Proper nutrition is extremely important for university athletes as they both juggle sport and studying. Couple this with socialising, late nights, and living among a larger student body, and their immune system is put to the test. Student athletes must ensure that not just demands for major macronutrients are met as fuel, but also the micronutrients to help support the immune system.

The 3 principles of sports nutrition are 1.) Consume the amount of energy required for the training that you are undertaking. 2.) Spread protein throughout the day, and ensure protein is consumed after training and competitions but also at each meal and in some snacks. 3.) Ensure colour - The more colour we have in the diet the greater the variety of micronutrients

How much or what nutrient to eat and when to avoid under or over fueling.

Nutrition changes with age. Higher energy is needed during growth and maturation, lower protein needs than adults and differences in micronutrients. As we enter adulthood and growth slows, the needs for energy reduces, our protein needs stay more consistent depending on any training undertaken. Recent research has shown that protein requirements may be raised in aging athletes and adults to prevent sarcopenia (age related reduction of skeletal muscle mass and function) in particular the amino acid leucine, which plays a central role in stimulating skeletal muscle anabolism. Other micronutrient needs may also change such as Vitamin D.

Sports nutritionists and dietitians support athletes with nutrition and hydration to train, compete, recover, help to prevent injury and remain in good health. They use their in-depth knowledge about the specific physical characteristics and energy demands of the sport to provide evidence based and practical advice to teach an athlete the skills they need to implement performance nutrition in their day to day diets and within competitions.

A sports nutritionist or sports dietitian should hold a degree in nutrition and hold a further qualification in sports nutrition. For example a registered dietitian (RD) and a member of the SENr (Sports and Exercise Nutrition register) or on the Association for Nutrition Register in the UK or an accredited dietitian and member of the sports dietitians Australia or a registered sports dietitian in USA through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics or CPSDA. They should be registered or accredited. They should have the appropriate skills, knowledge and insurance and follow their governing body codes of practice and professional guidance.

Athletes should plan their nutrition and hydration around their training or competition schedule. They should plan what and when to eat before training or competition, what they will use in competition, what they will need to take to training or competition to ensure that they have enough fuel to compete or train and recover. Athletes also need to plan for in competition fueling strategies and should consider training their gut at least 12 weeks prior to certain sporting events. Athletes need to consider duration, environment and intensity of a competition or training when planning nutrition and hydration strategies

Certain sports may have short bouts followed by multiple heats where in competition fueling is not required but proper fueling between bouts/ heats is. Endurance sports for example has a higher requirement for carbohydrates both before, during and after training and competition. Weight related sports and making weight such as in lightweight rowing, boxing and horse racing need to consider pre competition weight and the types of food and fluids to consider in the chronic and acute phases pre and post weigh in around their competitions.

The more protein you consume the more muscle you will build. Leucine is the amino acid that is the limiting factor and turns on anabolic signalling for muscle protien synthesis. Studies show that we are unliekly to require more than 1.6g/KG/body weight to build muscle but it may be up to 2.2g/kg / body weight but it is unlikely that any higher levels of intake will confer any further benefits to muscle protein synthesis.

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