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Here are some tips to use food and beverages to your advantage for top athletic performance:
1. Drink enough and the right kind of liquids
As a rule of thumb, athletes lose about 1 liter of water for every hour of active physical training. In this process, essential minerals will be flushed out, too. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to drink enough liquids to replenish the lost water, carbohydrates, proteins and minerals (physical activities below 45 minutes don't require liquid replenishment).
Drink 250 - 500 ml of liquids one hour before your training. After the training, drink slowly and use liquids that are quickly absorbed by the body and contain some glucose and electrolytes that provide quick energy and minerals. Isotonic liquids, like mineral water mixed with apple juice (apple spritzers), other natural, multi-vitamin drinks, whey-based liquids, or non-alcoholic beers are ideal thirst quenchers because they are quickly absorbed and replenish lost minerals. Hypotonic liquids, like pure water or sparkling water will be absorbed quickly by the body, but they can dilute the mineral content in the body. Hypertonic liquids, like colas or fruit-based sodas take a longer time to be absorbed by the body and therefore are not well suited to recreate the liquid balance in athletes. The ideal liquid for athletes contains 40-110mg sodium, 12-23 mg Potassium, and 2-10 mg magnesium.
2. Eat right before, during and after the competition to win the trophy
Already weeks before a competition you need to make sure that your body's carbohydrate, mineral and vitamin storage systems are adequately filled. That way you have the best chances of winning a competition. In the pre-competition phase, your metabolism needs to be adjusted to the respective type of athletic discipline. Plan to eat 5 carbo-centric meals a day. Many athletes now plan for a potato or pasta party the evening before a competition. Meanwhile, foods with a lot of dietary fibers should be avoided as should be new foods, to avoid possible stomach cramps or diarrhea during competitions.
Schedule the last meal before a competition at least three hours prior to the event. Bread or rolls with honey or pasta are ideal foods. For a longer performance, use granola bars, oat meal, fruit shakes or potatoes. After the event, you need to replenish water, carbohydrates and protein as soon as possible with meat, fish, grains or eggs and a lot of isotonic sports drinks.
For endurance sports, like running marathons, basic meals should contain up to 60% carbohydrates. A week before a competition, raise that share to 75% carbohydrates. Foods like breads, pasta, potatoes, müsli (granola) and rice is all you need. Balance this with fruits, veggies, meat and eggs. After the race, use isotonic sports drinks, sweet dairy products or cold cut sandwiches to replenish the glycogen depots in your body. For muscle sports, use a lot of protein-based foods (no supplements) to get in shape and stay in shape.
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