Why Carbohydrate Is Important In Diet For Budding Athletes

The diet is not adequate. Most of the high school athletes are learned not meeting the nutritional requirements that helps in proper development of body and also to provide them adequate playing performance skill.

In couple of surveys it has been found a large majority of high school athletes rely on low-carbohydrate and high-protein diets. They even use nutritional supplements, but all these are not the kind of diet recommended.

The budding athletes must know that energy requirements increase during the adolescence period to accommodate hormonal changes as well as physical growth in the body. More than 60 percent of one’s diet should include carbohydrates like fruits, whole grains and vegetables during such phase of life and during the period of development. It is highly urged to limit the consumption of processed carbs like pop tarts and donuts.

According to International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism the coaches of budding athletes should take the responsibility of influencing them for the correct diet. In a survey the researchers examined nutritional knowledge of 47 high school coaches and evaluated their diet chart recommended to the athletes.

The researchers found that less than half of the surveyed coaches encouraged to the budding athletes a high-carbohydrate diet. Instead they recommended a high-protein diet to improve the playing performance.

It is learned often people has a misconception about protein and they believe it is needed for recovery, muscle growth and maintaining lean body mass. However, it is important to know carbohydrates are the essential nutrient to optimize energy in budding athletes.

It is true that proteins help in rebuilding muscles, but it is also required to know that proteins are not the source of energy for muscles. During performance the stored up carbohydrates are used to supply the required energy in the body. The same is not possible with proteins as proteins cannot be stored in the body. Hence, it is highly recommended a high-carbohydrate diet must be included in the food habit of budding athletes.

In some of other similar studies too it was found the coaches overvalued proteins believing it to be a major source of energy for muscle. They always tried to push low-fat diets and food myths of course.

Such coaches are wrong and it is highly suggested if you are looking ahead to become a good athlete, start including carbohydrate too in your diet along with protein. Both should be balanced.