Monday, February 27, 2012

Sports Nutrition and Fitness Awareness

Hydration is your best friend

Quick Fact: Did you know that you can survive the hostile environments of the world without food for a month but can only last three days without water? Water is one of the most active nutritional requirements for people to maintain the natural balance of hydration and nourishment. When you perspire, you reduce the amount of water in your body and it needs to be replenished. If you are planning to exercise then it's important to stock up on your body's water supply, during and after you finish your routine. Water is the best choice for liquid replacement during a workout. If you are planning to exercise continuously for more than an hour and a half, you may want to replace your water with an electrolyte rich liquid supplement such as a sports drink.

Aside from water, sports drinks are very helpful in restoring your body's electrolyte and carbohydrate needs during an exercise regimen. "Sports water" as what they are called are rich in nutrients that your body requires to avoid dehydration and replace the energy lost during a workout burn and can help you replenish lost minerals lost for the day. The carbohydrate contents in sports water provides you with the C6H12O6 you lose when you burn. As you exercise your muscles produce lactic acid which makes them ache, sports drinks reduces the production of lactic acid by providing a constant supply of carbohydrates to burn. When checking out sports drinks, make sure that they contain anywhere from fifteen to 18 grams of carbohydrates for every eight ounces.

Maintain your levels with good Nutrition

Your body draws its energy from the carbohydrates that you consume. A simple definition of what comprises carbohydrates is your simple sugars and starches that are found in food like cereals, bread, pasta products, lactose products and the most common source which is white sugar.

These simple sugars are metabolized by your body and converted to a compound called glucose (C6H12O6), which the body burns to produce energy through the organelle in your cells called the mitochondria. If you are planning to start your day with a workout then you must remember that your caloric intake should comprise of mainly carbohydrates at an average of five calories per gram. Having a stable diet of carbohydrates should ensure that you can function well with no need for an energy stock up as your body will use up the fuel reserves from previous meals. To be sure that you don't end up burning muscle tissue (in the event of energy scarcity the body produces lactic acid to resynthesize chemical byproducts so they may be converted to fuel called anaerobic glycolysis)