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Is there the ideal sports nutrition?
For top athletes of various sports international expert standards for sports nutrition are available. By contrast, there are hardly any secure nutritional recommendations for the very large group of performance-oriented leisure and health athletes in German-speaking countries. At the DGE-Workshop "Sports Nutrition Practical - Top Training and Nourishment" from 20.-21. September 2017 at the Maritim Hotel Bonn, the experts of the DGE working group on sports nutrition will present scientific results for the counseling of ambitious recreational and competitive athletes.
The focus of the first day are preventive and therapeutic effects, sports medicine examinations, performance diagnostics, optimal nutrition with the ratio of energy-supplying nutrients, the timing of meals before and after exercise, proper fluid management and the use of dietary supplements. On the second day, strength and endurance sports are examined intensively on the basis of case studies. "The conference shows that sports-specific dietary recommendations are becoming increasingly personalized. An individual need-based nutrient supply is essential for health and performance, "says Prof. Dr. med. Helmut Heseker, spokesman for the working group.
Which diet is best for sports? (Image: drubig-photo / fotolia.com) Fit and healthy with sports
Prof. Dr. Daniel König, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, addresses in his lecture "Health-promoting effects of physical activity". In addition to high-energy diet, lack of physical activity contributes to the development of obesity and nutrition-related diseases. Epidemiological and randomized controlled studies show a significant and sometimes significant reduction of chronic diseases in physically active people. In order to achieve this, an energy turnover of approximately 1 000 to 1 500 kcal / week is necessary due to physical activity. This requires - in addition to the daily recreational activity - a regular, moderate training program of 30-45 minutes at least 3-4 days / week with an energy expenditure of about 250-300 kcal per training session.
Energy and energy-supplying nutrients - how much more do athletes need??
In order to work out the peculiarities of the diet for athletes, it is necessary to intensively deal with the sport and the resulting training and competition stresses, emphasizes Hans Braun, German Sport University Cologne. In his talk, he addresses energy and protein needs. Because depending on the body weight, the body composition and the training load, the energy requirement of athletes can be between 1 500 kcal and 8 000 kcal per day. In general, athletes should pay attention to a sufficient and adapted energy intake. A sustained low energy intake can result in low energy availability, thereby affecting performance and training adaptation. This can also have a negative impact on the immune system, bone health or energy metabolism.
For adult recreational athletes who are physically active for 30 minutes at medium intensity 4-5 times a week, a protein intake of 0.8 g / kg body weight per day is sufficient. Competitive athletes need individual advice and support depending on the type of sport and the training or competition phase.
Also Dr. Mareike Großhauser, Olympic training center Rhineland-Palatinate / Saarland, points out that sports-specific dietary recommendations are becoming increasingly personalized. She emphasizes the role of carbohydrates as the main source of energy in sports. In addition to a fatigue-delaying function, they also have a key function in terms of training adaptation. Modern training concepts rely on different levels of carbohydrate availability to promote adjustments in favor of lipid metabolism. For easier and quick absorption from the digestive tract, it is recommended to consume various types of carbohydrates.
Fats have health-related effects and enable athletes to supply energy on demand. Großhauser warns of a sustained fat intake of less than 20% of the energy intake. This carries the risk of insufficient supply of fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids. Whether athletes have an increased need for omega-3 fatty acids remains to be explored.
Drink properly - fluid management in sports
Dr. Stefanie Mosler from the University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd emphasizes that recommendations for drinking in sport should always be individual, as the sweat rate varies greatly. Individual fluid loss can be determined by weight checks before and after exercise. Athletes should start training with a balanced fluid balance. For loads up to 30 minutes, no fluid intake is necessary, especially with activities of> 60 minutes drinking makes sense. For endurance sports, a recommended intake of 0.4-0.8 l / hour is recommended. The optimal amount of drink should find out athletes themselves and let themselves be guided by their thirst.
Vitamins and minerals in sports
Whether athletes have an increased need and an increased intake influences performance, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Anja Carlsohn, University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd and Spokeswoman of the DGE Working Group Sports Nutrition. Athletes generally succeed in achieving the reference levels with the exception of vitamin D with a balanced, energy-requiring diet. For certain nutrients, such as iron in endurance sports and sodium during long-term stress, there may be a higher demand for exercise. In weight-sensitive sports, restrictive eating habits with insufficient calcium and iron supply are often observed. In addition, the food selection in athletes in phases such as competition or permanently - due to incompatibilities - be limited. An individually tailored diet can reduce the risk of nutrient deficiencies. A professionally accompanied food supplement is usually required only with appropriate medical diagnosis, so Carlsohn.