The Best Nutrition for Competitive Sports

If you participate in competitive sports, then it really is essential that you are eating a nutritious diet. It’s important that your body can recover as fast as possible so that you can be at your best. Competitive sports are not just about being in competition with other people, you are also in competition with yourself and a great diet really is an essential way to keep improving and being better than you were the day before. We have created this article for you which is designed to help you when picking out foods to eat. It is split between the best nutrition for Mountain Biking and Skiing and features a collection of advice from people that really know what they’re talking about.

Best Nutrition for Competitive Mountain Biking

Eggs

Eggs aren’t just for protein; they are remarkably versatile and offer many other benefits. For instance, eggs are rich in amino acids which stimulate energy production on the cellular level and promote the breakdown of fat as an energy source. Furthermore, eggs contain the micro-nutrients responsible for regulating mood, memory, and focus. This means that eating eggs can give you both a physical and mental edge for competitive mountain biking.

Contributor: Samantha Morrison

Organisation: Glacier Wellness

Website: https://glacierwellness.co/

Fructose Mixed Performance Drink

With performance drinks for mountain biking, sticking to the 2-1 glucose to fructose ratio is the way to go. This is because Fructose increases the rate of carbohydrate distribution to the muscles when compared with a pure glucose mix. In fact, it can even be as high as 90g an hour. Additionally, fructose has been shown to slow down your body’s use of natural carbohydrate store, meaning you’ll have more energy for long rides. So, on your next ride, test out swapping your usual drink mix for a 2-1 glucose to fructose mix.

Contributor: Eddie Johnson

Organisation: Anabolic Bodies

Website: https://www.anabolicbodies.com/

Best Nutrition for Competitive Skiing

Brown Rice

Besides its high protein count, brown rice is a complex carb that is key for building up your glycogen stores. Additionally, brown rice is metabolized slowly which naturally raises your body temperature to
handle the cold mountain descent.

Contributor: Sam Maizlech

Organisation: Glacier Wellness

Website: https://glacierwellness.co/

Magnesium

Magnesium is an energy mineral. Of the 700-800 magnesium-dependent enzymes, the most important enzyme reaction involves the creation of energy by activating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the fundamental energy storage molecule of the body.

Energy production in the mitochondria occurs in the Krebs cycle – 6 of the 8 metabolic steps in the Krebs cycle require magnesium. Each of the thousands of metabolic processes in the body require co-factors of vitamins and minerals. Magnesium itself is necessary in 700-800 enzymatic metabolic processes.

Magnesium and the B-complex vitamins are excellent examples of energy nutrients, because they activate enzymes that control digestion, absorption and the utilization of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Because magnesium is involved with hundreds of enzymatic reactions throughout the body, a deficiency can affect every aspect of athletic performance and life and cause a score of unhealthy symptoms.

Calcium causes contraction in skeletal muscle fibers, and magnesium causes relaxation. When there is too much calcium and insufficient magnesium inside a cell, you can get sustained muscle contraction: twitches, spasms and even convulsions. Smooth muscles directed by too much calcium and insufficient magnesium can tighten the bronchial tract, causing asthma; cause cramping in the uterus and painful periods; and cause spasms in blood vessels, resulting in hypertension.

Contributor: Carolyn Dean, MD, ND

Organisation: Net Improvements

Website: http://www.drcarolyndean.com/

Nuts

Nuts and seeds provide healthy fats and protein, both of which give us sustained energy. They also are both nutrient and calorie dense, which makes them a great “pocket” snack. They pack a lot of calories into a small portion. Make sure to have some walnuts in your trail mix. Walnuts are the only nut that has ALA- a type of Omega 3 fatty acid which is crucial for brain health and keeping you mentally sharp. Consider adding some dark chocolate chips for a little bit of carbohydrate and caffeine, yes, caffeine in chocolate can benefit your workout and also keep you mentally sharp.

Contributor: Kerry Clifford (MS, RD, LDN) 

Organisation: Fresh Thyme Farmers Market

Website: https://www.freshthyme.com/

Bison

Skiers need to make sure they get enough iron through their diet. Iron is a mineral found in every cell in the body that helps transport oxygen around the body to all the exercising muscles. Being at higher altitudes may exacerbate symptoms of fatigue if iron stores are low. Consider opting for bison, which has more iron than beef at 3.42 mg per 3.5 ounce serving and a whopping 28 grams of protein. They make great meat balls or burgers.

Contributor: Olivia Ellis

Organisation: Fresh Thyme

Website: https://www.freshthyme.com/