Drinking Sodas

Coke or Pepsi? When you're training, neither. Go easy on the soft drinks in your sports nutrition diet.

There has been some indication that drinking a lot of carbonated sodas, especially cola, can have an adverse effect on bone strength in teenage girls. (This would probably also be true of diet sodas.)

This is very controversial and far from proven, but there is no doubt that it alters your body´s pH levels. But the possibility plus the proven fact that many people, especially teenagers, consume a large percentage of their calories as soft drinks, which have no nutritional value and displace a proper sports nutrition diet, should make you think twice about drinking a lot of soda. Like a sports nutition supplement, you don´t have to give up soda; just don´t make it a major part of your sports nutrition diet.

Sports Drinks - the healthy way

Gatorade is thirst-aid! Many people prefer sports drinks to water because they taste better and it´s easier to drink them more often in a sports nutrition diet.

If the sports drink contains a small amount of carbohydrate, sodium, and potassium, the drink will effectively hydrate the person. The following facts are important to consider when using a sports drink for sports nutrition:

- Sports drinks should contain between 14 and 19 grams of
carbohydrate per eight-ounce serving (six to eight percent). A drink with more than ten percent carbohydrate may cause slow absorption, nausea, cramps, or diarrhea. A drink with five percent or less sugar solution may not provide enough additional sports nutrition energy to increase exercise length.
- Carbonation causes stomach bloating. Dilute carbonated drinks to half-strength.
- The correct sodium level for sports nutrition supplement drinks is 100-110 milligrams per eight ounces. Sodium content in sports drinks can range from eight to 116 milligrams.
- Fruit juices have 10-15 percent carbohydrate and need to be diluted. Mix one part juice to seven parts water.
- You do not sweat out vitamins; there´s no need to buy sports nutrition drinks that include vitamins.
- Water is adequate for exercise under one hour. However, if the exercise is intense or lasts more than an hour, a sports drink will be beneficial.
- If you´re participating in a sports event lasting four hours or more, you need a sports nutrition drink that contains from 110 to 120 milligrams of sodium.

Rehydration

Yes, in general sports nutrition being lighter is actually a bad thing. Weigh yourself before and after a vigorous workout. If you´re one pound lighter afterward, you´ve sweated away about 16 oz. and should replace it by drinking 16 oz. (1 pint) of water.

Don´t Skip Meals

You may be so dazzled by your triple-jump time you forget lunch. Don't, and don't rely on a sports nutrition supplement.

Performance in moderate-to-high intensity exercise of 35-40 minutes duration was better when a meal was eaten 3 hours before exercise than when the previous meal was 6 hours before exercise, in a study in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition. The meal used in the study's sports nutrition diet was moderate to high carbohydrate, low fat, and low protein. Don´t skip meals before competition or training.

Dehydration Impairs Strength

It's the advice you get when you're sick, but it's valid when you're working out. Make sure your sports nutrition diet includes plenty of fluids. Dehydration hinders aerobic performance, and a new study indicates it can also impair maximal strength.

Fruit Juice

Grab that OJ for sports nutrition! Fruit juices are not easily absorbed during activity, but are good to drink as part of your sports nutrition diet after a hard workout, to both help with rehydration and replenish glycogen.

Dietary Fat

Don't fight the fat when it comes to sports nutrition. Between 20% and 30% of your caloric intake in your sports nutrition diet should be fat to aid metabolic processes as well as for energy. Favor monounsaturated fats, which do not have the negative cardiovascular effects attributed to saturated fats.

Sodium for Muscle Cramps

Get salty! If you´re doing heavy exercise in hot weather, you may find muscle cramps become a problem. Often, this can be solved by adding a little salt to your sports nutrition diet, especially if you ordinarily avoid salt. Your body can lose up to 2,000mg of sodium in hot and severe conditions! Sports nutrition drinks and a sports nutrition supplement with sodium work too. If the cramps persist, check with a doctor to rule out serious conditions.

Water in Cold Weather

Baby, it's cold outside, so adjust your sports nutrition diet for January. Don´t forget to drink water when exercising in cold weather. You still lose fluid when working out; it´s just not as noticeable till you start to feel like Frosty the Snowman doing lunges.

