Endurance is one of the most important qualities an athlete must have in order to be good at what he does. Otherwise, it would be impossible to perform properly and exquisitely throughout a game. This is the reason why there are some athletes who turn to doping to help them get through an entire competition. However, they would never have to depend on banned athletic performance-enhancing drugs if they adapt proper ways to provide nutrition for their bodies. Yes, training hones your skills but proper nutrition gives your body the fuel that it needs to keep going. Here are some mistakes that endurance athletes are probably making when it comes to nutrition.
Excess Hydration
It’s natural to keep themselves hydrated while playing a rigorous sport right? Well, what many (even athletes) don’t realize is that excess hydration can lead to severe physiological circumstances, including death. This is because the risk of dilutional hyponatremia increases substantially when an athlete repeatedly consumes more than 30 fluid ounces (nearly 890 ml) per hour. Athletes often do very well under most conditions with a fluid intake of 20-25 ounces per hour.
Simple Sugar Consumption
For endurance athletes, it’s best to steer clear from simple sugars like fructose, sucrose, and glucose because they cannot provide adequate calories to sustain energy production. Better opt for complex carbohydrates with no added simple sugar. This way you’re still getting the same amount of energy you need in your body without consuming unnecessary sugar.
Improper Amount Of Calorie
Athletes assume that they only have to consume average calories that they lose on an hour of playing. However, that’s taking away other variables like temperature, and other circumstances like change of game plan and overtime due to unexpected occurrences. Your body can't replenish calories as fast as it uses them and trying to replace calories with an equal or near equal amount of calories in usually suffer digestive maladies and experienced poor outcome on the game. So when it comes to calorie intake, you should focus on the least amount that your body needs to keep your body going for hours after hours.
Inconsistent Electrolyte Supplementation
Just because you already had your fluids and calories in doesn’t mean you’re set for a long and demanding sport. Electrolytes are necessary for your body to maintain smooth performance of vital functions such as muscle contraction. Cramping and spasms happen when your body lacks electrolytes while training or playing. Although, most types of cramp and muscle spasm respond very well to chiropractic treatment you should do what you can to prevent it from happening in the first place. Since inconsistent electrolyte supplementation is often the cause, you should make it a point that you monitor your intake. You don't want to wait until you start cramping before you replenish these important minerals.
No Protein During Prolonged Exercise
When exercise extends beyond about two hours, your body begins to utilize some protein to fulfill its energy requirements, as you begin to derive glucose from amino acids. If you fail to include protein in your fuel, your body has only one other choice: your own muscle! This leads to muscle deterioration and increased fatigue-causing ammonia accumulation. If you want to be able to go for more than two to three hours, you should inject protein into your pre-training meal aside from carbohydrates.
Too Much Solid Food During Exercise
Too much solid food consumption will divert blood from working muscles for the digestive process. So during workouts or races in the 12 hour-or-under range, liquid nutrition is more advised for ultra-endurance athletes. This is because liquid nutrition is the easiest, most convenient, and most easily digested way to get a calorie and nutrient-dense fuel. Solid food, for the most part, cannot match the precision or nutrient density of the best liquid fuels.
Using Something New In A Race Without Having Tested It In Training
Unless you're absolutely desperate and willing to accept the consequences, do not try anything new in competition, be it equipment, fuel, or tactics. These all must be tested and refined in training. Otherwise you’d only risk putting all your hard work in training in jeopardy.
Sticking With Your Game Plan Even When It’s Not Working
Athletes, who stubbornly maintain the same fuel intake hour after hour, even when it's clearly not working, end up with poorer results, if they finish at all. Yes, consistency is important during a workout or race, however, you should know how to listen to what your body is telling you. If you feel that you need more than your usual calorie intake for the competition then feed your body more. Evaluate and adjust accordingly as race pace and weather dictate.
Chiropractic care may be focused on the diagnosis and treatment of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine but chiropractors understands that patients are so much more than just spine. This is why they always say that they aim not just to relieve pain but to improve your overall health. In order to achieve that, you need to feed your body healthy foods that contain vitamins and nutrients from vegetables, fruits, lean meat, whole grains, and healthy fats. But, when it comes to nutrition, there are still a lot of athletes with habits that are actually detrimental not only to their health but as well as their performance. Don’t be one of those athletes and learn the right way to feed your body.