The Feminine Side of Sports Nutrition

The Feminine Side of Sports Nutrition.Women have an entirely different body system compared to males. That is why your, assuming you are a woman with interest in sports, nutritional needs are different too. And like men, women are also capable of involving themselves in sports.

Sports nutrition for women is also different. Women involved in sports and regular exercise have some special nutritional needs. Although the basic principles of sports nutrition for you and men are similar, you, and the other women, involved in regular sports activities do have some increased needs for certain nutrients.

This is because you are prone and at risk of dietary deficiencies. This does not mean to say that men are completely immune, only that since women have ongoing cycles inside their body, it is highly imperative for them to keep nutrients up to be able to prevent disorders.

The key nutritional issues in sports nutrition for women include calcium and iron. Weight control and eating disorders are also concerns of sports nutrition for women. You need these nutrients for their body to perform properly.

There still has been no scientific explanation for this, but it is in truth that women are very conscious of weight. So having a normal weight will give you a healthy psychological system.

Calcium is a mineral that plays an essential role in growth. In sports, muscle and mind coordination is important. It also helps in muscle contraction and transmission of nerve impulses.

Another area where it is very helpful is in the development and maintenance of strong bones. It will really play a big part in the sports nutrition for women.

Having adequate amounts of calcium during your childhood and adolescence is important for deveoping an optimal peak in bone mass by your mid twenty’s to your early thirty’s. This will then help you reduce your risk of acquiring osteoporosis or the thinning of your bones.

Some women who are into sports are at risk of inadequate calcium intake, while some are at risk of early osteoporosis due to the absence of appropriate amount of calcium, or an irregularity of their menstrual cycle. So conclusively, sports nutrition for women should have higher intakes of calcium.

There is a list of recommended dietary intakes of calcium for sports women according to their ages. For girls with ages twelve to fifteen, they must have at least one thousand milligrams of calcium per day. For teenagers with ages sixteen to eighteen, on the other hand, should have a normal calcium intake per day, which is eight hundred milligrams. For women who are having their menstrual periods, they should also take eight hundred milligrams of calcium a day.

Post menopausal women should have at least one thousand milligrams per day of calcium, while women who are pregnant and who are also breastfeeding should have one thousand two hundred milligrams per day.

And, not to be the least, sportswomen who have an absent or an irregular menstrual cycle, they should have at least one thousand to one thousand five hundred milligrams in a day. It is detrimental for women to meet their required calcium intake for normal functioning.

The mineral iron is used in forming hemoglobin, which is essential in holding the oxygen in the blood as they are being transported to various parts of the body. It is also an essential nutrient for energy production and immunity.

Athletes are more prone to iron deficiencies than anyone else in the world. Women are at a bigger risk because they continually lose blood as they undergo the cyclical process of menstruation. Plus, strenuous exercises contribute to the loss of iron through the destruction of red blood cells. Inadequate iron intake are associated with reduced athletic performance. Sports nutrition for women require iron in big amounts.

Keeping your body’s fat levels low is the aim of many female athletes. Excess fats may be detrimental to performance. However, less fat or no fat at all compromises the energy level of a female athlete. Low energy also affects your performance, so it is really important that you keep the nutrients in your body and follow sports nutrition for women for a performance of a superstar that you have long been searching to experience.

Sports Nutrition Education

Sports Nutrition Education.As people realize that there is a dearth of information in the world to study, the study of the world becomes more specialized in order for information to be manageably processed for particular purposes. The study of medicine, for example, brought forth a specialization in sports medicine. The study of sports and also of nutrition was further compartmentalized into sports nutrition.

Sports nutrition as a higher education course has been attracting interest among younger generations. As the world population turns to sports for physical health as well as entertainment, sports nutrition attracts a lot of attention and revenues and people specializing in increasing sports performance are very much in demand.

Sports Nutrition education focuses on understanding how the body functions during exercise and sport. Maximizing athletic potential and minimizing health risks associated with sporting activity are two of the main topics of study in Sports Nutrition Education.

