Athletes Nutritional Requirements

For someone from the general public, a balanced diet must consist of:

50-60% of kcals from carbohydrates 10-20% of kcals from proteins 30% kcals from fats 2 litres of water Vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables

Athletes however, have different needs and therefore need a diet to reflect that, so an athlete will need approximately:

65-70% of kcals from carbohydrates 10-20% of kcals from proteins 30% kcals from fats

Aerobic athletes have considerable demands from their sport so they need to:

Replace the energy they have lost during training Maintain high energy levels Repair any damage done to the body’s structure during training Keep up vitamin and mineral intake for the body’s functions Replacement and maintenance of fluid levels

Power athletes and anaerobic athletes however need:

Repair the considerable damage to the body during training Replace the lost energy during training Keep up vitamin and mineral intake for the body’s functions Replacement and maintenance of fluid levels

CATABOLISM AND ANABOLISM Catabolism is when the structure of the body breaks down. Hard training such as weight lifting has a catabolic nature as it causes a lot of damage to the muscles. We know this as we tend to feel stiff the next day until the muscles heal which releases energy.

Anabolism is when the body’s structure is built up. When we are resting and recovering from training or eating, it is in an anabolic state. When we are training it is the stimulus to improve fitness and strength, it is while we are at rest, the body actually becomes stronger. This process also requires energy.

RECOMMENDED CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE This is based on the intensity and length of your activity level and the table below is a rough estimate.

Recommended Protein Intake

The table above gives you an approximate amount of protein an athlete should take on. To work out what your protein intake should be, use the following equation.

BW IN KG X ACTIVITY = TOTAL PROTEIN INTAKE NEEDED PER DAY

It is recommended to take protein in doses of 30-35% at a time throughout the day. Any more will be stored as body fat or lost through urination.

PROTEIN SHAKES

Protein shakes are used by athletes who want to build muscle so need more protein daily. These shakes contain high levels of amino acids which are especially important as they are the acids that are broken down during training (valine, leucine and isoleucine).

There are however issues with using shakes including:

The body has evolved to get protein from meats rather than powders They often contain added sweeteners, sugars or colourings When the protein is being dried into the powder, the amino acid structure is damaged making it unusable by the body They are expensive Weight and Calorie Intake

A healthy ice hockey player with no medical problems are recommended to be in the weight range of:

Men average weight: 150 – 180lbs (68 – 82kg)

Women average weight: 110 – 160lbs (50 – 72.5kg). The average daily calorie intake should be in the range of: 2500 – 3500Kcal men 2000 – 3000Kcal women.