Carb loading isn't always the best answer

As I have worked with hundreds of athletes over the years I have tried to help them in all aspects of their performance.  In the past few years I have educated myself more and more in the world of nutrition and nutrition to improve performance.  While this may seem difficult it just requires planning more than anything else.

A lot of my athletes have tried to carb load the day before a cross country meet, volleyball tournament or match and marathons.  This method is an old practice where people thought that a lot of carbs the day before an event will provide a lot of energy.  The issue that sometimes comes to be with this approach is the athlete will feel sluggish instead full of energy to provide a boost toward their performance.

While athletes need carbs as part of their daily diet they should make sure that they're choosing foods that will provide them with energy and not just calories.  The go to for carb loading is usually pasta.  Now I'm not saying pasta is a bad food per say but it's not the best food to provide a vibrant feel.  Pasta can provide carbs that offer long term source of energy but it usually doesn't work out that way.  More times than not the athlete(s) feel sluggish.

Better choices for athletes to select include whole grains, nuts and fruit.  Eating pasta as a way to create more of a reserve should be done two days before an event.  This will allow enough time for digestion and for the breakdown of the carbs to be converted to glycogen and then used for energy.

As we look for more and more ways for athletes to gain a competitive advantage it is imperative that these will have the best outcome and result.  Eating well is a way for an athlete to fuel their body as well as aide in their recovery.  So it only makes sense then that this done with the best option available to produce the best outcome.

Nutrition for athletes

As athletes look for every possible way to gain an advantage in their respective sports and competitions they need to make sure that their nutrition programs are up to par.  Nutrition for athletes is critical for their performance and recovery.

Depending upon the sport or event(s) will dictate how and what athletes eat.  Another important factor is hydration.  Athletes have to make sure that they are staying well hydrated to ensure that they avoid fatigue.

Athletes who participate in longer events that require more endurance need to eat in a way that allows them to use fat as the main source of energy.  One strategy is to not eat complex carbs for dinner the day before training.  In the that scenario you want to use primarily vegetables and fats for the bulk of the calories.

For athletes who compete in more speed and power competitions should use complex carbs as the bulk of the calories so that their muscles can use glycogen repeatedly to fuel them.  Their muscles need to repeat fast contractions again and again.

Sometimes this seems complicated but it can be made quite simple.  Athletes can not afford to skip meals especially breakfast.  They need to make sure that they are getting calories consistently throughout the day and hydrate as well.

Nutrition isn't the only piece of the puzzle but it does play a very important part of an athlete's success.  Basic and sound nutrition should always start eating whole foods first.  Adding supplements should come second.

While supplements can be valuable, food is always the first option.  Some basic supplements that can be added include a protein drink, BCAA's, creatine and beta alanine.

Athletes need to make sure that their nutritional intake is just as consistent as their performance training schedule.