Hello everyone! I hope everyone is keeping well and staying healthy during this lockdown. Today I thought I'd share some tips on maintaining the right nutrition during exercise and sport, focusing on carbs, protein, fat, hydration and the role of supplements.
What factors needs to be considered during exercise and sport?
- Fluid and total energy (calorie) requirements may be increased due to the demand of physical activity.
- Energy required will depend on a someone's size, gender , and the intensity and duration of exercise.
- You may need to increase your carbohydrate intake to help improve recovery post exercise and optimise energy during exercise.
- You may need to increase your protein intake to ensure growth and repair of muscles.
- Meal planning is essential for optimising energy for workout and recovery.
Carbohydrates
- Carbohydrates serve as fuel for active muscles in the form of glucose.
- They are also a source of dietary fibre which is a good for your digestive health. We should be aiming for at least 30g of fibre a day.
- General exercise does not require additional carbohydrate.
- Moderate to high volumes of training will require an increase in carbohydrates. For example, 1 - 2 hours of exercise a day they should consume 6 - 8g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight.
- This is around 450g of carbohydrates for someone weighing 70kg.
Sources of carbohydrates
|
Food |
Weight
(g) |
Weight of carbohydrates (g) |
|
Whole wheat pasta |
180 |
49.5 |
|
Cous cous |
150 |
56.3 |
|
Wholegrain rice |
180 |
52.6 |
|
Jacket potato |
220 |
49.7 |
|
Wholemeal bread |
80 |
33.6 |
|
Banana |
100 |
20.3 |
|
Crumpet (toasted) |
50 |
22.7 |
|
Sweetcorn |
80 |
11.1 |
|
Oatcakes |
24 |
15.1 |
|
Broccoli |
80 |
2.8 |
Protein
- Protein is made up of amino acids, 8 of which can only be provided for by the diet - known as essential amino acids.
- Current recommendation is 0.75g per kilogram of body weight per day. This is around 56g of protein a day for a 74kg male and 45g of protein for a 60kg female.
- Adults taking part in high levels of resistance or endurance require 1.2 - 2g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
- Timing, quality and quantity are very important factors to consider when training.
- It is important to have high quality protein throughout the day.
- For those taking part in high quality exercise, you should aim for 15 - 25g of hiqh quality protein at 3- 5 hour intervals throughout the day.
- Consuming 10g of essential amino acids helps repair muscle post training.
- For optimum recovery time, aim to consume 25g of high quality protein containing essential amino acids within 30 minutes of training.
Let's have a look at some rich sources of protein....
|
Food |
Weight
(g) |
Weight of protein (g) |
|
Chicken breast (grilled) |
120 |
38.4 |
|
Salmon fillet (grilled) |
120 |
29.5 |
|
Rump steak (grilled) |
130 |
40.3 |
|
Tuna canned in brine |
60 |
15 |
|
Baked beans |
200 |
10 |
|
Almonds |
20 |
4.2 |
|
Half fat cheddar cheese |
30 |
9.8 |
|
Eggs |
120 |
16g |
|
Semi skimmed milk |
200ml |
7.0 |
Hydration
- For activities under an hour, aim for 6 - 8 glasses of water.
- Extra hydration should be taken before and after exercises exceeding one hour.
- More than 2% of water loss can cause harm to the body and have an negative impact on performance.
What about supplements?
- They should only be used to aid elite athletes and people with special requirements.
- People should aim to get all essential nutrient from the diet.
Summary
- Choose wholegrain - rich carbohydrates for a long - lasting source of energy.
- Choose protein rich foods pre and post workout.
- Keep your hydration in check.
- Consider a balanced diet over supplements unless, you have special dietary requirements.
And that's a wrap! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
Soph xx
