SPORTS & NUTRITION - THE WINNING COMBINATION by Sean Peters

Keeping your energy levels up for peak performance is not easy. It does not just seem to happen. High energy levels are a result of good eating as well as exercise. If you do not pay attention to what you eat and the supplements you take, your performance will suffer. One of the most common nutrition problems of the young athletes of today is simply not eating enough, especially of the complex carbohydrates. Life for all of us, including the families and children, is now a lot busier and we spend much of our lives rushing around so our diets suffer as we eat more processed/convenience foods which is high in preservatives, colours, flavours and, of course, chemicals especially true if we fry our food or burn our meats.

Also, we must understand the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates - this is vital for every sports person. Simple carbohydrates are better known as stimulants ie coffee, tea, chocolate, alcohol, biscuits, cakes etc - these are high in sugar content - they give us a quick burst of energy which does not last long. After a short time we feel worse so we have another coffee, another biscuit and it becomes a vicious circle. Sadly, this is how a large percentage of people live, spending their lives taking stimulants to give them an artificial high not realising that they are losing the energy baffle because they have to take more and more to maintain their energy levels.

So, complex carbohydrates ie the slow releasing energy food (which give you energy without the lows of the simple carbohydrates) in the form of brown bread (white breads are processed, high in starch with most of the goodness and essential minerals taken out), brown rice, pasta, all types of fruit and vegetables, grains, seeds etc - all of which offer a high fibre content.

Lets look at some interesting facts to help us combine our foods and enable us to choose a wide variety of healthy foods:

Top athletes will need at Top athletes will need at least 5,000 calories a day. The forgotten nutrient is water. Water plays a very important role in the regulation of body temperature and acts as a vehicle for transporting nutrients and wastes in the body and aids digestion. The sensation of thirst is a sign that you are in need of fluid. In sports terms, if you are thirsty, you have already lost 20 - 30% of your sporting capacity. So, drink water often.

The six essential nutrients are: Protein, Carbohydrates, Fat, Vitamins, Minerals and Water.

I hope I have given you and your family an idea of how to use food for energy, to improve your fitness, stamina, mind and, have a healthier and longer life. Studies have proved that eating the right food can lengthen your life by 20%.