Nutrition for
sport and
exercise
Our Bupa Dietitians have put
together these simple tips to help
you eat well for sport and exercise
Our focus is your health
Whether you’re doing a casual workout or competing in a sports event, eating well is really important in
helping you achieve your personal goals. But that’s not all. As well as providing you with enough energy
to fuel your efforts, good nutrition also helps you recover afterwards. So what foods should you eat, and
when’s best to eat them? We’ve put together some top tips to help support you in your exercise routine or
competition. If you’re training regularly for a specific event, you’ll need advice that’s personalised for you.
Have a chat with a dietitian for more information.
Macronutrients
There are three macronutrients:
carbohydrate, protein and fat.
They provide you with energy.
They’re also important for growth
and keeping your body healthy.
Macronutrients are needed in quite
large amounts (grams) in your diet.
Protein
Fats
Carbohydrates
Protein
Protein is essential for building and
maintaining your muscles. Although the
exact amount of protein you need can
differ depending on what activities you
do, you can usually get enough by eating
a healthy, balanced diet. Speak to your
dietitian if you’d like some advice about
your individual needs
A popular myth is that eating foods high
in protein will cause you to gain muscle.
But this is not the full story. In order to
build your muscles, you need to eat a
healthy diet, which includes enough
protein and carbohydrate. You also need
to do enough physical activity, such as
resistance training.
Top tips
Carbohydrate
Top tips
Whatever sport or activity you’re doing,
carbohydrates play an important role in
helping you perform at your best. The
exact amount of carbohydrate you need
in your diet depends on your daily energy
needs. This takes into account what type
of activity you’re doing, whether you’re a
man or a woman, your age, and
environmental factors, such as the
temperature. Generally, the harder you
train, the more carbohydrates you need.
Keep your carbohydrate levels topped up
by having a low-fat, high-carbohydrate
meal or light snack 2–3 hours before you
exercise. Remember to replenish your
glycogen stores after exercise by eating a
snack or meal containing carbohydrate
within 30 minutes of finishing your
workout. As a general guide, aim to eat
1 gram of carbohydrate for every kilogram
of your body weight.
A low-carbohydrate diet can have a
negative effect on your performance and
might cause:
°low energy levels
°early tiredness
°reduced concentration
°delayed recovery
Carbohydrates act as your body’s main
source of energy and help to regulate
your blood glucose (sugar) levels. They’re
broken down into individual units of sugar
during digestion, which are then used by
your muscles. Any carbohydrates you
don’t use are stored in your muscles and
liver as glycogen until the next time you
need them.
For light exercise, 50 grams of
carbohydrate is usually enough.
Some examples of food containing
50 grams of carbohydrate include:
2 medium to large bananas
Good examples of high-protein foods
include:
✔ lean meat
✔ poultry
✔ fish
✔ low-fat dairy products such as
cottage cheese and Greek yoghurt
Variety is key – so be sure to include a
mix of different foods containing protein
in your diet. Beans, pulses and nuts make
great low-fat, high-protein choices.
15 dried apricots
150–160g of cooked pasta
or rice
1 large potato (250g)
Remember to leave room on
your plate for carbohydrates
too. If you don’t get enough
carbohydrates, your body will
use the protein you eat for
energy and not for building
muscles.
Fat
Fat is an important component of a
healthy diet. Fats are a valuable source of
energy and provide you with vitamins
(such as A, D, E and K). They also contain
essential fatty acids which your body isn’t
able to make for itself.
There are three main types of fat –
saturated, monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated. Each of these can have
a different effect on your health.
In general, fats should make up
about a third of your diet.
Having a high-fat diet isn’t
recommended and hasn’t been
shown to benefit performance.
Top tips
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✘
✘
Aim to eat less saturated fat. Saturated
fats are found in takeaway foods, cakes,
biscuits, butter and fatty meat products.
Men should aim to have no more than
30g of saturated fat each day and women
should aim to have less than 20g.
Micronutrients
Many micronutrients can’t be made by
your body, so it’s important to include
these in your diet. They’re only needed
in small amounts but are vital in helping
to keep you healthy. Examples of
micronutrients include vitamins
and minerals.
ca
sh
ews
Olive
oil
✔
✔
✔
Unsaturated fats make healthier choices,
so opt for these where possible. Good
choices of food high in monounsaturated
fats include avocados, olive oil and nuts
such as cashews and almonds.
Vitamins and minerals
Not only do they taste great, fruits and
vegetables are also packed with vitamins
and minerals. These are important for:
building and repairing
°
muscles after exercise
✔
✔
that carries oxygen around your body
°
keeping your immune system
°
working well
maintaining bone health
Polyunsaturated fats contain essential
fatty acids such as omega 3, which may
be beneficial for your health. These are
found in oily fish, including fresh tuna,
salmon and mackerel and also in nuts
such as walnuts.
5
your
°energy production
making haemoglobin – this is the
°
substance in your red blood cells
✔
For example, you may find supplements
helpful if you’re cutting out a certain food
or food group from your diet. If you have
any questions about your personal needs,
speak to your dietitian for more
information.
Vitamin and mineral supplements usually
aren’t needed if you eat a balanced diet
that provides you with enough energy to
maintain your body weight. You don’t
need to take supplements unless you have
specific medical or nutritional needs.
Top tips
Try to eat five portions of fruit and
vegetables every day.
Examples of a portion include one
°
banana, a handful of grapes, a dessert
bowl of salad or three heaped
tablespoons of vegetables.
They don’t all have to be fresh –
°
dried, frozen, tinned and juiced
varieties count too.
Don’t stick to the same ones.
°
Whether they’re green, yellow or red,
each colour group contains a different
combination of vitamins and minerals,
so be sure to try them all.
Snack suggestions
Pre-exercise snacks
Eating before your workout can help to
maintain your blood sugar levels and
prevent you from feeling hungry. It can
also help to prevent you from having
gastrointestinal problems, such as
stomach pain or feeling sick (nausea).
Try to eat a snack that is high in
carbohydrates, contains some protein
and fibre, and is low in fat.
Some examples are listed below.
✔Yoghurt with fruit.
✔Cereal with semi-skimmed milk.
✔Homemade granola bars.
✔Bagels with chicken slices or hummus.
Make sure you drink enough fluids with
your meal so that you’re well hydrated
before you start exercising.
Hydration
After exercise
It’s essential to be well hydrated before,
during and after you exercise or take part
in any sports event. If you don’t keep your
fluid levels topped up, you’ll become
dehydrated. Not only can this affect your
health, it can also reduce your
performance.
If you eat and drink as usual after exercise,
your hydration levels will gradually return
to normal. As a guideline, aim to drink
450ml to 675ml of fluid for every pound
(0.5kg) of body weight you lose from
sweating while you exercise.
Top tips
A simple way test this to keep an eye on
the colour and volume of your urine. The
darker it is, the more dehydrated you are.
Passing a normal amount of urine can
suggest you’re well hydrated whereas
smaller amounts can mean that you’re
dehydrated.
Before exercise
About four hours before you exercise,
aim to drink 5ml to 7ml of fluids for
each kilogram of your body weight. This
is to give yourself enough time to top up
your fluid levels and get rid of any extra
fluid by passing urine. If you’re unsure
what to drink, water and
sugar-free drinks are good options.
water
After a low-to-moderate
intensity workout lasting less
than 1 hour, water is usually the
best option to restore your
hydration levels.
ts
or
sp rink
d
After a moderate-to-vigorous
intensity workout lasting more
than 1 hour, isotonic sport drinks
(including homemade varieties)
are better options.
Want to make your own sports drinks?
It’s easier than you think. All you need to
do is add 200ml of squash (not a
low-calorie variety) to 800ml of plain
water. After a good mix, add a large
pinch of salt and stir well.
Post-exercise snacks
Try to eat a snack that contains:
✔carbohydrates to replenish your
glycogen stores
✔protein for building and repairing
your muscles
✔fluids for rehydration
If you’re not having your main meal within
30 minutes after finishing your exercise,
good options for snacks are chocolate
milk or a fruit smoothie.
Post-exercise meals
Some ideas for meals after
exercising (within 2 to 4 hours) are
listed below.
✔Chicken or fish with brown rice
Remember, everyone’s needs are different. Using the tips above as a
guide, find an amount to drink that’s right for you. Drinking too much
isn’t beneficial and in some situations, can be harmful. Speak to a
dietitian if you have any questions about keeping hydrated.
30
mins
or pasta and steamed vegetables.
✔Bolognese pasta with a leafy
green salad.
✔Vegetable chili with rice.
2-4
hours