NUTRITION AND SPORTS. NUTRITION AT DIFFERENT SPORTING MOMENTS
The sporting activity determines the energy expenditure that must be compensated by the diet. Sportsmen do not always perform the same activity and thus, nutritional needs change accordingly. Depending on the level of intensity of the activity undertaken, four periods or sporting moments can be distinguished:
Rest Period
This period corresponds to a time outside competition and no preparatory sessions. Nutrition would be that of an appropriate and healthy diet based on the individual requirements.
Training Period
This is the period prior to a sporting event.
The preparatory diet comprises 1-2 weeks before the sporting event takes place, although in some sports it can shorten to 2 to 3 days before the actual event. The objective of this preparatory diet is to increase glycogen stores and other nutrients. The sportsman must follow a diet rich in carbohydrates and should be properly hydrated.
The intake of this diet should be divided into 5 small meals, with 3 larger meals providing 25% of the total amount of calories and 2 smaller meals to cover the rest.
During this stage it is not recommended to eat meat stews, pork or lamb meat, canned vinegar-preserved fish or meat, canned foods, fat foods or sauces, flatulent or hard to digest vegetables, and alcoholic beverages.
Competition Period
This includes the day of the sporting event and the actual sporting event. The number of meals must be increased, but with smaller amounts in each of these meals.
The meal before the competition should be ingested 3 to 4 hours prior to the event and should include 200-350 g of carbohydrates (4g/kg). Fat should be restricted to less that 25% of the total amount of calories, as it delays gastric emptying. Proteins should be reduced to avoid the formation of excess urine. It is fundamental that the stomach is half full at the time of the competition and that at the end of the event the sportsman does not feel hungry or full.
Before resistance events 50 to 100 g of carbohydrates may be ingested up to 1 hour before the event. In the 15 minutes prior to the event 1 to 2 glasses of water or liquid should be ingested at room temperature.
During the sporting event, the requirements will be contingent upon the duration and intensity of the event. Adequate intake of liquids and minerals, proportional to the losses, as well as the ingestion of easy to consume foods with high glycaemic indexes, should be ensured. The intake range should be 30 to 70 g/hour of competition, with liquid solutions containing 6 to 8% carbohydrates. When stores need to be replenished, carbohydrates with a higher glycaemic index may be given (such as cycling competitions while on route).
Recovery Stage
The main objective is rehydration, replenishment of glycogen stores and replacement of electrolytes.
It is recommended to drink sugar-sweetened beverages with minerals at the end of the event, as well as to eat dry fruits and nuts, chocolates, cookies, etc.
The meal following the event should be rich in carbohydrates (mainly complexes such as pasta, bread and cereals) with free consumption of salts and choosing sodium-rich foods. Fruits and vegetables are a rich source of potassium.
Rehydration is very important, mainly is there is another event the next day.