Whether swimming, jogging or playing soccer, people who regularly play sports in their free time need more energy than others. A healthy diet is essential in this regard. Depending on the sport, the requirements for a healthy diet vary. Those who want to build muscle mass have a different diet than someone who wants to train their endurance.
Basal and power metabolism
Nevertheless, during any physical activity, the body needs a sufficient food supply to meet its basic needs. Here, the composition of the food is crucial. The body’s energy requirements are derived from basal metabolic rate and power metabolic rate. The basal metabolic rate indicates the amount of energy the body uses at rest, for example for heartbeat or respiration. It increases with the proportion of muscle mass. Any physical activity that goes beyond this is attributed to the power metabolic rate. Depending on the activity and duration, this can therefore fluctuate. Both basal metabolic rate and power metabolic rate play an important role in sports.
Covering energy requirements during sport
Which substances are primarily consumed during sports depends primarily on the intensity of the load. During short but intense activities, the body obtains its energy requirements primarily from carbohydrates. These are stored in the form of glycogen in the liver as well as in the muscles as a reserve. If the body is suddenly subjected to a heavy workload, muscle glycogen is first mobilized and used as an energy reserve by the muscles. Only during prolonged activity does the body fall back on fat reserves. If the body lacks carbohydrates and fats, proteins are converted to glucose in the liver, which also supplies energy. Nevertheless, there is a risk of hypoglycemia, since it may not be possible to convert sufficient proteins. The result can be dizziness, lack of energy and nausea. In addition, cravings may occur, resulting in excessive caloric intake. This can lead to unwanted weight gain. This is because when the muscle glycogen store is filled up, the extra carbohydrates are converted into fat and stored as fat reserves.
Fat burning during endurance training.
If the load intensity is lower, the proportion of carbohydrates that are converted for an adequate energy supply decreases. Especially in endurance sports, this is the case. The body then obtains its energy primarily from the burning of fat. This occurs aerobically, i.e. with the consumption of oxygen. Fat burning can be trained through targeted endurance training: The mitochondria of the muscle cells, which are responsible for metabolism, gradually enlarge and are better able to convert fatty acids when oxygen is supplied. However, this effect only occurs after several months of training. Regardless of what goals athletes pursue, nutrition rules still apply to make sports an all-around healthy experience.
Carbohydrates as the most important energy suppliers
About half of the daily energy requirement should be covered by carbohydrates, as they are the most important energy suppliers for mental and athletic activities. They are stored in the form of glycogen in the muscles, among other places. During physical exertion, these reserves are used to quickly supply the necessary energy. That’s why athletes should make sure to supply enough carbohydrates before and during exercise.
Carbohydrate-rich diet
By eating a carbohydrate-rich meal of pasta or potatoes about three hours before training, this can be ensured. Smaller carbohydrate sources such as bananas can also be eaten just before exercise, as they do not stress the digestive system as much. To allow the body to regenerate, care should be taken to replenish the carbohydrate store after training. Foods that release energy quickly are ideal here. Foods with a high glycemic index, such as white flour products and sugary products, are ideal for this purpose. But be careful: many recreational athletes overestimate their energy consumption and consume too many calories after exercise. The carbohydrates that the body cannot use immediately are converted into fat. Suitable carbohydrate-rich foods are:
- Whole grain products
- Pasta
- Potatoes
- Rice
- Fruits and vegetables
This is because, in addition to providing energy, they also ensure that the body is supplied with sufficient fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Protein for muscle building
Proteins are of great importance for building new muscle cells. Both strength and endurance athletes should pay attention to an adequate protein intake. An intake of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight is considered sufficient by the German Nutrition Society. Sports physicians, on the other hand, tend toward higher values of up to 1.5 grams. The role of protein for athletes has long been overestimated. Excessive protein intake can even pose risks, as its metabolic end products are excreted via the kidneys and can be damaged by overuse.
Which proteins are suitable?
In general, care should be taken to ensure a balanced mix of animal and vegetable proteins. Although animal protein is more valuable than plant protein, it is recommended that no more than 50 percent of it be consumed. Animal proteins can raise cholesterol levels and are also often coupled with the consumption of fat. Animal products suitable for athletes are eggs, fish, low-fat meat, and low-fat dairy products. Vegetable proteins are mainly found in cereal products, nuts and potatoes.
Fat as a vital building block
Despite its bad reputation, fat is a vital building block of the body. It serves as padding for organs, an energy reserve and a transporter of important fat-soluble vitamins in the body. Although athletes are advised to reduce the amount of fat in their diet in favor of proteins and carbohydrates, it would be unhealthy to do without it altogether. Every athlete should consume about 30 percent of their energy needs in the form of fats. Similar to proteins, the same applies here: Not all fats are the same. Animal fats contain saturated fatty acids, which can increase blood fat levels and cholesterol. Experts therefore advise moderate consumption of animal products no more than two to three times a week. Unsaturated fatty acids, which are mainly found in nuts and vegetable oils, should be preferably consumed in a ratio of three to one. They can lower total cholesterol levels.
Fluids: drinking is essential during exercise
Through sporting activities, the body loses fluid. The background is the higher energy consumption, most of which is converted into heat. To avoid overheating, the body sweats out fluid. This evaporates on the skin and cools the body in this way. The body can lose up to two liters of fluid in this way in one hour. This loss of fluid must be returned to the body through sufficient drinking. If this does not happen, fluid is withdrawn from the blood and tissues. The result is a decrease in the flow rate of the blood, which can lead to an undersupply of oxygen to the cells.
Consequences of fluid deficiency
The circulatory disturbance limits performance and threatens vomiting, muscle cramps and dizziness. That’s why it’s important to drink enough during and also after sports activities. An adult needs about 2.5 liters per day. Depending on the sporting load, this requirement must be adjusted accordingly.
What should you drink?
Athletes are recommended to drink 100 to 200 milliliters of fluid about every 20 minutes. At the same time, the drink should not be cooler than 25 degrees Celsius, otherwise additional energy must be expended to warm the drink to body temperature. Mineral water is suitable because it can replenish the minerals that have been flushed out. Juice spritzers are also good fluid suppliers, which they offer electrolytes as well as energy in the form of the fruit sugar of the juices.
Vitamins and minerals
Basically, recreational athletes do not necessarily need more minerals than people who do not exercise regularly. Although the body loses water-soluble minerals and vitamins during sports, a deficiency cannot normally occur. The additional requirement of athletes for vitamins and minerals can usually be regulated very well through food intake, since in the case of a slight deficiency, appetite already ensures that the appropriate nutrients are simply absorbed. The situation is somewhat different for professional and competitive athletes.Vitamin and mineral deficiencies may well limit their performance and can be compensated by consuming fruits, vegetables as well as mineral water.
