Sports nutrition

Sports nutrition: key to athletic performance

5 min read

What is sports nutrition?

Its aim is to reach peak physical and athletic performance without compromising health, and to guarantee the optimal use of energy for the best long-term results.

In this field, precise nutritional principles are applied, appropriate to and adapted for each sport, such as:

Type of physical activity or training: endurance, strength or speed sports.
Individual physical need: gaining muscle mass, increasing strength or improving endurance.
Personal factors: age, sex, height, weight, tastes, beliefs and environment. Also nutrient requirements through diet or supplements.

Sports nutrition makes it possible to prevent deficiencies in athletes' diets and to improve their health.

What is it for?

Every high-performance athlete and every sport enthusiast should know about sports nutrition. It allows them to make informed decisions about their diet, stay healthy and reach their peak physical performance.

Proper nutrition before, during and after training is essential to meet the physical demands of sport and to avoid negative consequences.

The benefits of good sports nutrition include:

Maintaining good health despite the high physical demands of sport.
Optimizing physical performance during training and competition.
Restoring energy and reducing fatigue.
Maintaining appropriate fluid intake.
Helping muscles regenerate and increase in quantity and size.
Keeping the body's sodium levels balanced, especially during high-intensity training sessions.
Improving overall performance, to push past any limit and reach your goals.

Who assesses sports nutrition status?

It is advisable to consult a nutritionist with a specialization or master's degree in sports nutrition. This professional carries out a complete and precise assessment, measures body composition and plans the calories required.

They also adjust the intake of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate and fat) according to training schedules, and advise on the appropriate use of supplements where these are needed — always taking into account the person's physical condition and the exercise they do.

Sports physicians and nutrition specialists can also help with individual assessment and follow-up; even so, the role of the sports nutritionist is vital.

How is nutritional status assessed in athletes?

Assessing the nutritional status of an athlete, or of anyone who plays sport, requires looking at several different elements.

These include:

Nutritional history: gathers data on the type of food you eat, how much and how often. Also the foods you prefer or avoid, any food allergy or intolerance, the sport you play and your weekly training sessions, along with your physical and sporting goals.
Body composition analysis: assesses how weight is distributed between lean mass and fat mass. It also measures girths or circumferences, and hydration status in different parts of the body.
Physical examination: nails, skin and hair are examined for signs of vitamin, mineral or macronutrient deficiency, or of dehydration.
Blood tests: requested by the sports physician to assess the person's nutritional status. The results make it possible to detect deficiencies and to take appropriate action through dietary adjustments or the use of supplements.

Some of the key nutritional markers detected are haemoglobin, ferritin, red blood cell size, vitamin B12, albumin, transferrin and others.

At Biuman we offer a complete sports nutrition assessment that provides precise data on your nutritional status, whatever kind of athlete you are. This lets us determine your daily requirements and boost your performance.

In our consultation we consider key aspects such as macronutrient amounts, total caloric calculation and vitamin and mineral intake, along with everything relating to sports supplements before, during and after training — all so that you get the most out of every session.

Is it only for athletes?

No. Sports nutrition is a specialty, not an audience. What sets it apart is that it works with objective data from the body —body composition, real energy expenditure, response to food— instead of general formulas. That serves the person who competes just as much as the person who is starting to move, a woman approaching menopause, someone being treated for lipedema, someone who wants to improve their cholesterol through food, or someone thinking about longevity. The consultation is the same; what changes is the question each person brings.

Your progress and development in the sport you play is our priority. Get in touch through any of our channels to book an appointment or find out more.

Sources:

Close, G. L., Kasper, A. M., Walsh, N. P., & Maughan, R. J. (2022). “Food First but Not Always Food Only”: Recommendations for Using Dietary Supplements in Sport. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 32(5), 371-386. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2021-0335

Kerksick, C. M., Wilborn, C. D., Roberts, M. D., Smith-Ryan, A., Kleiner, S. M., Jäger, R., Collins, R., Cooke, M., Davis, J. N., Galvan, E., Greenwood, M., Lowery, L. M., Wildman, R., Antonio, J., & Kreider, R. B. (2018). ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: Research & recommendations. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15(1), 38. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-018-0242-y

Rocha, A. (2020). Construcción del perfil profesional del nutricionista deportivo. Anales Venezolanos de Nutrición, 33, 183-191.

Thomas, D. T., Erdman, K. A., & Burke, L. M. (2016). American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 48(3), 543-568. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000852