Fuel your body like an athlete

The University of Kentucky Public Relations and Strategic Communications Office provides a weekly health column available for use and reprint by news media. This week’s column is by Kimberly Kaiser, M.D., of UK Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine and UK Family & Community Medicine.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 30, 2024) - Fall sports are in full swing, and many people are enjoying outdoor activities this time of year. Sometimes it can be difficult to navigate the plethora of information on eating to improve athletic performance, but it is possible to make adjustments that work for you.

What to eat before exercise

Your body needs energy in the form of calories to maintain exercise. However, too much food or the wrong food can cause gastrointestinal issues, especially in endurance athletes.

As a general rule, the closer you are to a workout, the simpler the meal should be. If you eat two to three hours before exercise, food will have time to digest and be absorbed from the GI tract into the blood. A good pre-workout meal contains both complex and simple carbs, such as whole wheat toast with a banana or a smoothie made with Greek yogurt, granola and fruit.

What to eat to help your body recover after exercise

Dietary proteins are effective for the maintenance and repair of skeletal muscle proteins. They also serve as a source of energy in conjunction with carbs and fats. Eating whole foods high in protein like beef, poultry, fish, beans, nuts, eggs or dairy are better in general than supplementing. Typically, a well-balanced diet will eliminate the need to ingest extra protein.

Does fat help or hurt performance?

Fat is a necessary fuel for endurance exercise along with carbohydrates. Your carbohydrate stores are depleted within one to two hours of strenuous exercise, so your body then uses fat as energy. Fats are also necessary to help absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

Try to limit the amount of saturated fat you consume. Eating too much can increase your risk for heart disease.

Do vitamins help performance?

Eating whole foods whenever possible is ideal. A food diary can help identify if there are deficiencies in your normal diet that can then be supplemented under the direction of a physician and/or sports dietician. In general, taking a daily multivitamin is a safe way to ensure you are meeting vitamin and mineral needs. It’s important to remember that supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration; thus, most claims are not backed by scientific studies, and purity is not guaranteed.