Make sure your players have the right type of fuels to provide their body with the energy required to keep them at the top of their game.

Fuel for Sport

The first nutritional requirement for everyone, regardless of their level of sporting ability, is a well balanced diet that supplies the right amounts of energy and essential nutrients.

Whether you have athletes training for competitions, or recreational sports or exercise, what you eat and drink is very important.

Getting the Balance in your Diet Right

Key Tips for your athletes:

• Eat a variety of foods.
• Eat plenty of starch-rich foods (bread, pasta, rice and cereals) and choose high fibre (brown/wholegrain) varieties where possible.
• Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day - fresh, frozen, canned, juices and dried all count.
• Cut down on the fatty foods in your diet.
• Ensure you eat some protein-rich food (legumes/pulses/barley, meat, dairy products & eggs) every day.
• Sweet, sugary foods should only be used in small quantities.
• Drink plenty of fluids (preferably water/no added sugar squash) throughout the day, even if you are not thirsty, as well as before, during and after exercise.

Remember: Variety is the splice of life…too much of anything can be bad for you.

Next month I will look at the importance of fluid and how the macronutrients - carbohydrates, protein, and fat - all play a vital part in reaching peak performance.