9 RULES FOR PROPER NUTRITION WHEN PLAYING SPORTS
To bring the body into shape, training alone is not enough – it is equally important to eat right. After all, a balanced diet allows you to achieve sports results faster and more efficiently.
Proper nutrition will allow everyone – both those who have been involved in sports for a long time and those who are just planning to introduce sports into their lives – to improve and consolidate the results of training and feel better.
Rule number 1. No sugar
When sugar enters the body, it stimulates the production of the hormone insulin, which slows down the burning of fats. As a result, fats do not go away even during intense training but add extra centimeters in girth.
Sugar is found not only in chocolate and cookies but even in yogurts with toppings or juices from the box. Therefore, yogurts, sweet water, concentrated juices should be replaced with fruits, water or fresh.
Rule number 2. No more than 30% of fats in a daily diet
Depending on the goals in the gym, it is necessary to limit the daily rate of fat intake to 10-30%. It is better to replace saturated fats (butter, cheese, red meat) with unsaturated ones – avocados, soybeans, peanuts, hazelnuts. Milk and dairy products should be consumed low in fat.
Rule number 3. Instead of simple carbohydrates – complex
Simple carbohydrates are quickly absorbed by the body and increase blood sugar. Since high sugar is a danger to the body, it tries to neutralize it as quickly as possible – to convert calories into fat reserves.
Therefore, products based on simple carbohydrates must be replaced with whole grain products, cereals, and pasta from durum wheat.
Rule number 4. No fried food
The frying process changes the properties of food, increases its calorie content and the amount of fat, and also leads to the fact that the amino acid asparagine in foods reacts with sugars, resulting in the formation of the chemical substance acrylamide.
This substance may increase the risk of chronic and oncological diseases. Therefore, products must be baked, boiled, steamed.
Rule number 5. Dietary meat and fish instead of red meat
Red meat and derived meat products containing a high level of fat lead to an increase in cholesterol, which negatively affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
Therefore, such products should be replaced with poultry and lean meat, legumes, and fish.
Rule number 6. More water
Water is involved in all metabolic processes of the body and is also a natural thermoregulator, therefore it must be drunk during training. You need to drink 30 ml of water per day per 1 kg of weight.
Coffee, tea, juices and other drinks are not considered.
Rule number 7. No alcohol
Alcohol dehydrates the body, blocks the production of glucose and thereby interferes with energy production, which is unacceptable in the process of playing sports. In addition to this, alcohol dulls the reaction and increases the number of heart contractions; therefore, during sports, alcohol should be discarded even in small doses.
Rule number 8. More fiber
Fiber improves the metabolism and intestinal microflora, and also significantly accelerates the process of weight loss. Therefore, as in sports, there and at any other time, fiber should be included in the diet. Fiber-rich foods include bran, cabbage, and green leafy vegetables, legumes, mushrooms, and fruits.
Rule number 9. Up to 400 grams of fresh fruits and vegetables per day
Vegetables and fruits are the sources of many vitamins, minerals, and fiber that the body needs. Therefore, they need to be consumed daily. You can break 400 grams of food into portions of 80 grams and eat vegetables and fruits as a complement to the main dish or during a snack.