Base Nutrition for Sport


Base Nutrition

  • Your nutrition should be based around your training sessions
  • You want to maximise recovery from training sessions so that subsequent training sessions can produce maximum benefit
  • By this stage you should be at your goal weight
  • Your base nutrition is to provide you with sufficient energy and nutrients to maintain health, normal function, and repair muscle damage.

Carbohydrate

Depending on the type of activity and training volume, frequency and intensity, athletes require 6-10g carbohydrate per kg body weight per day. A joint position statement by the American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada agree that carbohydrate recommendations for athletes should range from 6-60g/kg body weight per day. The amount depends upon the athlete's total energy expenditure, type of sport performed, sex of the athlete, and environmental conditions.

So, your intake of carbohydrate is based on your activity level and your body weight. Both duration and intensity of exercise should be taken into account.

Grams of carbohydrate per kg body weight per day

Activity Level
Light Walking, light/easy swimming and cycling, low impact aerobics
Less than 1 hour per day

4-5
Light-moderate easy jog, intermediate aerobic class, non-competitive tennis and netball
1 hour per day		 5-6
Moderate

1 hour run, serious training for sports e.g. squash, soccer, basketball
1-2 hours per day

 6-7
Moderate-heavy

most professional/elite training for competitive sports such as swimming, football, tennis, distance running
2-4 hours per day

 7-8
Heavy Training for marathons, ironman events, triathlons, marathon swimming
More than 4 hours per day

8-10


How much carbohydrate am I eating?

To calculate your carbohydrate requirements:

1. Weigh yourself in minimal clothing

2. Multiply your body weight by your activity level in the table above. This gives you the grams of carbohydrate you need to consume each day.

3. Keep a food record for a few days and calculate your carbohydrate intake using a "carbohydrate counter."

NOTE: There may be some situations where a carbohydrate-rich diet may not be optimal for sports performance. For example, when energy expenditure is high and time for recovery is limited, and for situations where athletes are required to transport their own food supply.

Protein

Protein is important for growth, development of strong muscles and tissues, repair of muscle damage, transport of oxygen around the body (haemoglobin and myoglobin), for reactions in the body (hormones and enzymes), and for the immune system.

Overall there seems to be evidence that exercise increases protein requirements. How much these requirements are elevated above that of sedentary individuals is still a matter for considerable debate. The table below shows the estimated protein requirements for individuals taking part in different types of exercise, based on current knowledge and research on protein metabolism.

Table: Estimated Protein Requirements


Population Protein Requirement (g/kg/day)
Sedentary males and females 0.80-1.0
Recreational endurance athletes* 0.80-1.0
Moderate-intensity endurance athletes** 1.2
Elite endurance athletes 1.6
Power sports, e.g. Football 1.4-1.7
Resistance athletes (in early training) 1.5-1.7
Resistance athletes (in steady state) 1.0-1.2


*Exercising approximately 4-5 times per week for 30 minutes
**Exercising approximately 4-5 times per week for 45-60 minutes

Example

Jim is an elite endurance athlete. He weighs 78kg.

Jim's Protein Requirement

Body weight: 78kg
Body weight (kg) 78x 1.6g/kg = 125g of protein per day

To calculate your protein requirements:

4. Weigh yourself in minimal clothing

5. Multiply your body weight by your activity level in the table above. This gives you the grams of protein you need to consume each day.

6. Keep a food record for a few days and calculate your protein intake using a "protein counter".

Fat

Fat is an important energy source for muscular work. Fat becomes a particularly important fuel during prolonged exercise. Other functions of dietary fat are for the production of hormones (eg. Testosterone), sources of fat soluble vitamins and some minerals. Some athletes restrict their fat intakes to extremely low levels. In most instances this seems unnecessarily restrictive. Some fat in the diet is essential, and following the New Zealand guidelines for healthy eating should result in an appropriate fat intake.

Some fats are better than others in terms of their effects on heart health. The best types are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. Good sources of these are:

Monounsaturated fat Polyunsaturated fat
Avocado Sunflower oil
Olive oil Safflower oil
Canola oil Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds Fish (eg. salmon and tuna)

Fruit and Vegetables

Consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables ensures that you are receiving plenty of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants in your diet. These nutrients are essential for optimal health and physical performance.

It is recommended that you consume at least 2 serves of fruit and at least 3 serves of vegetables each day. A serve is about equal to your fist. It is even better if you can consume more fruit and vegetables than this!

Alcohol

If drinking alcohol, do so in moderation.

Alcohol can negatively affect every part of your body. Alcohol can contribute to overweight.

If you decide to drink, here are a few tips:

  • Make sure that if you have a celebratory drink following your tennis game, make sure you rehydrate first with water
  • Eat some food when you drink
  • Dilute alcoholic drinks with mixers or water, with plenty of ice
  • When you are hosting a party provide non-alcoholic drinks like iced-water, fruit juice, soft drinks, as well as food.
  • If you happen to have a big night drinking alcohol, drink plenty of water before you go to bed. Also a sports drink the following morning can help rehydrate you.