How does an athlete's diet influence their performance?

Diet is the keystone of a healthy lifestyle. Indeed, how can we hope that our body functions properly if we do not feed it well? In particular, when we do a lot of sport , we have everything to gain from paying attention to what we eat in order to make the most of the hours spent training and guarantee sustainable progress. In this article, we will see the good dietary practices to adopt to optimize our sports performance and demystify preconceived ideas on the subject. Let's go!

What diet should you adopt as an athlete?

All foods can be classified into two categories: macronutrients (these are the elements that provide energy to the body: carbohydrates, lipids and proteins) and micronutrients (they do not provide energy to the body but are essential for its proper functioning: vitamins, minerals and trace elements).

Macronutrients for an athlete

Carbohydrates are particularly important for athletes because they are more efficient than fats in producing fuel for the muscles. Low glycogen stores (from carbohydrates) are therefore associated with a feeling of increased fatigue and a more difficult and therefore lower quality workout. For workouts longer than 90 minutes, it may therefore be advantageous to consume more carbohydrates than usual before the session ( carb loading technique).

Some of the foods richest in carbohydrates include rice, wheat, corn, rye, oats, pasta, lentils, chickpeas and potatoes. Choose whole grains because they contain complex carbohydrates that are absorbed more slowly by the body than simple carbohydrates and therefore provide a more stable source of energy.

Proteins promote the restructuring of certain non-muscular tissues such as tendons or bones and allow the synthesis of muscle proteins. It is therefore important for athletes to consume proteins regularly and especially just after exercise .

Here are some foods that are high in protein :

lean meats with less than 10% fat such as chicken, turkey, lean beef,

fish such as salmon, tuna, trout,

eggs and dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, milk or even,

legumes , i.e. beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu.

Scientific studies show that dairy proteins are better than others because they have a higher leucine content and the amino acids they contain are metabolized more quickly by the body.

Lipids , despite their bad reputation, are necessary for a healthy diet because they make up cell membranes and facilitate the absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins.

Here are some foods that contain " good fats" (unsaturated): nuts, seeds, avocado, oily fish, vegetable oils, soft margarine, soy.

It is recommended to favor unsaturated fats over saturated fats such as meat, lard, tropical oils (coconut and palm), butter, whole and processed milk because they are better assimilated by the body and do not accumulate in the arteries.

Micronutrients in sport

When it comes to micronutrients , it is important to know that the biochemical adaptations of the muscles that occur after training are only possible thanks to them. This is why it is essential for athletes to have an adequate amount of all essential micronutrients .

The main micronutrients are iron , which can be found in red meat, poultry and seafood, vitamin D , synthesized through exposure to the sun but also present in oily fish and certain mushrooms, calcium, which is mainly present in dairy products and antioxidants , present in spices, tea and coffee.

How to apply these principles?

First, the most important lesson to be learned from this analysis is that a healthy diet must absolutely be varied in order to provide the body with all the nutrients it needs.

Then, energy intake must be proportionate to expenditure (unless you are trying to lose weight, which we will discuss a little later).

Finally, we recommend eating at set times , foods rich in carbohydrates (preferably complex) and lean proteins , especially in anticipation of long training sessions, which can put our reserves to the test!

And what about hydration?

Being properly hydrated is a necessary condition for achieving optimal physical performance. Athletes must therefore be particularly careful to maintain a good level of hydration before, during and after their training , in particular to compensate for losses due to perspiration. However, water alone is not enough for good hydration, it must also contain electrolytes which are essential for the proper functioning of the body.

Hydratis tablets offer a quick and effective hydration solution that will enrich water with micronutrients and electrolytes to optimize the absorption of water by the body. In addition, the different flavors offered allow you to vary the pleasures so that hydration never feels like a chore!

What diet should you adopt to lose weight while exercising?

All diets that allow you to lose fat mass are based on the principle of caloric deficit, that is to say, consuming fewer calories than you expend. There are a multitude of different diets, each with its advantages and disadvantages. We have made a brief summary of the most common diets and their effects:

For low-energy diets , you should know that they are characterized by an intake of 800 to 1200 kcal/day, often in liquid form. Their goal is to induce rapid weight loss (1.0 to 2.5 kg/week) while preserving non-fat mass as much as possible. This diet has shown promising results in obese adults, especially when coupled with resistance physical training. However, you should always ensure that you have an adequate intake of micronutrients and be supervised by a professional if you plan to try this particular diet.

Regarding low-fat diets , they are defined as providing between 20 and 35% of total energy intake via fats. This type of diet is not new and has shown positive effects for weight loss, especially during the first months of the diet, compared to more energy-dense diets. However, this difference seems to fade in the long term as the body learns to compensate for this difference in energy density by reaching satiety more quickly.

Then there are low-carbohydrate diets . For this category, we can consider that it concerns diets where less than 45% of the energy intake comes from carbohydrates. A 2016 meta-analysis showed that very low-carbohydrate diets (<10% of total energy) had a significant effect on fat mass loss compared to the group subjected to a low-carbohydrate diet which represents 40% of total energy as well as to the control group. In the long term, both types of low-carbohydrate diets have been shown to have positive effects on weight loss. However, these studies were conducted exclusively on obese adults and it is less clear whether they have similar effects on adults of standard weight.

And finally, we can find high-protein diets . Generally defined as diets in which more than 25% of the total energy comes from proteins, this type of diet has shown to have excellent results in athletes practicing resistance training. In this way, it allows significant gains in muscle mass associated with a loss of fat. A high-protein diet that represents 40% of the energy intake has not, however, shown to have better effects than a high-protein diet with 25% of the energy intake.

According to recent scientific studies, the most effective diet for losing fat mass while exercising would be a high-protein diet coupled with intense resistance training.

Whatever your goal, a balanced diet that is tailored to your nutritional needs is essential to optimizing your sports performance. Remember that the body needs all the nutrients, and consulting a nutritionist can be a key step in adapting your diet to your goals.