Define Nutritional Demands of Sports and Dietary Recommendations?

There is a strong relationship between nutritional status and physical training. Whether it is to maintain health or to achieve success in sports, both depend upon meeting adequate nutritional needs. There are some basic dietary recommendations for health and fitness. These apply to athlete and non-athlete alike. They are to:

• maintain healthy body weight and body composition by modifying food intake and regular exercise,
• increase intakes of complex carbohydrates and fibre foods including liberal intake of fruits and vegetables,
• reduce dietary fat intake to an average of 30% of total caloric needs or less and specifically saturated fats less than 1096,
• reduce intake of refined sugars and high sugar products, and
• Reduce salt intake and foods high in salt.

For general population, inclusion of above mentioned dietary modifications along with 30-40 minutes of regular brisk walk is beneficial in reducing fat mass and increasing fat free mass. However, over and above these general recommendations, athletes have certain critical areas of nutrition. Owing to extra caloric expenditure during exercise, requirements for most nutrients are increased depending upon the nature of sports.