IMPORTANCE OF SPORTS DIET FOR ATHLETES

Abstract

Nutrition plays an important role in sports. It also has a great impact on sports performance. Nutrition awareness plays an important role for athletes. Many factors that may be related to different fields can affect an athlete's performance during a competition. The most common nutritional problem among athletes is that they do not consume enough total food energy. A balanced diet and good dietary practices allow athletes to train hard, recover energy quickly, and adapt better, reducing the risk of illness and injury. Athletes should use appropriate nutritional strategies before and after their performance to achieve the best results. They should pay special attention to the amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals in their food.

A key element of sports nutrition is the manipulation of body mass and body composition. A reduction in fat mass is desired in many weight-bearing sports, and an increase in muscle mass may be an advantage in strengthbased sports. Finally, nutritional requirements may be different for women, younger and older athletes. These categories have different physiological needs related to age and sex, and specific nutritional strategies must be planned to ensure adequate training adaptations and maintain overall health.