Sports Nutrition

Since more and more people are getting interested in becoming world-class athletes, and the area of sports is one of the most lucrative and popular forms of entertainment and recreation, the study of sports nutrition has developed steadily. Consumable products and instructional materials are being released in the market endlessly in order to help athletes and ordinary people with ample interest in physical fitness achieve their personal goals.

In this respect, American sports nutrition has indeed made very useful discoveries on how to make the human body function to its outmost potential.

Here are some studies and opinions created by some of the most respected health and fitness experts around.

According to a press release from the IDEA Health & Fitness Association, the best kind of nutrition is only based on the type of food one eats, but also, the time that a certain food was consumed. Research states that the food that athletes take in on all stages of a training session, may it be prior, during or afterwards, will make a considerable impact on their athletic prowess and recovery.

-The practice of right timing for taking in nutrients also benefits ordinary exercisers, and not only athletes

-The consumption of nutrients in ideal combinations at the most optimal of frequencies will result in the enhancement of athletic performance and the recovery of the body. It also improves the composition and strength of muscles.

-Obesity can be battled by simply upping the amount of calcium that one consumes everyday.

-The right combination of protein and carbohydrates will result in improved workout and training performance.

Another important discovery made in American sports nutrition deals with the possibility of high protein diets to bring about dehydration in most people, even professional sportsmen.

Citing a study from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, graduate student William Forrest Martin reported on the effect of high protein on five athletes who were made to consume various amounts in the span of four weeks. The researchers stressed that when one takes in high amounts of protein in their body, the amount of fluid intake should also be raised considerably. 

Aside from hydration, people who drink less water are prone to catching other health problems, such as heat illnesses. Minimal decrease of water in the body will have a negative effect on certain bodily functions.

The importance and strategies for the recovery of the body after strenuous activity has also been discussed in relation to American sports nutrition.

-Replacement of the storage of liver glycogen and muscle in the body.

-Regaining of all those electrolytes and fluids that went down with the sweat.

-Rejuvenation of the body from the damage brought about by exercise.

It is best to consume foods rich in carbohydrates while the body recovers from the activity.

-Take snacks for within an hour maximum if the next activity is less than 8 hours.

-For people with poor appetite, juice and sports drinks can provide carbs and fluids necessary for recovery.