Sports nutrition London – Carbohydrate consumption for sporting events
There are many myths and misconceptions about what carbohydrates to eat for sports. Here is a list of healthy carbohydrates to eat for 5 Olympic events.
Sports nutrition for boxing
Sweet potato eaten in the meals leading up to a boxing bout is a good carbohydrate source and is good sports nutrition. Sweet potato is rich in beta carotene, vitamin E, vitamin C, and a host of minerals that helps convert food to energy and provide antioxidants to offset some of the physical trauma of the boxing match. Try it mashed instead of mashed potato or try a jack sweet potato with a sliver of butter melted in it. Yum!
Sports nutrition for cycling
Cherry Active is a concentrate extract of the Montmorency cherry which is rich in antioxidants that has been shown to reduce muscle damage during and after exercise. This is perfect sports nutrition for a long cycling event due to the inherent oxidative damage induced by the event itself. Consume 30ml of Cheery active in 500ml of water before the race and drink it freely during the race from a bottle that is carried on the bike or in the riders pouch. There are also two other drinks called blueberry active of beet active which are blueberry extract and beetroot extract respectively which are also good choices to drink during long cycle races.
Sports nutrition for marathon running
Whole grain rice is a good sports nutrition source of carbohydrate for marathon running (there is 32g of carbohydrates per 100g serving of rice). It contains B vitamins and minerals that are essential to power the enzymes that turn sugar in to energy. Eating carbohydrates such as brown rice whilst carbohydrate loading in the 2-3 days leading up to the marathon will help the muscles to store more sugar than normal and provide lasting energy for the marathon.
Sports nutrition for basketball
Dried fruits (dates, figs, raisins) are good sources of carbohydrates for basketball players to consume. They are obviously sweet tasting and great to snack on. They provide carbs for energy but are also packed full of vitamins and minerals that other carb sources previously used (jelly beans, jam, muffins) are not. Snack on dried fruit (preferably with some nuts) in the hours leading up to a game.
Sports nutrition for tennis
Tennis matches can continue for extended periods of time in quite hot environments. It is essential to consume carbohydrates to provide energy, but also electrolytes to prevent cramp. Vitacoco is a good sports nutrtion drink made from coconut juice drink that contains 15g of carbohydrate per serving as well as 30mg sodium, 515mg of potassium (to prevent cramps) and good amounts of magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin C. Consume sporadically between sets.
Sort out your sports nutrition today with a sports nutrition consult.
