The Sports Archives Blog

Don’t eat that; eat this instead. Don’t do that; do this instead. There are a lot of nutrition myths in the sports industry. If you follow one of them without doing some research first or asking an expert, then it could be very detrimental to your game performance. Instead of helping you, it could affect the way you perform, or, worse, it could affect your health.

Below are three very common sports nutrition myths.

Vitamin supplements are enough to give you energy.

Some athletes often times think that the vitamin supplements they’re taking are enough to give them the boost they need. However, it should be understood that these supplements are only giving them the vitamins and minerals their bodies need. This won’t give them the energy and fuel their body’s need to perform well at sports. To perform well, they’re going to need calories which provide the body’s energy.

Our bodies need vitamins and minerals, but if our micronutrient requirements are met through the right diet, then taking more vitamin supplements as well as mineral supplements is not going to give us any more benefit. In fact, it can only do the opposite and harm you.

If you want to make sure that you are receiving the needed vitamins, nutrients, and calories, then ask your doctor. He may refer you to a dietitian or nutritionist who can better assess what your body needs, taking into consideration your activities, height, weight, and other factors.

Drinking lots of water during a game or while exercising will only slow you down.

The more physical the activity, the more you sweat. The more you sweat, the more fluid you lose. The more fluid you lose, the more fatigued you become. So contrary to this popular belief, drinking less is actually more detrimental to your health and your game performance than drinking more water. Look at it this way, if you’re playing a very physical sport such as football and you’re not replenishing the fluid you’ve lost, then it’ll be easier for you to become dehydrated and suffer from fatigue. If this happens, then your performance will be affected.

It’s recommended that you drink the amount of fluid that your body has lost. You have to know your sweat rate so you can meet your hydration needs. Furthermore, it is recommended that you frequently drink small amounts of fluid throughout the game rather than drinking large amounts in one sitting.

What you eat before a game doesn’t matter, as long as you’ve eaten a full meal.

What you eat does matter. For example, if you’re playing high-endurance sports and stamina games, then you need to eat foods that are high in carbohydrates. It can help increase the glycogen level in your muscles, giving you stamina and helping you keep hunger at bay. Eating fruits that are good energy sources is also a good thing. These include bananas and red grapes.

On the other hand, if you’re into sports that require strength rather than stamina and endurance, then you’ll need foods rich in protein and calcium such as lean meat and low-fat dairy products. These will not only help in improving muscle strength but also help in increasing muscle mass.

Of note though; you have to eat these foods a few hours before the game to give your body time to digest the full meal.

Citations:

• The photo included in this article is a free image via http://www.sxc.hu/. Credits to beverlytaz.

Jennifer Dalphonse is an article provider who writes for an allpro sports blog. She specializes in writing about diet, exercise, and food that are perfect for athletes.