Essay Sample on Nutritional Requirements of Athletes

Introduction

To sustain life, the body requires a healthy diet with maximum nutritional value, to meet its daily energy requirements. When exercising, participating in a sport or any physical activity, the body consumes more energy; therefore, there is a need for an appropriate diet to fuel the body and prevent an energy deficit. For general body strength and health, a balanced diet consisting of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, mineral salts, and adequate water is recommended. However, for athletes, bodybuilders or any person engaging in physical exercise, special suitable diets and supplements are recommended depending on their energy needs. This paper has discussed the nutritional requirements of different athletes in relation to their age, weight and energy requirement.

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The Diet for the Marathon Runner

This athlete should take in at least 3000 kcal each day with at least 1800kcal coming from carbohydrates, up to 572 kcal from proteins and between 600 kcal to 1050kcal from fats. Therefore, he should have more carbohydrates in his diet by consuming 504.5 g to 841 g of carbohydrates per day to ensure adequate storage of glycogen, followed by fat and the least should be protein. For breakfast, he should take a cup or one and a half cups of fat-free milk, two cups of Cheerios, two bran muffins and one orange, and occasionally take the milk and Cheerios with one bagel, one oat bran muffin and one tablespoon of low-fat cream cheese. For lunch, he can take two and a half cups of macaroni and cheese with one cup of cos lettuce, a half cup of grated carrots, one cup of chickpeas, two tablespoons of French dressing and a glass of apple juice. Alternatively, he can take two ounces of roasted chicken breast, two slices of whole-wheat bread, one ounce of provolone, one tablespoon of mayonnaise and one-third cup of dried grapes and a glass of low-fat yogurt.

For dinner, the athlete can take two ounces of roasted turkey breast, two cups of mashed potatoes, one cup of peace and onions, two tablespoons of margarine, a mango and a glass of fat-free milk. He can also take a banana, a cup of chopped dates, or a glass of cranberry juice for a snack. On the day of the event, he should take regulated amounts of high-carbohydrate and low-fat level foods such as pasta salad, French bread, cornflakes with fat-free milk, bananas and apple or arrange juice. During the event, he should take sports drinks instead of water to keep him hydrated and caffeine drinks too.

Nutrition Recommendation for the Football Player

In a day, the footballer should take in 613.6 g to 1022.7 g of carbohydrates, 175 g to 306 g of fat and up to 174g of protein. In a pregame meal, he should take in 125 g to 150 g of carbohydrate in a single low-fat meal. On daily basis, he can eat foods such as fat-free milk, cheerios, muffins and an orange for breakfast and, chicken enchilada, macaroni and cheeses, chickpeas with carrots, chopped celery, French dressing, and seasoned croutons, whole-wheat bread and apple juice for lunch. For dinner, he can take roasted turkey breast or lean boiled beef, mashed potatoes, green peas, margarine, spinach egg noodles, grated parmesan, and a banana. Before the game, he should eat foods with low-fat content, for example, pasta salad, French bread, soft margarine, apple juice, and frozen yogurt.

Health Concerns for the Swimmer

Although the girl's problem might be caused by other factors such as depression, given her situation, the most probable condition she is suffering from is hypopituitarism. If a patient is diagnosed with hypopituitarism, the patient's pituitary gland has failed to produce one or more hormones or it produces the hormone(s) in inadequate amounts. In women, hypopituitarism is characterized by weight loss, fatigue, irregular menstruation patterns or no periods at all, loss of appetite and anemia. To treat this condition, different hormone levels in the body should be tested and the hormone in deficiency, treated using the appropriate treatment. After this treatment, the body should gradually grow stronger and appetite will have improved, if not restored to the normal level.