Proper nutrition and nutrition plays an important role for those of you who are active in sports, especially for an athlete. Not only to maintain health and maintain fitness, nutritional arrangements are made to achieve a specific body shape in accordance with the sport involved. In general, the need for energy and nutrients for people who actively exercise will be greater than for ordinary people.
Arrangements for nutrition and nutrition are divided based on the type of exercise. Types of sports can be divided into several categories, namely: types of power sports (weightlifting, shot put, boxing), endurance (marathons, running, swimming), sprints (100 and 200 meter running, 25 meter swimming), and games (volleyball, basketball, football, tennis).
Daily intake of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals really depends on the type of exercise one does. For example, endurance sports require a higher intake of carbohydrates than other sports. As for power sports, it requires lower carbohydrate intake and much more protein intake. Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals have the following functions:
- Carbohydrate
Carbohydrates serve as a source of energy for the muscles. About 45-60% of our calorie intake comes from carbohydrates.
- Fat
Fat functions to balance energy, regulate hormones, and restore muscle tissue. In addition, fat is also an energy reserve when the body runs out of carbohydrates. These nutrients make up about 30% of your daily calorie intake.
- Proteins
The function of protein is to increase the storage of energy reserves, reduce muscle soreness, and accelerate tissue repair during recovery. Protein requirements can range from 0.8 – 2 grams per kilogram of body weight, depending on your activity.
- Vitamins and minerals
Vitamins and minerals help the process of forming energy and hemoglobin, maintain bone health, and protect body cells from free radicals. These micronutrients also play a role in tissue repair due to exercise or injury.
For an athlete, if you want to go through a match, stay away from some foods such as nutrition bars , fried foods, chips and yogurt. As for foods that are recommended to be consumed frequently are fruits such as watermelon, avocado, dragon fruit, guava, and bananas.
That's a nutritional guide for those of you who often exercise. It would be nice to consult a nutritionist to get proper and accurate nutritional guidelines and arrangements.
Article reviewed by dr. Sentot Handoko, Sp.GK (clinical nutritionist at EMC Sentul Hospital).