Intense physical activity significantly alters a person’s need for energy, nutrients and fluids. By understanding your specific sports nutrition needs for the type of training you are doing, you can create a dietary plan that will not only enhance your recovery and physiological responses from training, but also improve your overall performance. Whether you are improving your speed or building muscle bulk, your nutrition will greatly affect your body’s ability to perform at its peak. The following are a few ways your diet will vary whether trying to improve speed or increase bulk.
Here we will run though all the things you need to know when you're considering what is best for your personal sports nutrition requirements
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate is stored as glycogen in the body, which is an energy source that reduces your risk of early fatigue, loss of concentration and a slower recovery time following training. How much glycogen you need, however, depends completely on how much muscle you have and the type of training you are doing.
Bodybuilders in a bulking phase should receive about 40% of their energy from carbohydrates, and select from sources such as whole grains, pasta, beans, lentils, rice and vegetables. Eating four to six meals per day, with carbohydrates representing half of each meal, is sufficient for achieving the bulky look. For increasing speed and endurance, carbs can be used to “top up” energy supplies during a workout, and should come from medium high Glycemic Index (GI) foods sources like apples, bananas, pineapples and oranges.
Protein
Protein is essential for building and repairing cells and, while speed trainers also need protein for an energy source, it is especially important for those who want to increase muscle size. A bodybuilder’s diet should include about 40-60% low-fat protein such as poultry, fish, lean beef and low-fat dairy, and should always be supplemented by a sufficient amount of carbs so that it contributes to bulk instead of getting burned up as energy.
If you’re training to increase your speed, the role of protein is more for energy, maintaining muscle integrity and enhancing recovery, so you may need less depending on your speed event.
Hydration
Water is crucial for optimal performance during any type of training program because the loss of fluid from your body via sweat can result in fatigue, a higher heart rate, heat stress, headaches and poor digestion. Aim to stay hydrated throughout the duration of your exercise, especially during speed training.
Supplements
When taken in conjunction with a proper diet, nutritional supplements can help to improve the ability to both build bulk and increase speed. For building muscles, stick to whey protein shakes, carbohydrate powders, protease enzymes and creatine supplements. To build speed, supplements rich in carbohydrates will also give you the energy burst you need for training. Supplements like hyaluronic acid, MSM, chondroitin and glucosamine will also help lessen the impact of speed training on your joints and ligaments.
When to eat
Knowing when to eat is also important for optimal performance. To efficiently gain mass and achieve a ripped look, avoid eating anything directly before working out. Instead, eat your last meal about two hours before training so that your body will focus all its energy on building muscle rather than digesting food.
After your training session, eating some carbs right away will help to restore your glycogen levels, which will make your next workout more efficient. To optimise speed, eat the bulk of your carb calories around your workout so that your body has the energy necessary for quick bursts of activity.
