HYDRATION
Drinking water is essential. Not only does it clear out your skin and keep you cool but it also flushes out your body- and it accomplishes this without adding a single calorie! Before you decide to pick up that sugary soda jam packed with calories, think again and grab a nice refreshing glass of water. When you clean out your body’s cells by drinking water, you are creating a better internal environment that improves your digestion and excretion. Water also keeps you satiated, so by drinking a glass of water BEFORE you eat you will be less likely to have a super-sized meal.
It is particularly important to hydrate yourself when you exercise or have been active. When you exercise you raise your body temperature therefore your body cools itself by perspiring and thus loosing much of its fluid. By drinking water before, during and after exercise you are replenishing valuable fluids which help flush out your body. You will be less likely to feel tired and have crumps if you drink lots of water during any activity.
To make drinking water an easy habit to keep you may want to do the following:
1. By a cool water bottle that you are likely to carry with you everywhere you go.
2. Check out water fountains near where you will be throughout the day so that you will be able to fill up your bottle frequently.
3. Keep your full water bottle near your desk when you study and by your bed before you go to sleep.
4. Although these may seem like a lot of rules! Just keep a water bottle in your backpack and swig away all day –it will keep you healthy and hydrated!
SPORTS NUTRITION
There is no one food that must be eaten to support athletic performance. In fact, different ways of eating can be excellent for athletes. However, it is important for athletes to follow a few guidelines.
Energy First: Meeting energy needs is the first priority for all athletes. The working body requires three main nutrients to fuel activity: carbohydrate, fats and protein. A diet that is high in carbohydrate (55% to 60% of total calories), lower in fat (25% to 30%), and adequate in protein (15% to 18%) is best for optimal performance and disease prevention.
Carbohydrates – The main fuel for the body during exercise is carbohydrate. Choosing fruits and vegetables that are dense in nutrients and energy enables the athlete to achieve optimal performance.
An example of an energy/nutrient dense snack would include whole-wheat crackers and banana with a glass of skim milk versus a nutrient void snack such as pop, a chocolate bar and potato chips.
AN ATHLETE’S MEAL PLAN
Before Exercise
•Allow 3-4 hours to digest. Experiment with different amounts and types of foods before practice sessions to determine what works best for you.
•Good choices for pre-game meals: Grape juice, banana, toast with peanut butter, blueberry pancakes with syrup, baked white or sweet potatoes, pasta with steamed vegetables and chicken, lentils, peas, raisins, figs, dates, frozen yogurt, graham crackers.
•Have 400-600 mL of fluids 2-3 hours before exercise to stay hydrated. The best fluid to support physical activity is cool water, because water is digested quickly and enters the body’s tissues to cool the body rapidly.
During Exercise
• Have 150-350 ml of fluids every 15-20 minutes in both hot and cold weather. Remember that the body still sweats and needs fluids in cold weather, but the fluids should be warm or at room temperature.
After Exercise
• Drink 450-675 mL of fluids for every 0.5 kg of weight lost during exercise.
•Salty foods such as soups, pickles, cheese and condiments can help re-hydration.
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