When it comes to athletic nutrition, what you put in is what you get out. Your diet will affect your performance, your energy levels, and your mood – so it won’t help to eat processed foods with synthetic additives. For optimal performance, you should eat healthy whole foods like vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and whole grains. Nutritionally avoid foods like artificial sweeteners should have no place in an athlete’s diet. Here is a list of foods and drinks athletes should avoid to achieve their fitness goals and enhance performance:
- Soda
- Saturated and trans fats
These aren’t technically foods, but they are ingredients you should avoid at all costs. These fats can be found in many cakes, cookies, crackers, icings, margarines, and microwave popcorn. They’re bad because they raise the bad cholesterol in your body and increase the risk of heart disease. Nate Miyaki, author of The Samurai Diet says, “They’ve been shown to increase belly fat and abdominal obesity, and cause an inflammatory response in the body, which impairs optimal recovery.” Always make sure to check the labels for trans fats that may be hiding in your foods.
Athletes should stick to healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocados, seafood, and olive and peanut oil.
- Alcohol
While an occasional drink is fine for special occasions, you won’t find serious athletes throwing back shots or chugging a beer on the daily. Too much alcohol slows down muscle recovery, impairs motor skills, decreases strength and sprint performance, and depresses your immune system (which increases risk of illness and injury). Alcohol does nothing to enhance a workout or athletic nutrition, and has detrimental effects on your performance. And since it’s a diuretic, it also has dehydrating effects. Dehydrated muscles don’t function properly, and it may lead to intense headaches and muscle cramping.
- Nutrition bars
You may think of them as a healthy and convenient on-the-go snack, but nutrition bars are far from healthy. Whether it’s snack, protein, or energy bars, they’re all usually high in sugar and unhealthy fats. Did you know that most energy bars contain as much sugar as a candy bar? They also contain chemical additives, high fructose corn syrup, synthetic preservatives, and artificial colours and flavours. However, not all bars are created equal. If you’re not ready to give up these convenient snacks, check the labels to see if the fibre, sugar, and protein are from natural sources (such as fruit, nuts, and whey or casein). Alternatively, you can snack on a yoghurt with pumpkin seeds sprinkled in it, or a banana or apple.
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The key for a healthy diet while training is to limit or avoid foods that interfere with your performance. When it comes to athletic nutrition, make sure you are eating low-calorie, high-nutrient foods – much like the Mediterranean diet (one of the best diets for athletes). If you’re planning on taking a trip anytime soon, Majorca has a range of Mediterranean dishes, as well as great cycling routes, crystalline waters, and well-maintained roads – all of which make it a paradise for athletes. Our range of stunning Majorca hotels will cater to all your fitness and sports nutrition needs. Contact us to make a booking today.
