As for the athlete and nutrition let's look at the analogy of fueling your vehicle... You are about to embark on a long trip driving across the country (Which I would love to do!). Obviously, you would not start your trip without stopping at the gas station to fill up your car. You wouldn't get very far without fuel! The same idea applies to your body and muscles. If you were about to go for an hour long run or play a game of basketball or any other sport, you would need to make sure you have "fueled" yourself so that you have adequate energy to perform!
In the competitive world of athletics, athletes are constantly looking for that physical or psychological "edge" over their opponent. In order to achieve this, an athlete may practice or train hard, but essentially an athlete must take care of their body. Proper nutrition is extremely important because what and when you eat can either enhance or impair your performance.
I'm sure many of you have experienced a time when you did not fuel yourself properly for an event. Hopefully, you learned your lesson. Personally, I have had my fair share of hard lessons. Once I ended up in a hospital, but that's another story! Even for those of you who are not athletes, have you ever missed breakfast? How did you feel? Could you think clearly? I could start going on about nutrition and the brain, but I'll leave that for another post... Anyway, as a runner, I know that if I don't fuel myself properly throughout the week and post exercise, I do NOT perform well by the end of the week. I feel sluggish, heavy, and not to my best. Have you ever heard runners say they "hit the wall" or "bonked"? Perhaps, you have experienced this yourself. I will discuss what this means in another post. I have learned the hard way and through education the importance of nutrition for performance. My hope is that you too will learn!
Here is a video by ADA's dietetic practice group Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN) titled, "Sports Nutrition: Who Delivers?"
Check out SCAN at http://www.scandpg.org
Great post Nikki! What a great analogy about driving across the country and using fuel!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting about this topic! Its great to have an online presence who is educated and stimulated by sharing knowledge about active human health. I have been a runner for the past 5 or 6 years, but most of my days are spent traveling for enjoyment (cross country and internationally) so I totally get what you mean about first filling the fuel. I have found it difficult to find appropriate times and places to run consistently while traveling, but the most challenging aspect is the food part. How do you make sure you have consumed enough calories, carbs, and proteins before running? Two days ago, I had some toast before running and I felt like my entire body was itching from the inside! It was so uncomfortable that I chose to walk the way back. It was pretty ridiculous and I have no idea why it happened. I am thinking it could be due to poor nutrition before running? Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteThanks for any tips and advice you can give :)
Kate Harrison