An athlete’s nutrition responds to a precise framework for before, during and after the sporting activity. Sports nutrition has several goals: improving performance as well as providing health benefits, because a body that runs on insufficient or poor quality fuel is more easily injured, and recovery after exercising is impaired.
Before a sporting activity
Nutrition before a sporting activity is important, as it will ensure your energy capacity during your exercise.
- If the duration of the activity runs longer than one hour, you will have to build reserves of carbohydrate fuel during the preceding hours.
- If the sporting activity involves heavy muscle load (hilly course, high intensity work or bodybuilding sessions), we must ensure an optimal intake of proteins and amino acids.
- During the minutes before the start of the sporting activity, it may be worthwhile to consume a “WARM-UP DRINK” to maintain hydration and blood sugar levels.
- If the sporting activity is intense from the outset, the risk of hypoglycaemia after a few minutes is real. It is therefore a good idea to consume a carbohydrate concentrate in the form of a gel ten minutes before starting.
During the sporting activity
The nutritional strategy for sports must meet your immediate needs during practice.
- The body needs water, sugar, minerals – especially if it’s hot – and possibly amino acids if the effort is long-term and high intensity. Sports drinks are an all-in-one solution to meet those needs during a sporting activity. The OVERSTIM.s® sports drinks are non-acidic and perfectly tolerated during a sports activity.
After the sporting activity
Nutrition after exercise is just as important but often neglected by athletes.
- Following an intense and prolonged sporting activity, the body must be supplied with some of what it lost during the activity: water, carbohydrates, minerals and, if necessary, amino acids.
- Often, the body’s acidity must be buffered with bicarbonates.
Providing precise protocols to guide athletes on nutrition before, during and after a sporting activity is undoubtedly a real bonus. The nutrients provided by sports products meet the “specifications” of the body’s energy expenditure and nutritional needs. Balanced nutrition helps give the body what it needs for health and performance. Likewise, the complementary use of sports products makes it possible to ensure the quantity and the quality of nutrition for the body. And, of course, when on the road, athletes will appreciate having practical products that are suited to the constraints of time and place.