Is It Possible To Improve Performance Through Diet?

One of the main questions people have when it comes to sports nutrition is whether it is possible to improve performance through diet. It is obvious that exercise is an important component when it comes to efficiency, but diet can also play a big role.

Therefore, if you do not get the right nutrients, you will never reach your maximum levels of competition. In addition, there are certain guidelines you should follow and substances you can add to your diet that will help improve your performance.

How to improve performance through diet

Food plays an important role in sports performance. That is why it is so important to ensure that you get an optimal amount of nutrients.

Glycogen loads

One of the most common strategies people use to improve performance in anaerobic or long-term sports is to increase glycogen intake days before the competition. First, it is about reducing the intake of glycogen by reducing the number of carbohydrates you eat. Then follow it up by overfilling your body with a large amount of glycogen over a period of 1 or 2 days.

By doing so, you accumulate more glycogen in your muscles and liver than can normally be stored. This strategy causes an increase in energy bioavailability while delaying fatigue. People often do this in team sports, such as football and other contact sports.

Also read: Is sugar in fruit really harmful?

The ketogenic diet for aerobic sports

One way to improve lipid oxidation efficiency to improve energy production in aerobic exercise is to implement a ketogenic diet. When you exercise without carbohydrates in your body, or while fasting, your mitochondrial reproduction is improved. In addition, lipid beta oxidation becomes more efficient and your body adapts to the changes.

This adaptation increases performance and gives people who are on this diet an advantage over those who do not use this strategy. Usually people who are on this diet participate in long-term sports or long-distance sports. However, you should keep in mind that we do not recommend this period of ketosis or fasting while engaging in anaerobic activity.

Even when you are on this diet, you should only be at 60% of your maximum effort when exercising. This will help prevent dizziness and muscle problems.

Dietary supplements to improve performance

There are certain drugs on the market that can improve athletic performance legally. For example, creatine increases strength values ​​and strength resistance. In addition, intra- and extracellular buffers, such as beta-alanine and bicarbonate, delay the onset of fatigue.

Caffeine also improves the central nervous system’s response and delays fatigue. Therefore, these drugs can help improve people’s athletic performance without causing side effects or harm to health.

However, they must be used properly to maximize the effect. Creatine and beta-alanine are also often used cyclically. However, bicarbonate is used less and less often because it is not very practical. You need very large amounts of it to take advantage of the positive effects.

Instead , people choose to use nitrates as vasodilator compounds. For example, beet concentrates are rich in this substance.

There are several additional options on the market that help improve athletic performance. However, it is necessary to use them properly.

It is important to combine food with the right training

Food can improve performance, as long as you also follow an appropriate exercise program. Just as you can not build muscle just by eating more protein, if you want to improve athletic performance, you need to increase your training load.

Therefore, it is important to follow a diet that is rich in essential macro- and micronutrients that are necessary for proper body function, and also be consistent with your training.

Conclusion: Improve performance through diet

As you can see, diet is fundamental when it comes to guaranteeing athletic performance. Following a proper diet can prevent athletic efficiency from declining and can increase performance against people who do not follow a particular diet plan.

Depending on the type of sport you participate in, you can use supplements, ketosis training or glycogen loads to improve your performance. However , it is always best to consult a nutritionist before making any decisions about your diet.

Many supplements also have specific dosage requirements and guidelines that must be followed to have full effect. In addition, when it comes to deciding between fasting or a glycogen load, it is important to get a professional to monitor your diet and exercise. This will help minimize risk or complications.