Each spring, the dining hall at St.
Vincent College whips up culinary delights for the players of the Pittsburgh Steelers to eat during training camp.
But it does so under the careful scrutiny and supervision of the teams' nutritionist, Leslie Bonci.
Ms.
Bonci, a 15-year veteran sport's nutritionist with the Steelers, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that such scrutiny is necessary to ensure that "[w]hat is being served is something that is going to serve these players well when they're out there for practice.
" And Bonci is not alone in this belief.
In fact, much research has shown that athlete nutritional needs are different than are those of the general public.
Why Athlete Nutritional Needs are Different The rigors of sports' activities make different nutritive demands on athletes depending upon the type, and intensity, of the activity.
The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports says that, while in training, an athlete's caloric needs may increase by 1,000 to 1,500 calories and that an athlete's diet should consist of:
Different Levels of Sport, Different Nutritional Needs The USCF divides the nutritional needs of athletes into roughly three different categories-endurance, high-intensity, and moderate.
Endurance athletics, those that involve brisk physical activity that continues for more than an hour (such as the type that occurs in distance running and cycling), often need to consume between 3,000 to 5,000 calories per day to meet the increased energy needs of their sport.
Endurance athletes also have a higher protein need because the longer their sports' workout, the faster their carbohydrate stores are depleted, which forces the body to turn to protein for its fuel.
High-Intensity athletics, those that involve short burst of intensity (such as the type that occurs in sprinting or weight lifting) have varied nutritional needs depending on the sport and the body size of the athletes.
But in general, high-intensity athletes require an increased caloric consumption that is at the mid-range of the recommended caloric range for athletes and an increased protein consumption that is at the high end of that range of recommended protein consumption.
Moderate athletics, those that vary their intensity and frequency, have an increased caloric need based on the intensity and the frequency of their sport and should consume at least the minimum amount of the caloric recommendations for athletes.
Moreover, studies have shown that the athlete nutritional needs of all those who engage in strenuous exercise involve a higher intake of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than do sedentary individuals; indeed, a clinical trial conducted by Northumbria University in January of 2009 concluded that the right supplements can lead to a greater power recovery and an athletic performance increase of up to 40%.
Specialized Supplements for Athletes Besides supplementing the common antioxidants of Vitamins A, C, and E (which are important in eliminating the free radical formation that can occur during strenuous exercise), athletes should take a combination of these specialized supplements:
Vincent College whips up culinary delights for the players of the Pittsburgh Steelers to eat during training camp.
But it does so under the careful scrutiny and supervision of the teams' nutritionist, Leslie Bonci.
Ms.
Bonci, a 15-year veteran sport's nutritionist with the Steelers, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that such scrutiny is necessary to ensure that "[w]hat is being served is something that is going to serve these players well when they're out there for practice.
" And Bonci is not alone in this belief.
In fact, much research has shown that athlete nutritional needs are different than are those of the general public.
Why Athlete Nutritional Needs are Different The rigors of sports' activities make different nutritive demands on athletes depending upon the type, and intensity, of the activity.
The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports says that, while in training, an athlete's caloric needs may increase by 1,000 to 1,500 calories and that an athlete's diet should consist of:
- 55-60 percent carbohydrates
- 30 percent (or less) fat
- 10-15 percent protein
Different Levels of Sport, Different Nutritional Needs The USCF divides the nutritional needs of athletes into roughly three different categories-endurance, high-intensity, and moderate.
Endurance athletics, those that involve brisk physical activity that continues for more than an hour (such as the type that occurs in distance running and cycling), often need to consume between 3,000 to 5,000 calories per day to meet the increased energy needs of their sport.
Endurance athletes also have a higher protein need because the longer their sports' workout, the faster their carbohydrate stores are depleted, which forces the body to turn to protein for its fuel.
High-Intensity athletics, those that involve short burst of intensity (such as the type that occurs in sprinting or weight lifting) have varied nutritional needs depending on the sport and the body size of the athletes.
But in general, high-intensity athletes require an increased caloric consumption that is at the mid-range of the recommended caloric range for athletes and an increased protein consumption that is at the high end of that range of recommended protein consumption.
Moderate athletics, those that vary their intensity and frequency, have an increased caloric need based on the intensity and the frequency of their sport and should consume at least the minimum amount of the caloric recommendations for athletes.
Moreover, studies have shown that the athlete nutritional needs of all those who engage in strenuous exercise involve a higher intake of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than do sedentary individuals; indeed, a clinical trial conducted by Northumbria University in January of 2009 concluded that the right supplements can lead to a greater power recovery and an athletic performance increase of up to 40%.
Specialized Supplements for Athletes Besides supplementing the common antioxidants of Vitamins A, C, and E (which are important in eliminating the free radical formation that can occur during strenuous exercise), athletes should take a combination of these specialized supplements:
- Selenium
- L-cysteine
- B-Vitamins-which aid with energy and metabolism
- Biotin-important in metabolizing carbohydrates
- Calcium and magnesium for muscle and bone health
- Potassium to improve muscle function
- Zinc to repair tissue damage
- L-Carnitine, an amino acide that helps the body burn fat
- Coenzyme Q10-improves heart function
- Gamma-linolenic acid-minimizes inflammation of the muscles and the joints
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