| Date: Mar 20 2009 12:00AM |
| Food And Drink To Enhance Your Performance |
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| To play your best you should start your league match, grand Prix or other tournament well hydrated. You must drink the correct amount of fluid beforehand. By the time you become thirsty you are already dehydrated to some extent. Dehydration affects your level of concentration, your inclinations and the amount of effort you?ll put in, thereby possibly reducing how well you play and how much you win.
Remember that over half of your body weight is liquid. Remember also that the clearer your urine the more hydrated you are, and similarly, the darker your urine, the more dehydrated you are. This is a good way to know if you need to increase your liquid intake.
Water is the perfect fluid to take for exercises that last under 1 hour. For longer sessions that lasts more than an hour, you should consider using Sports drinks containing carbohydrates and salts. These kinds of drinks help replace the muscle and liver glycogen lost during the exercise.
The best types of meal to eat before a competition would one high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fat. It meal should be about 400 calories or so. The carbohydrates give you the energy during the event and the protein in the meal helps to repair your muscles after the event. Ideally, your meal should be a few hours before followed by a snack about 1 hour before the event.
Further Reading
Article: Sport nutrition for health and performance yr 2000, by Melinda Manore, Janice Thompson Book: Nutrition in Exercise and Sport, 3rd edition by Ira Wolinsky, Chapter Water and Electrolytes During Physical Activity
Written by: Dominic Small (Bsc Sports Science)
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Sourced by: Dominic Small (Bsc Sports Science) |
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