Athletes expend a lot of energy during competitive sports events, training and workouts. Sports nutrition, which plays a key role in maintaining an optimal level of energy, should incorporate not just vitamins & minerals, carbohydrates & healthy fats, but also protein. Protein-rich foods do provide some fuel, but their primary role is that of nourishing the muscles through the supply of amino acids. This blog is a handy guide to incorporating protein-rich foods into an athlete’s diet. Of course, athletes should consult their dietitian and nutritionist provider before starting on nutrition plans.
Protein for Athletes
Protein is an essential macronutrient containing key elements such as nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, etc. that come together to form amino acids. Amino acids are considered the building blocks of protein, as they are responsible for constructing the various proteins that are vital to muscles and other organs.
How Protein Affects Athletic Performance
Sufficient protein intake is essential for general good health, and for an athlete, it is significantly more so to help maintain bone mass and prevent wastage of muscle. Insufficient protein intake may impact the functionality of muscles. Various muscles in the body have their own role in movement, and they also work together harmoniously as a team. A group of muscles affected by a high level of physical activity puts stress on a connected muscle. For example, an athlete’s hamstring muscles can get fatigued quickly, and the strain on them can affect the lower back muscles. Proteins help resist fatigue and recover muscle strength.
Benefits of Protein-Rich Foods
No doubt, sports nutrition is of critical importance for an athlete. Protein-rich foods are essential for athletes, providing crucial support for muscle repair, performance enhancement, and overall recovery.
Supporting Muscle Recovery and Growth
Coaches and nutritionists ensure that athletes stay well-hydrated before & after competing and during training & workouts. Equally important is to check that they include proteins in their diet. Any kind of sport involves movement and various levels of speed, which can put a strain on muscles, such as the glutes, calves, hamstrings, etc. Proteins help muscles recover after warm-up sessions, fitness drills, conditioning routines, and other forms of training and workouts. Protein consumption also promotes muscle growth after a strength-training session. What’s more, bone mass is maintained, and better bone health means fewer possibilities of a fracture.
Satiety and Weight Management
Feeling full after consuming protein-rich food is beneficial for an athlete who is required to manage weight because the proteins will keep hunger at bay and help in moderating food intake between meals. No more food cravings and midnight snacks! Protein triggers satiety hormones and increases the amount of calories that an athlete’s body burns, thereby aiding in decreased appetite and weight loss. Besides, protein intake will arrest the loss of muscle during weight management.
Let’s consider the role of proteins in the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). In layman’s terms, TEF is the increase in the metabolic rate after you eat. As compared to carbohydrates and fat, protein has a higher TEF, which means protein digestion burns more calories and thus helps in weight management.
Top Protein-Rich Foods for Athletes
Athletes require protein-rich foods to support muscle growth, repair, and recovery after intense workouts. Incorporating high-quality protein sources into their diet helps maintain strength, enhance endurance, and improve overall performance.
Animal-Based Protein Sources
Animal-based food sources are more complete forms of dietary protein than plant-based ones due to the former containing all essential amino acids and the latter lacking a few of them. Nevertheless, athletes can combine both in their nutrition plans.
Rich sources of animal-based protein include eggs, dairy products (e.g., milk, cheese), fish (e.g., salmon, scallops, lobster), poultry (e.g., duck, chicken), and meat (e.g., pork, beef, lamb). All these foods contain nine essential amino acids, which aid in providing energy and muscle recovery.
Plant-Based Protein Sources
It is not the case that all plant proteins are lacking in the same amino acid. An athlete can meet the requirement of all essential amino acid needs by eating various plant-based proteins. High-protein plant foods include legumes (e.g., lentils, beans, peas), whole grains (e.g., oats, wheat, rice), soy (e.g., tofu, sprouts, tempeh), nuts (e.g., almonds, pistachios), and seeds (e.g., sesame, pumpkin, sunflower).
Protein Supplements
While there is no concrete evidence to support the belief that taking protein supplements as sports food will improve performance, athletes with low protein intake may be advised to take them in the form of shakes, powders, pills or bars to aid in muscle strength and development. A common protein supplement is whey protein (WP), as it contains a high amount of essential amino acids and gets digested quickly. Casein is another protein that aids in muscle recovery but is digested more slowly. For vegetarians and vegans, there are plant-based protein powders for which protein is extracted from plant-based sources, such as peas, rice, soy, etc.
Protein supplements can be included in an athlete’s diet as they are convenient when protein-rich food sources may be inadequate. It is recommended to take protein supplements about two hours after a workout to boost muscle growth, with the type depending on the intensity.
How to Incorporate Protein-Rich Foods into an Athlete’s Diet
To maximize muscle recovery and performance, athletes can add protein-rich foods to meals. Including options like lean meats, eggs, legumes, and protein shakes can help meet their increased protein needs efficiently.
Planning and Preparing a Protein-rich Meal
A travel itinerary usually incorporates meticulous planning and preparation. For an athlete, a dietary plan should be similarly detailed to ensure that it includes sufficient protein. One of the first steps to this goal is assessing the athlete’s nutritional status based on weight, gender, age, a clinical assessment of which nutrient is in excess or less, diet history, medical issues, and other aspects. Close monitoring should be done of changes in the athlete’s body composition, physiological parameters and the specific event/type of training.
Care should also be taken not to exceed the protein intake above the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dieticians of America, and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight, irrespective of whether the individual is a strength or endurance athlete.
Snack Ideas for Protein Intake
Protein-rich snacks are recommended to help maintain energy levels, and they are not only a metabolism booster but can also improve the athlete’s focus and concentration. It can be a simple hard-boiled egg, a bowl of crunchy roasted chickpeas, or a protein bar. Following a vegetarian nutrition plan? No problem! Incorporate plant-based protein Greek yogurt, which can be enjoyed by itself or topped with fruit. A vegan alternative is vegan cottage cheese made from tofu or nuts.
Protein Timing and Distribution
While it is recommended that athletes stay hydrated and partake of carbohydrate-rich food (e.g., whole wheat toast and fruits) a couple of hours prior to workouts, protein intake (e.g., salmon, peas, beans, etc.) along with water and carbohydrates after exercise is considered equally essential to help repair and grow muscles.
Workouts put intense pressure on the body, and when an athlete consumes protein after a workout, it helps to reduce muscle damage and inflammation. When muscle protein breaks down during the workout, dietary proteins post-workout support muscle repair by acting as the building blocks for muscle tissue.
As for when is the best time for protein intake, it is recommended that at least 0.25 to 0.3 grams of high-quality protein per kilogram of body weight should be taken within zero to two hours after exercise to aid in muscle-building. This amount can be repeated every three to five hours over multiple meals in the day.
How Qua Nutrition Supports Athletes
An athlete’s meal should be a judicious blend of carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and proteins. For general good health and not just performance, it is essential for athletes to follow prudent dietary practices, understand the role of protein-rich foods, and take professional guidance from authorized dieticians and nutrition experts. At QUA Nutrition, we provide athletes with meal plans that are professionally customized by our experienced dietitians and nutritionists to keep a good body and energy even after the performance. Our Olympic nutritionists provide guidance on meal timing and macronutrient balance, ensuring they have access to quality supplements tailored to their specific performance goals.
If you are an athlete looking for a diet plan, contact us today and get your diet plan customized by the top expert
