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The
goal of most athletes to achieve and maintain optimum physical
performance in a given sport. This often requires training
to increase muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance
combined with a tuned nutritional diet and technical
practice. In the pursuit of athletic excellence, many
athletes become serious students of nutritional biochemistry and
physiology. Performance advantages can be obtained with a
balanced nutritional regime. Most nutritional bars on the
market are very high in carbohydrates, but the latest
nutritional research for athletes recommends a balance of
40:30:30 program requires a conversion to food weights, which
are 50 percent carbohydrates, 35 percent protein, and 15 percent
fats. Therefore, this converts to weight proportions of
4:3:1 of carbohydrates/proteins/fats.
The
50-percent carbohydrate weight portion of your diet should
include fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and starches
(pasta). Approximately half of the carbohydrate intake
should contain complex carbohydrate fiber as a source of
time-released sugars and as an intestinal / colon-cleansing
agent.
The
35-percent protein weight segment should contain turkey,
chicken, fish, lean meat, whey protein powder, eggs, tofu,
low-fat cheese, and low-fat milk. Many athletes minimize
the amount of milk and cheese in order to reduce mucosal
phlegm. Eating portions of protein prior to carbohydrates
can assist the metabolism in craving excess carbohydrates.
The
15-percent weight portion of dietary fat should come from nuts,
seeds, omega 3 fatty acids, essential fatty acids, avocados, and
vegetable oils. Fats in the diet are a wonderful form of
energy for the athlete. These fats are important for cell
membrane rebuilding and restoring body fat levels that are
utilized during extended training sessions. Even
vegetarian or near-vegetarian diets require daily intake of
predominantly unsaturated fats and oils.
High-performance
athletes minimize their daily intake of processed foods.
They shop for a good variety of fruits and vegetables.
They eat most vegetables raw or slightly steamed. They
cook rice and pasta to carbo-load. Chicken and fish are
their daily source of protein. Experiment with a dietary
formula that provides you close to the recommended 40:30:30
balance. These athletes also supplement their diet to
provide the needed vitamins, minerals, and special
performance-enhancing supplements.
"As
a body builder and a gymnast, I have to be very careful that /
don’t gain extra fat It is difficult to maintain a healthy
diet when I am traveling and constantly running off to practices
and training sessions. I choose to eat the
Extreme Balance as a meal substitute when I cannot stop for a meal.
I am impressed with the taste and I know Extreme Balance
provides me with the energy I need to continue training without
jeopardizing muscle tone."
Marietta Zigalová, World Fitness Champion
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