A healthy diet for exercise and sport – Nutritionist in Dublin

Keeping physically active is essential if you wish to remain fit and healthy for longer. Playing sports and taking part in physical activities can keep your body health and reduce the risk of major health conditions.

It is recommended that all adults between the ages of 19 and 64 should include sport or physical exercise in their daily routine.

You should include aerobic activity with strength exercises to help promote a healthy heart and strengthen muscles and bones.

A good diet for sport

Maintaining a healthy diet is important for getting the best from your sport and fitness activities. Whatever your level of activity, you should always aim to eat a healthy balanced diet.

A balanced diet will provide your body with all the nutrients that it requires while taking part in physical activities.

Once you start a new exercise routine, you will begin using more energy than you previously did. To maintain a healthy body weight, you will need to eat more if you started at a healthy weight.

What to eat while exercising

You can increase the energy that you get from your diet by eating more carbohydrate-rich foods. This includes:

Potatoes
Bread
Pasta
Cereals
Rice

It is important to choose wholegrain varieties of bread and pasta. Also try to eat potatoes with their skins on. These take longer for the body to break down and release energy over a longer period.

Eat protein-rich foods to build and repair your muscles. These include:

Eggs
Milk
Yogurt
Fish and seafood
Soya
Pistachio nuts
Pork
Chicken and turkey

Foods with essential fatty acids can help your body build omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These are important for regulating blood pressure. Foods which are rich in essential fatty acids include:

Oily fish
Nuts
Seeds

Moderate Aerobic Activity

If you prefer to take part in moderate aerobic activity, you should engage in at least 150 minutes of activity each week alongside muscle strengthening exercises. Moderate aerobic activity includes a fast walk or cycling.

Water aerobics
Walking fast
Doubles tennis
Riding a bike on level ground
Hiking
Pushing a lawn mower
Rollerblading
Skateboarding
Basketball
Volleyball

Read more about moderate healthy activities for adults.

Vigorous Activity

Vigorous aerobic activity is taking part in sports such as tennis or running. You should include 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. You should also engage in muscle strengthening activities for two or more days a week.

Jogging or running
Gymnastics
Riding a bike fast or on hills
Aerobics
Football
Hockey
Skipping rope
Martial arts
Swimming fast
Rugby
Singles tennis

Read more about vigorous healthy activities for adults.

Muscle Strengthening Exercises

Muscle strengthening exercises can help you to build up and maintain bone strength, regulate blood pressure, keep a healthy weight and improve movement.

You should complete muscle-strengthening activities alongside 150 minutes of aerobic activity.

Exercise that strengthens muscles should be continued until it becomes difficult to complete further repetitions. Muscle strengthening exercises include:

Sit-ups
Squats
Push-ups
Yoga
Cycling
Climbing stairs
Weight lifting
Activity with resistance bands
Dancing
Hill walking
Activities which require hard work such as gardening, shovelling and digging

Read more about muscle strengthening for adults.

Bodybuilding and sports supplements

Illegal bodybuilding supplements

Products sold illegally as “muscle-gain” products can contain dangerous ingredients which can cause ill health and damage your body.

Body building supplements which contain dangerous ingredients such as steroids, hormones and stimulants should be avoided. These products could cause heart problems, kidney failure or seizures.

Protein shakes

Protein is essential for building and maintaining body tissue and muscle. The amino acids in protein are used by the body for muscle growth.

Many bodybuilders turn to protein shakes as a way to introduce additional protein to their body. These shakes may be convenient but they should not be used as a replacement for meals.

A balanced diet which includes protein-rich foods will provide the same results with additional benefits.

Protein shakes introduce protein into the body but they lack the additional vitamins and nutrients which you will get from a balanced diet which includes foods that are high in protein.

You should add the following Protein-rich foods to your diet:

Eggs
Beans
Tofu
Dairy products which include; milk, yoghurt and cheese
Red meat including; pork, beef or lamb and
Poultry including; duck, chicken or turkey

There is also evidence that too much protein over a long period could increase the risk of osteoporosis and make existing kidney problems worse.

Find out more about diet and bodybuilding.

Improve your strength and flexibility

Strength exercises are activities that help you to improve your muscle strength, size and endurance. These exercises involve working against a resistance or using your own bodyweight.

Flexibility exercises allow your joints to undertake the tasks and jobs that you need to do on a daily basis. These will help reduce any joint pain that activities may produce.

You should work on all of the major muscle groups at least two days a week. These include :

Legs
Shoulders
Chest
Arms
Hips
Abdomen
Back

These activities will help slow down the rate of muscle loss and bone reduction that naturally occurs as you grow older.

Find out more in this guide to muscle strengthening and flexibility.

Nutrition, Health and fitness

Nutrition goes hand in hand with any sport, exercise and activity. You should ensure that you are making the right diet choices to complement your lifestyle. A good diet will provide enough energy for you to perform your sports training and aid your bodies recovery.

If you are developing a new sport or exercise routine, you may need to adjust your food consumption level or the types of food that you eat. A nutritionist will be able to discuss the options available to you and create a plan based on your requirements.

The main aims of sport nutrition are:

Eat a varied diet. A balanced diet will provide all of the nutrients and energy required to stay active.
Ensure that your diet includes plenty of foods which are rich in carbohydrates. This includes pasta, rice, bread, cereals, grains, fruit and vegetables.
Include five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Your five a day can include fresh, dried, frozen or canned products.
Use carbohydrate rich foods and fluids to refuel as soon as you finish exercising.
Keep hydrated by drinking fluid throughout the day. Ensure that you are drinking plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise.

If you are beginning a new exercise routine and are unsure of the correct balance of food that your body requires. Discuss your concerns with a qualified nutritionist. A nutrition expert will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and improve your sporting results.

A good diet is important to help your recovery from training. The right fluid and food choices will make you faster, stronger and allow you to train harder.