Factors that Influence Eating Patterns of Athletes
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Factors that Influence Eating Patterns for Athletes
Eating patterns can affect greatly the nutritional status of an athlete.
Athletes should recognize the factors that influence their eating patterns. Some of these factors are training vs. competition, timing of meals, personal choice, and special diets. Click the collapsible rows below for more information on each.
An athlete's eating pattern during training is different than it is for a competition. A swimmer training for two hours has different nutritional needs than a swimmer preparing for a 5-minute race. The swimmer in training
needs a snack during practice because of the length of the practice. A swimmer preparing for a race is more concerned with eating a balanced meal 2 to 4 hours before, and perhaps replenishing carbohydrates before the event for
maximum energy.
Timing of meals is important for athletes in all specialties. Athletes need to ensure they allow enough time for digestion: 3 to 4 hours for a large meal, 2 to 3 hours for a smaller meal, and 1 to 2 hours for a blended meal.
A small snack requires 1 hour for digestion.
Athletes may prefer certain foods before competition or events. As long as you are meeting your nutritional goals for the day and are choosing appropriate foods, timed properly, you can decide what to eat. An athlete should
stick to familiar foods to avoid an upset stomach before an event.
Hints:
Hints:
- Try a liquid meal if your stomach is easily upset.
- Stick to low-fat high-carbohydrate foods before an event.
Many athletes choose to follow vegetarian diets, which can meet the athlete's nutritional needs for training and competition with careful planning. Plant proteins are less easily digested or less complete that animal proteins are.
Therefore, choose various foods during the course of the day. Vegetarian athletes should consume more protein: 1.3 to 1.8 grams per kg of body weight.
Other athletes face restricted diets such as gluten-free, lactose-free, or various food allergies. These athletes must be certain not only of the food they are eating but how the food is prepared. Restaurants can use cooking techniques such as frying in peanut oil or adding substances to food to enhance taste (such as MSG) that athletes may be unable to tolerate or digest. Illness might result. The athlete's dietary restrictions may affect choices of where to eat. Such concerns can determine how much food an athlete brings to training and competition events.
Other athletes face restricted diets such as gluten-free, lactose-free, or various food allergies. These athletes must be certain not only of the food they are eating but how the food is prepared. Restaurants can use cooking techniques such as frying in peanut oil or adding substances to food to enhance taste (such as MSG) that athletes may be unable to tolerate or digest. Illness might result. The athlete's dietary restrictions may affect choices of where to eat. Such concerns can determine how much food an athlete brings to training and competition events.