Students of this course will consider the role of exercise in healthy lifestyles, and in the treatment of various diseases, with emphasis on interaction between nutrition (diet) and physical performance.

Sports Nutrition education also provides the scientific background, specific knowledge and skills to address concepts and controversies relating to sports nutrition, sports physiology and to explore the links between nutrition, physiology, performance and health outcomes through the life cycle.

Sports nutrition education integrates principles of nutrition and exercise physiology and application to exercising individuals. Common topics for discussion include energy expenditure, fuel substrate metabolism, specific nutrient needs, ergogenic aids, hydration, and weight issues for exercising individuals and athletes.

In personal sports and fitness training, for example, the optimum way to get the most out of their workouts and feel their best is by designing an energizing, performance-enhancing nutrition plan, tailored specific needs of their bodies.

Sport Nutrition education includes learning how to enhance clients’ workouts and maximize their results with proper nutrition, safe and effective sports supplements, and beneficial vitamins and minerals.

This is a sample module from a university that offers Sports Nutrition in the collegiate level:

Level 1

Studies include an introduction to learning and assessment in higher education and the wider context of your subject.
•    Basic Sports Science
•    Science for Sport
•    Human Physiology
•    Data Analysis
•    Introduction to Nutrition
•    Professional Studies
•    Functional Anatomy

Level 2

This level addresses issues related to hire-ability and professional practice.

•    Exercise Physiology I
•    Nutritional Physiology and Biochemistry I
•    Human Nutrition
•    Research Methods
•    Nutritional Physiology and Biochemistry II
•    Biomechanics, Sport Psychology, Physical  Performance Assessment

Level 3

Level 3 further develops your skills in independent problem identification and analysis.

•    Exercise Physiology II
•    Applied and Environmental Physiology
•    Energy Metabolism
•    Muscle Structure and Function
•    Sensory and Motor Physiology
•    Sports Nutrition

In practical terms, students of sports nutrition education learn:

•    How nutrients are taken in and how foods are digested and metabolized to provide necessary energy to fuel muscular activity.
•    Dietary patterns that maximize performance and prevent disease.
•    Research advancements in ergogenic aids.
•    Supplementation and the pros and cons of popular diet techniques.
•    Sample eating plans showing how to fuel for specific workouts.
•    How to distinguish among food, diet, and supplement options and understand which are best and why.
•    How to overcome food and weight obsessions.
•    How to lose undesired body fat while maintaining energy for exercise.
•    Strategies to boost energy, reduce stress, control weight, improve health & enhance workouts.

Employment opportunities

While enrolled in a Sports Nutrition Education program, it is still possible to have relevant employment. Work placement can also be advantageous as it also provides you with the benefits of industry experience.

The degree is excellent preparation for anyone planning a career in the sports and fitness industries such as corporate health and fitness. The program is also good for those particularly considering a specialization in the nutritional aspects of performance enhancement. 

The graduate of this course can penetrate family and community services, local or state government agencies, hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, institutes of sports, universities and colleges and also personal training. However, the graduate of Sport Nutrition is not qualified to be a dietitian.

Sports Nutrition education also provides a systematic, general, scientific training suitable for a wide assortment of careers. Many students also continue onto a PGCE or Masters course in a related area.

Proper Education On Sports Nutrition

Proper Education On Sports Nutrition.Sports nutrition is not that straightforward as it seems.  To achieve desired results, there has to be some form of an education about the functions and processes of the human body, its reaction to the environment, its requirements for certain nutrients, and many others.

The bottom line here is that there has to be an appropriate sports nutrition education before anything is done to the body.

A good sports nutrition education program must lay down the basics.  First, it must advice the intake of the right amount of fluids at the right time. 

Also, it must suggest a good diet that includes the right variety and amount of food taken at a specific time. 

Another basic info is the fact that only safe, appropriate, and effective nutrition supplements must be taken at the right time.  These information should be the core or foundation of all other details presented in a sports nutrition education program.

This education on sports nutrition has to be as updated as possible.  As the years go by, more and more products are being introduced in the market that are said to advocate nutrition for athletes and those engaged in body fitness. 

