Physical activity and diet – the most important principles of sports dietetics

Physical activity and diet – the most important principles of sports dietetics
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Types of physical activity are plentiful. You can run, play soccer, volleyball, basketball, or practice Nordic walking. Any sport is good if you practice it with your head and use correct techniques. However, when deciding on physical activity, one should also remember about proper nutrition. Why is diet so important in sports not only for professionals, but also for amateurs?

The importance of healthy food in physical activity

Regardless of the sport you practice, a balanced diet should be part of your training. Many experts make it clear that even the best-tailored training will not be fully effective if the body is not provided with sufficient amounts of carbohydrates, micro and macro nutrients and fluids. Contrary to appearances, diet does not have to be boring. It also does not have to be based only on rice with chicken. What’s more, you can even introduce snacks and fast food to it from time to time. In the main, it all depends on the psyche of the person and how he/she approaches training and healthy eating.

Everything is for people, but it is important to dose yourself with pleasure sensibly. A single bite of candy or a croissant on the occasion of Saint Martin’s Day will not adversely affect your form. It is well known that during training periods – both during weight reduction and mass gaining – it is necessary to introduce days which allow for deviations.

After a long period of consuming very low amounts of carbohydrates the body gets used to such a situation and metabolic processes slow down. Introducing additional products to the diet (for example for one day), which increase the calorie count, makes it necessary to turn up the digestive processes. As a result, consecutive weeks on low carbohydrates can produce stunning results. No matter what sport you do, you can’t forget about a healthy diet. Only in this way are we able to supply the body with the necessary nutrients. The right amount of protein and fats is just as important as the amount of vitamins and minerals.

Providing the necessary fuel

The main fuel that fuels the human body is carbohydrates. At the outset, the myth that fat is fattening can be debunked. Carbohydrates are responsible for excessive fat storage, but only when carbohydrate supply far exceeds demand. Carbohydrates are stored in the liver in the form of glycogen. If we also provide this component with food, the body will learn not to digest glycogen. If this is compounded by poorly balanced meals, it can have the effect of making you fat. Leftover carbohydrates that are not utilized by the muscles during the day and workout will begin to be deposited as glycogen, and eventually as fat in problem areas.

Fact Based Dietetics – Carbohydrates in the diet of an athlete – Mateusz Gawełczyk

It’s also worth thinking about protein and fats. The former is the basic building material of muscles. In addition, it protects them from breakdown. It should be remembered that during training micro-damage to muscles occurs. Proteins are designed to regenerate and fill the resulting defects, and in addition, build them up. This is how they start to grow.

Fat is another fuel for the body. If it is dosed in moderation, there should not be the slightest problem with it. For example, you can present a diet plan that is based on ketogenic meals. In their composition, there are no carbohydrates, but for this there are larger amounts of fat, which is used by muscles.

The diet should not lack vitamins and minerals, which provide many important nutrients. Regardless of the type of training we do, we should take care of a properly balanced diet.

Featured Image: Freepik

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