All athletes face one common truth — they are what they eat.
Every athlete is limited by one common factor: You are only as good as what fuels you. A complete and diverse diet is critical to provide optimal nutrition to every athlete.
Although suboptimal nutrition can lead to poor performance, many athletes suffer from nutritional deficiencies that also lead to poor health. Nutritional deficiencies can be caused by inappropriate caloric intake or limited dietary diversity. With the right balance of quantity and quality, a complete balanced diet is all that is required for athletes to perform at their best.
Despite this, the following myths about the optimal athletic diet still exist:
– One must use supplements
– Protein-dominant diets are needed to gain muscle
– Stimulants are needed for optimal energy
– Performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) sold in stores must be safe and without serious side effects
Optimizing your diet begins with knowing how many calories you need.
Highly active athletes need about 15-20 times their weight (in pounds) of total calories per day. Approximately 50 to 60 percent of these calories should come from complex carbohydrates, which include non-processed foods such as whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Fats also serve a critical role in optimal nutrition, contrary to the belief that athlete’s diets must be low in fat. Up to 20-25 percent of their diets should come from healthy unsaturated fats, such as plant oils. These fats are rich in antioxidants, micronutrients and energy production.
Although proteins help with muscle building, only 15-20 percent of all calories need to come from proteins. Protein requirements are 1-2g/kg of protein daily. Endurance athletes may only need 1-1.2g/kg, while power athletes may need 1.5-2g/kg. Protein in excess of this is burned as fuel or excreted by the kidneys. Meat, dairy, fish, poultry, beans, nuts and soy are great sources of protein.
Micronutrients, hydration and electrolytes are also an important part of an athlete’s diet. Iron, vitamins B, C, D and calcium are critical micronutrients that are commonly deficient in athletes. Diets rich in fresh non-processed foods, dairy and produce with a variety of colors typically are richest in these micronutrients.
Dietary supplementation should only be considered when a complete diet is not possible through natural foods, such as athletes not able to consume enough calories or tolerate a diverse diet. When considering supplementation with additional calories, protein or micronutrients, one should consult with a nutritionist or physician.
Other supplements that have been marketed to enhance performance include creatine phosphate, stimulants and anabolic aids. These supplements come with significant risks and may be contaminated with other supplements that are banned or more dangerous to your health. These supplements are not well regulated and many athletes have suffered liver failure, sudden cardiac death, and strokes after using these marketed substances. For these reasons, the PEDs are not medically recommended and high caution is advised.
Dr. Mo Mortazavi is pediatric sports medicine physician for the UC Davis Children’s Hospital.