Before being lured by such products, it is essential that there has to be a clear understanding of the components first.  Moreover, the legitimacy of the claims must be initially confirmed as well.  Otherwise, instead of getting better results, the opposite might take place. 

Enough research and observations of previous experiences and circumstances must likewise be available to an education about sports nutrition.  There should be facts but these have to be somehow supported by concrete incidents and testimonials. 

When buying a product, this explains why one has to survey first and avoid being impulsive as previous positive or negative feedback says a lot about a product.  However, one need not be a plain imitator thinking that what works to other people will similarly work for him.  An assessment of individual characteristics is also very important.  

Sports nutrition education may come in several forms.  A lot of institutions have already been conducting seminars and other awareness programs to educate people.  Some sports and health facilities offer such seminars in-house while some outsource for resource people.

Oftentimes, certain campaigns are purely aimed at providing education about sports nutrition but there are others which launch such programs in support of a sales and marketing strategy. 

One should be careful with these types as the efforts may be too sales-oriented and may take for granted individual needs and concerns. 

At times, instead of looking at creating a more informed and educated society about sports nutrition, companies are just too focused on achieving their sales targets.  With this, the real benefits of the products are usually not realized since they were taken not in line with the actual needs of the body. 

In several instances, it appears to be always best to consult a physician first and foremost.  They are the people most knowledgeable of bodily functions and processes.  They may be able to easily identify if intake of a certain supplement or product is adverse or not. 

All in all, one must take note that sports nutrition is no joke and that proper education is really essential.  It involves the entire body and may significantly cause negative effects if not properly administered and controlled. 

Health is greatly dependent thus, one should indeed be cautious.  Sports is generally positive and healthy but at times, it is coupled with improper nutrition that significantly depletes its favourable effects.  Awareness and a clear understanding of the field and of one’s body should be a prerequisite. 

Find more value for your money at sports nutrition depot

Find more value for your money at sports nutrition depot.Let's face it. Sports nutritional supplements nowadays are as many as the number of athletes themselves. And these do not include new products in their early stages of manufacture, or marketing. 

But is this bad? On the contrary, this can be a blessing. To appreciate this fact, all we have to do is remember that in a free market, products are competing against each other, forcing the manufacturers to lower the prices, i.e., to be more competitive. This market, in practical terms, is the place where you can find the sports nutrition of your choice. For the athletes, this market is the sports nutrition depot.

Ok, so you want to go shopping for your sports supplement. But of course you want to be prepared on what to expect with a certain depot. What should you be looking for in this depot?

Carbohydrate specific products

Enough servings of carbohydrates before or during exercise r competition, be it in solid or liquid form, will help you in during intense physical regimen. Carbohydrates can also maintain blood glucose levels and increase muscle glycogen, during intense exercise. Sports nutrition experts suggest that athletes should consume up to 350 ml of a sports drink containing carbohydrate every 20 minutes during exercise. 

With solid carbs, the National Association of Sports Nutrition (NASN) suggests that athletes engaged in regular physical activities should consume up to 10 gm of carbohydrate/kg in a day. Typical American diet supplies about 5 gm of carbohydrate/kg in a day, so this will give you an idea how much do you need for consumption. But during exercise, it is suggested that athletes consume from 30 to 60 gm of carbohydrate every hour to improve performance. Sports nutrition depot displays almost all known carbo products in the fitness world.

Protein for your exercise recovery

Speed recovery is important to your regular exercise regimen. Nutritional supplement with high quality protein is will aid muscle growth and repair. Protein works with carbohydrate by producing enzymes to help carbohydrates maintain energy levels. Sports nutrition depot abounds with protein enforced products. 

Vitamin C for immune improvement 

We all know that vitamin C assists us in fighting disease. Current research also points to the role f vitamin C in restoring t-cell damage resulting from physical activities, and even during extreme emotional stress. But the problem is that several thousands of milligrams of vitamin is are needed to restore t-cell function. This automatically rules out the dependence on the vitamin C available at ordinary medicine stores. 

