Nutritional advice for the sportswoman
Feeding, and the necessity of nutrients, may vary depending on the physical activity being done, our lifestyle and our body’s constitution, weight, height and age.
Therefore, it is important that our daily diet includes all the necessary energy and nutrients for the daily training work, to care about our joints and to improve our immune system. Let’s take into account that
if our defenses are weakened, we won’t be able to do everything we want; and if we suffer joint injuries, we won’t be able to get the right amount of training.
To protect our joints, it is important to keep our weight stable. To do so, it is important to have a balanced diet which includes the right amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Diet must always be personalized, and we must calculate daily requirements and schedule a diet based on our daily training and lifestyle, with the right amount of calories and nutrients.
We must put great emphasis in the intake of Vitamin A. We must take from 3 to 5 fruit pieces per day, specially those rich in vitamin C: oranges, kiwi, mandarins, grapefruit.
We must take minerals (especially calcium, iron, zinc and potassium) on a daily basis. Mineral-rich foods are milk and dairy products (above all yoghurt). In addition, fish, meat, chicken meat, fruits and vegetables are also rich in these minerals.
The quantity of necessary proteins in our diet must also be studied, since having a good musculoskeletal structure is key to keeping our joints healthy. The daily amount of protein would range from 0.8 g per Kg. of weight for sedentary women to 1.5 g for sportswomen. It is important to not decrease our intake below those quantities (women tend to ingest less protein and eat more salads, vegetables, or fruit…) since this has the consequence of loss of muscular mass, loss of performance and increased risk of injuries.
The intake of muccopolysaccharides is also fundamental, since they are a substance naturally present in the joint and that gives it lubrication and the ability to recover from repeated impacts.
The care of our immune system requires the right reserves of glycogen that our muscles will use during physical exercise. It requires also nucleotides, an important immune nutrient which improves the lymphocyte activity and therefore the right functioning of the immune system. The IMMUNACTIVE nutritional supplement provides the nutrients needed by sportspersons to increase their body’s own defences. Aside from these supplements, it is also very important to intake the right amounts of proteins, vitamins and minerals.
A BALANCED DIET
Breakfast
Fruits (orange, kiwi), wholemeal cereals and yoghurt
Mid-morning snack
Nuts and fruit or turkey, ham, omelette or tuna sandwich Lunch
Tuna salad
Pasta with raw tomato and basil
Mid afternoon snack
Toasts with Honey and white cheese
Cereal bar
Fruit milkshake with yoghurt
Supper
Boiled vegetables and potatoes
Grilled fish
Fruit or yoghurt, and 3-4 nuts