We get many athletes at the Resort interested in improving their performance. We also have many guests that discover they ARE an athlete as they progress in their healthy lifestyle and fitness goals! For this reason, we have done many past posts on fueling athletic performance through food:
For the most part, the same nutrition principles apply to all: lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains and lean proteins. However, endurance athletes are faced with how to fuel their long workouts. Hydration and carbohydrate timing for exercise lasting longer than 60-90 minutes is important and most will turn to gels, shot blocks, GU and gatorade. While these can be effective, many guests ask for more “real food” alternatives. I am happy to oblige! One thing I usually recommend is a homemade “Sports Drink”. I came across this article recently that includes recipes for drinks:
These will be real food and EASY (!) options that you can make at home. They will probably save you money as well. Please note that the addition of salt is important for electrolyte replacement and the sweetener will give your body the supply of simple carbohydrates it needs for peak performance.
Have you ever tried making your own drink?
Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD