A Healthy Eating Plan for Athletes

A Healthy Eating Plan for Athletes

Because IonLoop knows all too well that sports nutrition can be tough to master, we would like to share a few words of wisdom to help sports enthusiasts develop a healthy eating plan. With a little forethought, you can use nutrition to improve your performance and maintain a healthy weight.

Everyday Eating
Just like the general population, you’re going to want to focus on a balanced diet with plenty of clean eating and very few processed foods. Stay hydrated – if you feel parched, nauseated or fatigued during workouts, you may need to increase your fluid intake.

Nutritional Supplements
Because most Americans consume enough protein, most people – athletes included – need not include protein supplements in their diet plans.

Days Before the Event
IF you’re going to be working out vigorously for at least 90 minutes, you’ll want to load up with carbohydrates. Complex carbs like cereal and potatoes, along with a little lean meat, should do the trick.

If you’re not working out for 90 minutes, you should have enough glycogen in your muscles to last. No need to carb load here! Just hold steady your everyday diet plan.

The Day of Your Performance
Eat 3-4 hours before your performance so you’re not playing on a full stomach – a well-rounded meal of 500-1000 calories. A starchy, low-fat meal will break down fast. Avoid caffeine and sugar.

Recovery Eating
Most experts recommend a small, well-balanced meal half an hour after performance. If this doesn’t sound appealing just after major exertion, find your meal in the form of a smoothie or nutrient-rich juice.

Don’t forget to wear your IonLoop negative ion wristbands, which may help speed up recovery time.

And please let us know if you have sports nutrition tips you’d like us to pass along. We’d love to hear them!