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Sports nutrition
Submit a sports nutrition question to Amy
Schoenberger, Sports Nutritionist
Good nutrition plays an important role in helping athletes achieve their
personal goals. By maintaining a balanced diet and drinking a sufficient amount
of water, you can make the most of your athletic abilities maximizing strength,
power and endurance when you train.
As part of Aurora BayCare Sports Medicine’s performance enhancement programs,
athletes receive a nutrition log to track their dietary habits. The nutrition
log is then reviewed and athletes will receive feedback from our sports
nutritionist.
Fluids
Water is the most important factor in sports nutrition. Keeping your body
sufficiently hydrated is essential as it helps keep the body cool during periods
of intense activity. Symptoms of inadequate fluid intake during exercise
typically include thirst, fatigue, loss of coordination, confusion,
irritability, dry skin, elevated body temperature, and reduced urine output.
Balanced diet
It is important to eat the right combination of foods for energy. Calories
should come from a mixture of carbohydrates, proteins and fats to give you
energy to reach peak performance.
Carbohydrates
 Carbohydrates
provide you with the energy you need to perform your best. Your body converts
the sugars and starches in carbohydrates to energy (glucose) or stores it in the
liver and muscle tissues (glycogen), giving you endurance and power. Good
sources of carbohydrates include pasta, bread, cereal, legumes (beans), fruits,
and vegetables.
Proteins
Proteins give your body the ability to grow and repair muscles and other
tissues. The amount of protein an athlete needs depends partially on the level
of fitness, type of exercise, intensity and duration of activity, and total
calories and carbohydrate intake. However, protein should account for
approximately 12-15 percent of daily calories. Protein sources include meats,
fish, poultry, eggs, beans, nuts, dairy products and other foods.
Fats
On average, people in the United States consume more fats than needed to
maintain good health or peak athletic performance. Athletes should strive to
have a fat intake that does not exceed 25% of total calories. To optimize
performance, you should focus on a low-fat diet with plenty of carbohydrates to
fuel activity.
To help athletes achieve their goals, quarterly nutrition classes are
offered. Call 920-288-4725 for dates and times.
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