (sporting season). Regular intake of nutrients and micronutrients in the form of small snacks should be done to distribute the intake throughout the day without overloading the digestive system. These snacks will also help replenish energy before and after exercise, promoting performance and recovery.
Regular Hydration
Hydration during sports practice is very important because an athlete's consumption must be higher than average. Sweating, which carries away minerals, can be very significant during sports training, so it is necessary to maintain good hydration. To compensate for these losses, one must drink regularly throughout the day and during exercise. In terms of performance, water and mineral loss is significant as losing 1% of body weight in water during exercise equates to a 10% reduction in muscle efficiency. To counteract these losses, it is necessary to drink mineral-rich water. Additionally, hydration helps the kidneys eliminate waste, whose production increases during training. Furthermore, the drink can be adapted to the athlete's needs, promoting rehydration and providing an immediate energy boost.
Basal Metabolism
Basal Metabolism (BM) corresponds to the energy needs of the body to meet its minimum daily energy expenditure at rest. The body uses the energy consumed during meals to maintain its vital functions (brain, heart, respiration, digestion, body temperature maintenance, etc.). This need is expressed in joules or kilocalories per day. Basal metabolism depends on height, weight, sex, and age. External conditions can also affect basal metabolism. It decreases with age by 2% to 3% per decade once adulthood is reached. Basal metabolism is lowered during diets as the body responds to food deprivation with adaptive thermogenesis, explaining the "yo-yo effect" often observed during diets. When a diet causes significant weight loss, metabolism decreases for two main reasons:
- The body is lighter and requires less energy.
- Basal metabolism is reduced by 5% to 30% due to adaptive thermogenesis.
Less restrictive or protein-rich diets (there are contradictory studies on the subject) combined with physical exercise may provoke less of the "yo-yo effect." The reference formula used today is Black et al (1996):
- For men: 259 x (P^0.48 + T^0.50 + A^-0.13)
- For women: 230 x (P^0.48 + T^0.50 + A^-0.13)
These formulas are not suitable for children and adolescents. For a more accurate assessment of your energy needs, we recommend consulting a doctor or dietitian.
Estimate Daily Caloric Needs Based on Activity
From basal metabolism, it is possible to estimate a person's daily energy needs based on three main types of activity:
- Sedentary: Basal Metabolism x 1.37
- Active: Basal Metabolism x 1.55
- Athletic: Basal Metabolism x 1.80
- Very Athletic: Basal Metabolism x 2.0
This is an average estimate for an adult. For a more precise assessment of needs, we invite you to consult a doctor or dietitian.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
The Body Mass Index or BMI is a simple calculation that estimates a person's body size. This index is not representative for people who practice sports intensively or professionally. It is calculated based on height and weight and is only representative for adults between 18 and 65 years old. The formula is:
- BMI = weight / height^2 (weight in kilograms, height in meters).
Estimation of Body Fat Mass
There are two simple formulas, one of which is reserved for individuals with a BMI between 35 and 40 (Boer formula).
Standard Formula (Hume Formula):
- For Men: FM = W * 0.9719 - H * 0.33929 + 29.5336
- For Women: FM = W * 0.70431 - H * 0.41813 + 43.2933
Boer Formula for BMIs Between 35 and 40:
- For Men: FM = W * 0.593 - H * 0.267 + 19.2
- For Women: FM = W * 0.748 - H * 0.473 + 48.3
Where W is weight in kg and H is height in cm for both formulas.
Calculate your BMI using our calculator:
Note: The calculator uses the Boer formula for BMIs over 40.
Conclusion
An athlete's diet should be balanced, just like that of more sedentary individuals, and should also compensate for higher occasional energy needs by promoting certain intakes throughout the day in the form of snacks. Hydration is also very important for athletic performance and can serve as a nutritional supplement during exercise, providing carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.