How to eat like an Athlete

In order for professional athletes to maintain their rigorous training programs, they need to fuel their bodies correctly. And their lean bodies definitely reflect how great their nutrition is. The sheer amount of attention and money that goes into the sport at a local and national level means that you must take it seriously if you are to succeed. It’s no longer just a fun pastime so therefore you must learn how to eat like an athlete.

Most athletes enjoy a strict diet plan to provide their bodies with the fuel they need to aid their performance. There is a constant challenge for athletes to come up with new ways to break new ground and push the performance boundaries to the limit. If you want to do this – either to perform at a professional level or to simply be able to reach your maximum athletic potential – then you need to do two things. Practice a lot and get your diet right.

Down below you will see some helpful information that should help to get your body into a lean athlete’s body shape and hopefully turn you into a top athlete sportsperson.

Carbs are the body’s quickest and easiest source of fuel – making it the preferred source for most bodily functions and types of exercise. Carbs are especially important for high endurance training and explosive strength – needing to be quick on your feet and pushing heavy objects requires carbs. They are also what your body uses when it’s fight or flight mode kicks in!

When you eat carbs they are used for immediate energy or stored in your muscles for quick fuel and in your liver as a reserve source of energy. And when you get too many calories, excess carbs are stored as fat.

Fat is your source of long-lasting energy. Calories from fat can be used for immediate energy or when calories are in excess, fat is stored as fatty tissue.

At rest, the body prefers to use fat for energy. This is partly because your body gets twice as many calories from fat – whether you eat it or burn it – which means you get twice the energy for the same amount of work. And remember you’re resting, so your body doesn’t need quick energy. It can take its time to break down fat – a much slower process than carbs. But once intensity picks back up, your body switches to more carbs to keep up.

Your body also has an almost unlimited capacity to store fat for reserved energy compared to carbs and protein. Because your body always prioritizes survival mode over anything else, it wants to preserve your carb stores when you don’t need them. This way, if danger arises and you need a quick getaway or brute strength, your carb stores have you covered. It also prefers fat over protein because protein is needed to build and maintain all of your cells and tissues.

Protein is not a preferred energy source and is not stored in the body as protein. It is broken down into amino acids and used to build, maintain, and repair just about every part of your body. And just like fat and carbs, when calories are in excess, protein can be stored as fat.

The second you start thinking more about food as a resource to thrive, you begin to tap into your body’s true needs. This includes paying attention to how what you are eating is making you feel, systematizing your diet by planning ahead and tracking your intake, and making thoughtful meal decisions designed to improve your life and wellbeing, not just to quench your appetite or cravings.

Athletes have regimented training schedules designed to maximize their potential, to get stronger, better, and faster. And when they eat as they train, they see incredible results. This is possible for the everyday person as well. No matter how hard you are training, or not training, putting some structure and thought behind your diet can catapult you to better results that stick. And make the process easier and more enjoyable as you go.

A good breakfast will set your body up with plenty of energy for the day ahead. Try to eat a light breakfast that offers protein, whole grains, and fruit. If you are not a big eater in the morning, don’t fret. You can begin getting your body use to eating breakfast by starting with orange juice or even a small bowl of porridge.

Drinking water while you work out is great, but if you start your race on empty, you’re never going to finish as strong as you want. Athletes will embark on much physical activity, so it vital they consume plenty of fluids throughout the day to boost their energy, whilst ensuring they remain in a focused mental state. Sip on the same beverage during your training runs to stay hydrated. Water can also help to avoid overeating, as it’s so easy for your body to convince your brain it is hungry when it’s thirsty.

We hear all the time that carbohydrates are bad for our bodies, but they’re actually not. The biggest nutrition mistake I see athletes make is reducing or limiting their caloric intake in an attempt to be lean. This causes reduced stores of carbohydrates in your body, which are essential for training and performing, and can then lead to muscle breakdown, as your body eventually starts to use protein as an alternative fuel source. Healthy carbohydrates can aid a diet plan when consumed in moderation. When timed well, they can also aid your performance.

All athletes have to travel a lot to compete, and being on the go makes it tough to maintain a routine. They have to do a lot of planning to stay in shape and must have a diet plan in place or they could completely destroy their physical performance and well-sculptured physique. Put together some healthy snacks and meals that you can easily grab throughout the week. Create a seven-day diet plan and stick to it, which will not only help achieve your goals but can help you plan your meals in advance.

High fibre can upset your stomach while exercising, so avoid discomfort by staying away from large servings of high-fibre before a workout, some fibre with every meal is okay.

You might think not eating before your workout helps burn more fat, but you’ll likely feel lethargic during the entire workout and unable to push yourself. Eating a snack before your routine doesn’t defeat the purpose of exercising.

You know what I’m talking about—that entire tube of Pringles, that Sausage Egg McMuffin, that second plate of bolognese, or that fried chicken. If you wrote down on a piece of paper all the foods that make you feel like shit. Then, on the other side, you write down all the foods that make you feel great. After you were done, and study both sides very carefully and write, ‘Don’t eat these foods,’ on the side that makes you feel like crud. It’d be the best consult you’d ever get in your life.

There’s no substitute for sleep. Science has shown that getting enough shut-eye keeps us happy and is a key component in everything from training, performance, and nutrition to alertness and immunity.