Post-workout Eating

You've sweated, er, sung for your supper--eat up! Eat within an hour of a hard workout, to facilitate recovery. This is especially important sports nutrition diet advice if you´re doing more than one workout a day. Try and keep this sports nutrition snack approximately 4 parts carbs to 1 part protein with little fat. This will improve your recovery time.

How Much Protein?

To be a pro, eat a high-protein sports nutrition diet! The RDA for protein is .8 gram per kilogram of body weight (.36 g per pound). This is for sedentary people. Active people require more protein in their sports nutrition regimen.

Endurance athletes need 1.2-1.4 g/kg (.55-.64/lb). Strength athletes need 1.4-1.8 g/kg (.64-.81/lb). You can safely eat 2 g/kg (1 g/lb), but more than that is unlikely to be absorbed and utilized, though this varies with the individual.

Glucosamine

Starting to feel like your 80-year-old aunt, except she can run a 5K? If you have sore joints from the effects of repeated sports injuries, you may have the beginnings of osteoarthritis. Consider taking the sports nutrition supplement glucosamine, which may help repair damaged cartilage, especially over the long term. Also effective for connective tissue rejuvenation are the sports nutrition diet supplements chondroitin sulfate, chicken collagen, and MSM.

Carnitine

Carnitine as a sports nutrition supplement aids fat metabolism, which is important to endurance athletes and others who work out long and hard. However, it is classed as a nonessential amino acid, which means the body manufactures it from other amino acids. There is a theory that the body does not manufacture enough for strenuous exercise and a carnitine sports nutrition supplement can help.

Studies on supplemental carnitine for increasing performance are inconclusive, but there is no sound evidence that including it in a sports nutrition diet can help athletic performance, and it has little value for weight loss.

If you want to try it anyway, make sure it´s L-carnitine. D-carnitine can be dangerous. Follow instructions on the label.

Caffeine

Make a Starbucks run! Caffeine aids sports performance for many people. Endurance activities are most affected by java-jolted sports nutrition, with runners being able to go longer without tiring, but some studies have indicated shorter duration activities may also benefit.

However, large doses of caffeine in a sports nutrition diet may be harmful. Some people do not benefit, and may suffer nervousness or have trouble staying hydrated. But if you´re used to it, a cup or two of coffee before your run or ride may feel helpful to you. Don´t take any more than that, and try it in practice before using it in a race.

Hydration and Team Sports

Be a team player--pass the water bottle! Athletes in team sports, as well as runners, need to remember to drink water during sports participation. The National Athletic Trainers Assn. sports nutrition diet recommendations specify 7-10 oz. every 10-20 minutes. Even if your teammate's endorsing a sports nutrition supplement, pass him/her the water.

Creatine Side Effects

Creatine has been well studied and is generally safe, when used as directed. Creatine side effects include weight gain, and for some people, gastrointestinal distress. Some sports teams have reported muscle cramping and possibly dehydration when players use creatine. It's important to drink lots of water if you are taking creatine and never take more than the recommended dosage. Always check with your doctor before taking this supplement.

Inexpensive Protein

Your sports nutrition diet doesn't have to break the bank. If you want to add extra protein to your sports nutrition diet, an inexpensive source is nonfat dry milk powder, which you can add to your sports nutrition shakes, smoothies, or other food. Of course, a good quality commercial protein powder is the best choice if you want really good control over your dietary choices.

Patented Supplements

Don't judge a sports nutrition supplement by its patent. Patents are issued to protect products and processes in the marketplace and do not endorse a sports nutrition product´s effectiveness. Natural sports nutrition diet products cannot be patented. If a sports nutrition supplement or other product is patented, that is no guarantee it will work for you.

Too Much Water

Don't buy up the water supply at Costco till you read this. Hyponatremia, or water intoxication, is not common, but it can kill you. It is chiefly a problem with ultradistance runners, who may drink too much water without sufficient sodium, which can cause excess fluid to build up in the brain and lungs. Of course, too little water is a much more common sports nutrition deficiency and you should drink plenty during exercise.

As with any diet, balance is the key to a sports nutrition diet. For strenuous exercise up to an hour, just water is all right. For exercise of 1-4 hours, you should use sports nutrition drinks with electrolytes, but over 4 hours you may need to add more salt than found in most sports drinks.

Don't neglect solid foods in your sports nutrition diet. Try eating some pretzels in the last half of a long race.