These 5 misconceptions are ruining your athletic performance

If you train or practice hard but never perform as you expected on game day, the culprit could be what you eat (or don’t eat). Diet has a huge impact on performance, even small nutritional errors. Sports nutritionist Leslie Bonci, a consultant to many top college teams including the NFL Kansas City Chiefs, MLB Toronto Blue Jays, MLB Pittsburgh Pirates, and more, has seen a lot of problems. Bonci shares five common eating mistakes and how to avoid them.

Mistake 1: Not drinking enough water

Dehydration can lead to adverse performance effects, from premature fatigue, muscle cramps, and decreased concentration to impaired strength and speed. In extreme cases, dehydration can lead to heat-related illness, or even death. However, too many athletes fail to pay attention to their water or other fluid intake.

Bonci details some common mistakes, such as ignoring the potential role of meals (food that has liquid in it) and thinking that pouring water over your head will help (when you do this, you're not actually drinking anything). The most important thing is that you need to drink enough water throughout the day, not just during any one activity.

Bonci offers this guide to hydration:

Young men should drink 15 250 ml glasses of water a day; young women should drink 9 to 11 glasses a day. Drink 600 ml of fluids 1 hour before any activity. Rehydrate regularly during activity, drinking generously.

Mistake 2: Not getting enough sodium

You know that the sodium found in salt is bad because it can cause high blood pressure, which often occurs in sedentary people or those who have blood pressure problems or other chronic diseases. For athletes, salt is a very important ally in the battle to hydrate. Your body needs sodium to produce sustained muscle contractions, maintain blood volume, and improve recovery. Without this essential mineral, you will fatigue faster and suffer more frequent cramps.

The standard daily intake of sodium is 2,300 milligrams, but people who often suffer from cramps, sweat that tastes like salt, or white powder on their clothes after exercise may need to consume more.

Mistake 3: Using energy foods as fuel

Many so-called energy drinks make you feel "energized," but they don't actually provide usable energy (in the form of calories) to your muscles. They will stimulate you because of the caffeine, but they will not provide energy. After 30 minutes, the caffeine boost begins to wear off and you'll feel worse than when you started. If you don't supply your body with heat, you will fatigue sooner. Although some energy diets contain calories (in the form of sugar), those calories may not be used because consuming large amounts of high-density sugar liquids is difficult for the stomach to digest. These calories simply end up in the stomach instead of being supplied to the body.

Mistake 4: Relying on Supplies

Supplement companies claim many benefits for their products, some of which are legitimate. However, over-reliance on even the safest and most effective supplements can lead to an unbalanced diet. For example, many supplements contain only vitamins and minerals. These will boost your body's vitamin and mineral levels, but lack the calories found in real food fiber. Other supplements contain calories, like whey protein and pre-workout drinks, but they are not a good substitute for real food. Supplements are meant to supplement your diet, not replace it.

If you need a quick protein boost after exercise, no behavior changes are necessary. Or, if you are vitamin D deficient, feel free to supplement with a supplement. Just don't sacrifice dietary balance for supplements.

Mistake 5: Not eating before exercising

You don't want to eat too much right before training or before a game. However, eating nothing before exercise may be worse. If you run errands or exercise on an empty stomach, you don't have the fuel to maintain your high level of performance. You may actually be causing your body to break down muscle as a source of energy.

Bonci's solution is simple: eat a small portion of food, such as a small bowl of cereal or half a sandwich, an hour before the event.

Source: 5 Nutrition Mistakes Ruining Your Sports Performance

This article is from Uncle Sam's Workshop

This article is from Uncle Sam's Workshop

Source: 5 Nutrition Mistakes Ruining Your Sports Performance