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Proper nutrition can help the healing process. Nutrients supply the body with energy. They deliver substances to build as we maintain healthy organs and fight off infection. To success in sport, diet plays a key component. An athlete’s dietary needs depend on several aspects including the athlete’s goals, the sport, the environment, and practical issues.
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As per the best nutritionist in Delhi nutritional aspects of recovery include:
- replacing fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat
- replenishing muscle glycogen stores
- repairing any damage caused by the exercise and building new muscle as a response to the stimulus of exercise
- ensuring your immune system is working well
Maintaining proper hydration is crucial for recovery as dehydration caused muscle fatigue and delayed recovery for athlete. For exercise lasting less than an hour, water or non-caloric fluid is recommended. If the exercise is longer in duration, maintaining hydration and rehydration is that much more important. Beverages beneficial for enhancing rehydration include CHO electrolyte solutions and CHO-PRO beverages. Caffeinated beverages with or without calories also add to hydration and rehydration.
Eating carbohydrates and protein after exercise: The body’s glycogen stores are used as fuel during exercise, and consuming carbohydrates after your workout helps replenish them. Furthermore, insulin is secreted which promotes glycogen synthesis by increasing the uptake of glucose to the muscle and also creating an increased uptake of amino acids within the muscle. Therefore, consuming both carbohydrates and protein at the same time after exercise can maximize protein and glycogen synthesis.
Eating protein after exercise prevents protein breakdown and stimulates muscle synthesis and repair, leading to increased or maintained muscle tissue for better recovery and adaptation. Hence, a post workout snack which is a combination of protein (majorly) and carbohydrates (preferably complex) within 90 mins is recommended.
Carbohydrate loading targets to maximize an athlete’s muscle glycogen stores prior to endurance exercise lasting longer than 90 mins. These benefits include delayed onset of fatigue (approximately 20%) as well as improvement in performance of 2%–3%. Food sources of BCAA includes beef, bison, lamb, goat, cheese, milk and yogurt, chicken, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts and soy protein, etc. Athletes commonly increase their BCAA intake to help in muscle recovery and performance.
Vitamin C & Zinc – Whereas all nutrients are crucial in healing, vitamin C and zinc are icons for their roles in healing. Vitamin C is required to make a protein called ‘collagen’ and it is prerequisite for repairing tendons, ligaments and healing surgical wounds. Citrus fruits such as lemon, oranges, gooseberries, etc are rich in vitamin C, as well as strawberries, kiwi fruit, baked potatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, etc. Zinc, on the other hand, is a mineral found mostly in animal foods such as meat, fish, poultry, dairy foods and it is also present in whole-grain breads and cereals, dried beans, peas (legumes), nuts and seeds.
Calcium& Vitamin D- Both these nutrients associated with healthy bones. In case you have a stress fracture, do make sure to get plenty of these two nutrients to strengthen your bones. Milk, cheese, fortified yogurt with vit D and fortified soy milk are good choices. Additionally, regular sun exposure is the most natural way to get enough vitamin D. One should also visit the best nutritionist in Delhi as an athlete’s dietary needs depend on several aspects and should always look into more factors affecting.
