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Summertime Athletes |
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Take advantage of the beautiful early summer temperatures to enjoy your favorite outdoors sports. Just one hour of activity 5 days per week will help you burn off those extra pounds you gained during the winter months and make you look lean and fit in that new swim suit!
Remember that what you eat and drink will affect your athletic performance. A well planned sports diet will help you train harder and compete better. Carbohydrates fuel your muscles and adequate fluids regulate your body temperature, prevent heat exhaustion and transports nutrients and energy to your muscles. Thirst is not a good measure of your hydration, so drink throughout the day.
Here are some quick nutrition tips to enhance your athletic performance.
 Eat a light breakfast of about 100-300 calories, 1-3 hours before your morning tennis match. Studies show that pre-exercise food enhances your performance and regulates your blood sugar level. Some popular choices are yogurt and bagel, cereal with milk and fruit, granola bar, or fruit smoothie. Avoid high fat breakfasts like breakfast tacos or bacon and eggs.
 Prevent dehydration by drinking about 2-3 cups (16-24 ounces) of water or sports drink two hours before your competition, to allow for hydration and a bathroom break. Then drink ½ - 1 cup (4-8 ounces) of fluid every 15 minutes during the event. Weigh yourself before and after your competition. For every post event pound of weight loss due to sweat, drink an additional 2 ½ - 3 cups of fluid (20-24 ounces). On a daily basis, athletes need at least 10-12 cups (80-90 ounces) of fluid per day to meet daily fluid needs.
 What should you eat after your competition? Within the first 30 minutes you should eat a high carbohydrate snack such as an energy bar or yogurt and graham crackers. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, to replenish your muscle glycogen stores. Then within 2 hours you should have a high carbohydrate meal with a small amount of protein such as spaghetti with meat sauce, grilled chicken with rice and vegetable, or a PBJ sandwich. Continue drinking fluids.
Other Tips:
- Don't experiment with your meal choices before competition. Experiment during training to determine what foods are better tolerated, when you should eat them, and how much you can eat.
- Avoid caffeine and alcoholic beverages which can cause dehydration.
- Avoid salt tablets.
Article written June 2005
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