Young athletes have to practice long hours for their sport. Therefore, they need proper nutrition according to their workout plan to optimize that training. The burnt energy can only be refilled with the help of good food. Like a car needs fuel to run correctly, humans (especially young women athletes) need good nutrition to work properly.
Good food is essential for young athletes because it gives them the nutrition that provides the energy to practice and exercise. To get more details a person can visit this website. Therefore, nutrition plays a significant role in the life of every young women athlete. Now we will learn about how nutrition is important for women athletes.
- Calories
It’s so challenging for women to become an athlete because they need enough calories to maintain their energy balance at a growing age. Longer and harder an athlete exercises, they burn more calories, but young girls do not eat much for their added activities. So they can also take the nutrition in liquid form, which is the most essential if they want to maintain their energy balance.
- Maintain energy level
When people start playing sports, they have to push themselves beyond their limits, which consume much more energy than usual. At the initial level, players have to exercise and practice for a long time to learn and understand the game properly.
But, more exercise and practice means utilizing more energy, so a person needs a diet plan with enough nutrients to provide the amount of energy their body needs. When an amount of energy burned in a day equals the amount of energy taken is called an energy balance.
- Carbohydrates
An athlete needs carbohydrates to get energy while doing exercise; most carbohydrates are stored in the liver and muscles. Generally, young women athletes have practice sessions of more than one hour, so they need to eat carbohydrates.
You should limit the fat you are consuming before one hour of exercise. Then, you can satisfy your need by taking one-half cup of low-fat granola.
- Protein
Protein helps in muscle growth and repairing the body tissues. If stored carbohydrates have been used up, protein can also be used by the body as a source of energy. But the common mistake made by most women athletes is that they think if they consume more protein, they will get more muscle growth.
But if you will consume extra protein, your body may not get enough carbohydrates which are the most important source of energy while doing practice or exercise. There should be a balanced diet to avoid this.
- Water and other nutrients
A women athlete can lose litres of sweat in continuous training of more than one hour. Water and fluids are responsible for keeping the body hydrated and at the right temperature. To keep your body hydrated, make sure you drink enough fluid with every meal. The clarity of urine is a good sign that your body is completely rehydrated.
An athlete’s diet is not different from the diet of a healthy person. However, diet can also depend on the sport you are playing and the amount of training you do per day. Therefore, an athlete needs to have their diet on time to make progress in the game.