Biochemical Foundations of Human Vital Activity - Volkov, N.I., Nesen, E.N. 2000

Biochemistry of Sports
Biochemical Foundations of Rational Nutrition for Athletes
Principles of Rational Nutrition for Athletes

Rational Nutrition for athletes, as well as for the general population, is based on the balanced diet theory developed and refined by Academician A.A. Pokrovsky in the 1970s. According to several authors, THE PRINCIPLE OF nutritional balance was originally formulated in ancient India.

Athletic nutrition incorporates the General Principles of human nutritional science while possessing unique characteristics tailored to the specific nature of physical exertion. Furthermore, an athlete's diet must be specialized, meaning it should account for the specific sports discipline, training regimens and phases, as well as individual and other specific requirements.

The individual characteristics of an athlete include gender, age, body weight, and specific basal metabolic rate. Nutritional requirements are generally higher in men than in women, as well as in individuals with greater body mass. Children and adolescents, compared to adults, require increased amounts of nutrients that support growth-related plastic processes. Average nutrient intake standards are presented in Table 39.

The fundamental principles of A balanced diet include:

✵ maintaining an equilibrium between the energy consumed through food and the energy expended by the body during daily life and physical activity;

✵ meeting human nutritional needs in specific quantities and with a balanced ratio of individual dietary components;

✵ adhering to a proper meal schedule (specific meal times and portion sizes for each meal), since the body's Functions are regulated by biorhythms;

✵ achieving nutrient balance through the systematic intake of foods of both animal and plant origin;

✵ providing biologically complete, highly digestible, and wholesome food prepared in compliance with Sanitary and hygienic standards.

Class="center">TABLE 39 Essential Nutrients and Average Intake Standards for Adults

* Water is not a nutrient, but it performs many vital biological functions in the body and must be constantly replenished

Nutrition in sports practice helps achieve specific objectives, such as enhancing physical performance, accelerating recovery processes, improving adaptation mechanisms to systematic physical loads, relieving stress, and more. Therefore, when organizing an athlete's diet, it is essential to consider the specifics of their sports activity, training or competition phases, and environmental conditions, which determine:

✵ the athlete's Energy Expenditure;

✵ the precise dietary balance of individual components (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals);

✵ the athlete's meal schedule and timing;

✵ the Selection of foods with high biological value and multivitamin complexes;

✵ the temporary impairment of digestive function during physical exertion, among other factors.