Sports nutrition
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Sports Nutrition is a multi-disciplinary field of study that incorporates exercise physiology, nutrition, biochemistry, integrative physiology, and cell/molecular biology. The field of sports nutrition includes an ‘applied’ aspect (i.e. the use of nutrition and/or dietary supplement strategies to enhance athletic performance or improve body composition) as well as a ‘basic’ science aspect (i.e. understanding the underlying biological mechanism(s) regarding the effect(s) of foods and/or supplements).
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[edit] Sports nutritionist
Sports nutritionists tend to have varied educational backgrounds. Many have formal training in the field of exercise physiology as well as nutrition. The majority of academic research performed in the sports nutrition and sports supplement area are conducted by Ph.D. level exercise physiologists. Traditionally, the primary health professional that dispenses ‘nutrition’ information is the registered dietitian or RD. However, the education of an RD does not prepare him or her for ‘Sports Nutrition’ due to the lack of academic training in exercise physiology vis a vis the adaptive response to acute and chronic exercise. Sports nutritionists tend to specialize in working with certain athletes (e.g. bodybuilders, endurance athletes, team sports [football, baseball, etc]). Also, sports nutritionists can be found working in academia, with professional/collegiate sports teams, assisting sports nutrition/supplement companies/brands, and working with individual athletes on a personal basis.
[edit] Applications
Sports nutrition is applied in most sports training, however it is most dominant in strength (for example weight lifting) and endurance sports (for example cycling, running, triathlon). Bodybuilding is a sport that relies a great deal on sport nutrition also. It is very important to not just rely on power bars(energy bars) but to eat healthy foods as well.
[edit] Nutrition for anaerobic exercise
After weight training, the body is depleted of glycogen stores. This creates a rise in Glycogen synthetase, which allows for a greater amount of glycogen synthesis for a period after training. To compensate for this glycogen depletion, athletes will often take in a large amount of carbohydrates in the period immediately following exercise. Typically, high glycemic index carbohydrates are preferred for their ability to raise insulin levels, thus increasing rate of nutrient storage. Recently, High Molecular Weight carbohydrates have come to prominence for their low osmolality, and potential for quicker, and greater glycogen restoration.
For the purpose of protein synthesis, amino acids are ingested as well. Studies also show that there is a greater rate of glycogen synthesis when amino acids are included with the ingested carbohydrate.
[edit] Nutrition for aerobic exercise
After the aerobic exercise it is necessary to fill the glycogen stores in the muscles. A liquid source of fast carbohydrates and protein in ratio 4:1 are generally recommended for optimal recovery.
[edit] Goals of sport nutrition
Some of the main goals of sport nutrition are to:
- prepare athlete for performance or training (before)
- maintain the level of performance or training (during)
- help recovery from performance or training (after)
In some sports, nutrition is also necessary in maintaining a body aesthetic (bodybuilding) or body weight (cycling).
[edit] See also
- Category:Dietary supplements
- Energy bar
- Protein
- Sports drink
- Multivitamin
- Bodybuilding
- Bodybuilding supplements
