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.
