Sports Nutrition
The objective of Sports Nutrition is to enhance and support competitive athletic performance, by providing a base for mechanical strength, while elevating psychological focus and physiological functions.
While Sound Nutrition is the ultimate goal for overall health and wellness.
Sports Nutrition addresses the specific needs of athletes.
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Malnutrition Among Athletes
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Sports Nutrition:
The Difference
Good nutrition aims to promote good health, provide adequate sustenance, and support metabolic & life functions; by providing the necessary biochemical components for the body.
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Sports Nutrition when viewed as a whole, strives for the same outcomes. However, Sports-Specific Nutrition, also known as Exercise Nutrition, has the added role of addressing athletic-related needs.
Some distinct principles define Sports Nutrition, these
Nutritional principles are meant to:
-Promote overall good health
-Promote adaptation to training
-Assist with recovery quickly from each training session
-Perform optimally during competition
These principles are achieved through specific meal plans
tailored to training, recovery, and competition purposes.
Sports Nutritionists are responsible for food counseling and
guidance providing information on diets. Information is also provided for the efficacy, safety, and permissibility of
supplementation; and to address any inadequacies or deficiencies, that may occur due to the adherence of diets. Sound and professional guidance in sports nutrition are important, in order, to recognize health concerns such as eating disorders due to malnutrition, early recognition of metabolic disorders and disease, and impaired performance or disturbances, in growth and development.
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Nutritional deficiencies among athletes are a significant concern, with national surveys revealing that athletes are not meeting adequate energy needs for their sport and exercise. In the same surveys, through supplementation, athletes are exceeding recommended intakes of micronutrients, such as minerals and vitamins.
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Athletes in weight restricted sports, are prone to deficiencies in recommended micronutrients for adequate health and bodily functions.
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For more than 100 years, studies and discussions surrounding the link between specified nutrition and sports performance in the competition have existed [2] In recent years, robust research concerning the link between specific food items/supplements and their interactions, in relation, to various sports or exercises, have provided valuable insight.
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Data-acquired recommendations can push for innovation and support consistent positions based on evidence-based nutritional science. In turn, adherence to safety and efficacy, increases throughout the industry; especially for athletes, to prevent poor health outcomes later in life, after the cessation of sports competition.
Author: Rose D.
Sports Nutrition aims to adhere to principles that encourage good overall health while addressing sports-specific needs for enhanced performance in competition.
References:
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[1] (2009) Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, 710-731.
[2] Williams, Melvin H., Rawson, Eric S. and Branch, David J. (2017). Nutrition for Health, Fitness & Sport: Sports-
Related Fitness: Exercise and Nutrition. McGraw Hill, 11: 17-19.