Sports nutritionist also suggests that vitamin C should be consumed together with other micronutrients, such as vitamin E, and Glutathione. If taken together, the three micronutrients will help strengthen each other's properties.  Wide array of vitamin C and other micronutrients can be found in sports nutrition depot. 

Bee Honey for sustained exercise regimen

Ever wonder why the bees seem to be tireless? Studies after studies prove that taking honey before and during exercise or any competitive activity improves performance. Among weight disciplined athletes, only bee honey was proved capable of maintaining blood sugar in consistent levels, even two hours after a heavy exercise. Honey is also unique in sustaining restoration of muscle energy, after the exercise. So don't be surprised to find bee honey products inside the sports nutrition depot.

Glutamine for performance recovery

If somehow you've heard about glutamine before, the reason is inside your body. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in your body. Your skeletal muscle and plasma contains the most concentrated supply of glutamine. Glutamine is important in the transfer of nitrogen between the internal organs. It also plays an important role in detoxifying ammonia.

The discovery of the role of Glutamine is a recent one. But for more than a decade before this discovery or confirmation form medical research, sports scientists have known that this amino acid increases muscle recovery. Glutamine products are also available in sports nutrition depot.

But before you troop to the nearest sports nutrition depot in your place and buy everything that you need, be aware that dosages differ in everyone. The rule of thumb is that dosage is different with everyone. The dosage that works for you should be validated with inputs from your trainer or sports nutrition adviser.

Want that great physique? Read a sports nutrition article

Want that great physique? Read a sports nutrition article.Lots of people dream of becoming world-class athletes. They know that becoming one takes lots of patience and training that can test one's physical and emotional limits to the outmost. Since the business of sports has become more and more lucrative, the concept of sports nutrition has grown into Herculean proportions.

It is a good thing then that those resources such as sports nutrition articles have proliferated in cyberspace. It gives people endless amount of information on how to make their bodies fit for competition.

Here are the summaries of some several of the sports nutrition articles that can give Internet researchers gems of information on athletic fitness.

From one of the most authoritative web sites on anything under the sun, About.com, columnist Elizabeth Quinn talks about the importance of when people should take their meals.

Citing a press release from the IDEA Health & Fitness Association, the article states that the timing and duration of one's eating is as important as the content of the food itself. This holds true especially for athletes. A recent research indicates that the kind of food athletes consume prior, after and during the course of the training matters a lot when it comes to recovery and general athletic performance.

The experts from IDEA shared some key information regarding the subject, such as:

-To enhance performance, nutrients should be ingested in ideal combinations in the most optimal frequencies. This also aids in improving the integrity of one's muscles.

-The right timing in mixing protein and carbohydrates will result in the improvement of workouts and training.

-Obesity can be fought off by taking increased amounts of dietary calcium everyday.

-One should know the difference between good and bad carbohydrates on order to survive the latest low-carbohydrate diet trends.

Another sports nutrition article coming from the web site Rob's Home of Sports, Diet and Nutrition, puts emphasis on the kind of foods necessary in order for the body to bulk up. According to dietician Clare Wood, there are three essential requirements for gaining muscles.

-Potential of one's genes, which can be usually seen from the body structure of one's parents.

-An exercise program that focuses mainly on building strength.

-A diet that provides the body a high amount of energy.

Bulking up can be achieved by adding the amount of one's total energy intake. This will help in providing the body extra carbs needed to energize training.

Increasing the amount of food that one eats can be a difficult task, but here are some tips to go about it:

-Come up with an organized eating plan and make sure to stick with it. The plan should include the kind of foods that should be eaten and the time they should be consumed.

-The frequency of meals per day should be increased, as opposed to increasing the size of the meals. Ideally, one should take 5-6 meals daily, which includes snacks.

Athletes should be immensely responsible regarding the amount of food that they eat and how to properly maintain their physique. For those striving to achieve a fit body and emulate their strict fitness regimen, sports nutrition articles, such as these, can be easily found on the web.