Just as Formula 1 teams don’t use bad fuel in their cars, elite athletes shouldn’t eat bad food to perform to the best of their abilities.
Nutrition is critical to fueling an athlete’s training, performance, and recovery.
of The two most important macronutrients Carbohydrates and proteins are important for athletes.
Carbohydrates provide energy. Carbohydrates fuel your body for exercise, maintain performance, and aid in post-workout recovery. Protein is important for repairing and building muscle after exercise.
An athlete’s nutritional requirements for carbohydrates and protein vary depending on the type of exercise completed, intensity, duration, and weight.
How many athletes do we need?
Reflecting their importance to performance, they include: Specific carbohydrate and protein guidelines For athletes.
There are also guidelines for increasing carbohydrate availability. Training sessions and competitions.
The amount needed varies by individual. Athletes need more carbohydrates throughout the day when they perform more intense exercise for longer periods of time. Also, the more weight an athlete gains, the more carbohydrates and protein they need.
Although research in this area is growing and there is increased attention to education, many elite athletes still seem to find it difficult to provide energy to their bodies.
what did we see?
AFLW is an emerging sport, and we were interested in determining whether these elite female soccer players were meeting daily protein and carbohydrate intake recommendations, not just during competition.
I asked one team’s AFLW players what they ate. through the seasons By filling out an electronic food diary.
I was also curious about what they were eating. on match day.
In addition to writing diaries at home, we videotaped and observed first-hand what they ate while on the soccer field.
What did we find?
We found that over 80% of these athletes did not consume enough carbohydrates during preseason and in-season competition.
On game day, only 18% met their daily carbohydrate needs.
They also found that they were not consuming carbohydrates at the right times to enhance performance: before and during the match. Interestingly, athletes were more likely to meet pregame recommendations if the game was scheduled later in the day.
All athletes consumed sufficient carbohydrates after the match.
When it comes to protein, all of the athletes surveyed met their protein requirements throughout the season, including on game days.
this is nothing new
Unfortunately, these findings are not uncommon for female athletes.
in systematic review A combination of 20 studies of field-based female athletes from a variety of sports found that many athletes had low energy and carbohydrate intakes. This was also found at female soccer players and volleyball playersand other individual athletes. gymnast.
On average across these studies, fewer than 50% of female athletes typically met the recommended daily amount of carbohydrates.
Why does this matter?
Low energy and carbohydrate intake can have a negative impact on an athlete’s performance, but it also affects their general health.
Athletes who do not consistently consume enough energy and carbohydrates over long periods of time may be at risk for: low energy availability. This can lead to physical and mental health problems, a syndrome known as relative energy deficiency in sports. red.
In addition to reduced sports performance, RED can cause mood disorders, reduced sleep quality, impaired growth and development, decreased cardiovascular function, and impaired bone health.
Decreased performance during exercise can include decreased strength, endurance, power, recovery ability, and decreased motivation.
Why do female athletes avoid carbohydrates?
It’s hard to know exactly why athletes consume so few carbohydrates, but one reason may be due to messages on social media promoting low carbs and low carbs. There is. keto diet.
It may also be due to the increased time required for semi-professional athletes. Many AFLW athletes are Continuing to work during training.
Athletes often report Intestinal discomfort and appetite suppressionit can also affect your training and pre-game food choices.
How to increase your carbohydrate intake
The sports nutritionist food first This approach focuses on using everyday foods to meet the athlete’s daily energy and nutrient needs before considering sports foods.
Sports food is Convenient replacement for daily meals Boost performance (such as energy gels and protein bars). However, there are also: some potential drawbacks To consuming them.
Although our study focuses on elite female athletes, it applies to all women involved in sports.
No matter your level of competition or even if you’re a weekend warrior, it’s important to meet your energy goals with activity-appropriate carbohydrate intake.
here are some food and drink examples You can eat to increase your carbohydrate (and energy) intake to improve performance.
