Maximizing Nutrition and Supplements for Masters Athletes

Abstract

A fundamental component for any athlete’s performance is nutrition. Athletes spend months training for one specific event. Often, nutrition is mistakenly left out of their plan, or an afterthought post-event. Nutrition needs to be one of the essen- tial tools in all every athletes’ training regimen and toolbox for success. Good nutri- tion or a healthy “sports diet” can overcome limiting factors that would otherwise cause fatigue or a decrease performance. The fuel demands for many sports are complex and often misunderstood. As such, the goals of this chapter are to review the principles and benefits of healthy nutrition. What’s an effective sports diet? Whether you’re at home, traveling for work, or competing, fueling effectively means enjoying at least: 1. Three different food groups at each meal 2. Two different food groups at each snack 3. Evenly sized meals with a reasonable gap of time (3–4 h) throughout the day 4. 90% of calories coming from quality foods and if desired 10% coming from individuals’ perceived treat foods In essence, the key to maximizing a healthy sports diet is to consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods from the five basic food groups. The fundamental components include fruits, vegetables, grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy. An example of a well-rounded diet from the MyPlate guidelines is provided in Table X [1]