When we think of sports nutrition, the first thing that comes to mind is what makes it “golden.” On track, exceptional, or better than average? So, here are five simple rules to remember.
Athletes who are serious about improving their performance should strive for elite sports nutrition habits. Our bodies have evolved into these machines as a result of daily stress, the stress of long and difficult workouts, and the stress of sleep deprivation. Nutrition is critical for allowing your body to organize stress and nurture the body to perform better. To understand what constitutes the golden rules of sports nutrition, we must first identify its ultimate goals.
The 5 Golden Rules of Sports Nutrition are based on these primary goals.
- Remember to eat breakfast
This sets the tone for your body’s nutrient utilization throughout the day. We frequently hear that people “aren’t hungry” when they get ready for the day, and that’s fine. Start with something simple, like an egg, a piece of fruit, bread or a glass of milk and a granola bar. Try being consistent for a week to allow your body to adjust to having nutrients in the morning, and then progress from there.
With a protein/carb combination, blood sugar should rise and become more stable. Add some healthy fats to that egg for more sustained energy; for example, put some almond butter in a smoothie or toast. You’ll feel full for hours and have more energy for that mid-day workout than expected.
- Avoid exercising on an empty stomach
If you haven’t eaten within the last 2 hours, grab a banana, an electrolyte drink, or something light to stabilize your blood sugar.
A piece of fruit would suffice for shorter workouts (less than 45 minutes). Make sure it’s the fruit your stomach is used to and can digest.
For a 60-90-minute workout, consider adding an electrolyte drink 1/3 or halfway through to ensure your body gets a steady supply of carbs and to avoid dehydration.
If you are a sport lover or even though you love the sports gadgets- badminton, baseball, darksaber , soccer etc. you must be careful while playing with them. Moderation is a compulsory thing. Or if your workout lasts more than 90 or 120 minutes, consider consuming a combination of liquid hydration, such as Skratch Labs drink mix, and some form of solid food, such as a bar, rice, boiled potato, or similar. Discover what works best for you in terms of liquids and whole foods, and you’ll be ahead of the game!
- Make sure to complete your post-workout meal
You must complete recovery nutrition to produce results from your training program. Determine what recovery protocol works best for your training, implement it within the critical 30-45 minutes following your workout, and eat within another 90 minutes… Watch your performance skyrocket.
Why do we advise athletes to eat within 30-45 minutes of their workout? The good old “recovery window” begins to close within 45-60 minutes, according to science. Liquid recovery nutrition is more effortless on the stomach, digests faster, and is more convenient if you cannot prepare anything at home.
- Before going to bed, consume a nutrient-dense snack
I mean nutrient-dense foods like healthy fats, nuts, berries, and protein that won’t spike your blood sugar but will keep it from dropping during the night.
“Shouldn’t I eat in the late afternoon?” we’re frequently asked. Feeling good about not bingeing or exercising self-control over what you put into your body has a mental benefit, you could argue. Fasting before bed, on the other hand, has little physiological benefit in terms of fueling for sport; we know that blood sugar is rapidly depleted during sleep in order to sustain the body’s processes.
As you can see, there’s a lot of rocket science going on (just kidding)! Once you’ve mastered the rules, ask yourself, “Is my nutrition ‘top-notch?'” “Am I abiding by the golden rules?” Is your answer is no, maybe, or sometime? Unless the answer is an unequivocal “yes,” you should take a step back and must think about your training load.
Note: A healthy body is compulsory to pursue a love of sports. Multiple gadgets add to your daily routine to keep you healthy- badminton, cricket, football, orange lightsaber, tennis, etc.
