Health and Nutrition
Nutrition for Sports Performance
The Athlete's Diet
The nutrients that the runner needs and that will be present in the runner's diet are the same as those for the sedentary person. All the nutrients we need are to be found in the foods that we eat and the food choices that we make - in terms of the types of foods in the diet and the amounts of each of those foods that we eat - will determine whether or not our diet will meet our needs. There are no good foods and bad foods, but there are good diets and bad diets.
The essential nutrients in the diet are shown below. Water and fibre are both necessary components of the diet, but, strictly speaking, neither is a nutrient. Alcohol is a nutrient, but alcohol is not an essential part of the diet.
One big advantage of an active lifestyle is that it means you can eat more of the foods you enjoy without having the same worries about the adverse effects on the waistline. A varied diet, if eaten in sufficient quantity, will provide all of the nutrients we need for an active lifestyle. If the diet is monotonous - and there are many reasons why people might not have variety in their diet - or if only small amounts of food are eaten, then the risk of nutritional deficiencies is increased.
All the essential nutrients are contained in the foods that make up a varied diet
- Carbohydrate
- Protein
- Fat Vitamins
- Minerals
- Fibre(?)
- Water(?)
There are no nutrients that the runner needs that are not found in a varied diet made up of normal foods.
The requirement for some nutrients is increased by heavy training, BUT
High nutrient intakes can be achieved from the diet if:
- energy intake is moderate to high
- the diet contains a variety of foods
High nutrient intakes can be achieved from the diet if:
- energy intake is moderate to high
- the diet contains a variety of food
