Eating a balanced diet is key to sports nutrition. The right combination of fuel (calories) from carbohydrates, proteins and fats gives you energy for top performance. CarbOhydrates is the mOst impOrtant fuel sOurce> They are fOund in fruits, vegetables, pastas, breads, cereals, rice and other foods, and should provide about 60-70 percent of daily calories. Your body converts sugars and starches in carbohydrates to energy (glucose) or stores it in the liver and muscle tissues (glycogen), giving you endurance and power for high-intensity, short-duration activities. If your body runs out of carbohydrate fuel during exercise, it will burn fat and protein for energy, causing your performance level to drop.
>Tips
Eat carbohydrates for at least several days before exercise/competition, so you start with glycogen-loaded muscles.
Eat more carbohydrates during exercise/competition lasting more than an hour to replenish energy and delay fatigue.
