Nutrition has an important role in supporting sports performance, not only for athletes but also for sports enthusiasts. Nutrition can help prevent injury, improve performance, and speed recovery. Nutrients divided into macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are nutrients that are needed in large amounts, while micronutrients are nutrients that are needed in small amounts. The fulfillment of these two nutrients is very important to keep the body healthy and fit. Macronutrients consist of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, while micronutrients include vitamins and minerals.
Each of these nutrients has its own role in supporting sports performance, let's find out one by one.
1. Carbohydrate
Carbohydrates act as a source of energy. The supply of carbohydrates form of blood glucose and glycogen stored in the muscles affects energy production during exercise or competition. The recommended types of carbohydrates for daily consumption contain fiber such as whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Meanwhile, for 2 hours before exercising, you should consume carbohydrates with a low glycemic index such as milk, fruit, vegetables, cereals, nuts, corn, and yogurt so that the release of glucose into the blood is maximized. The glycemic index is an indicator of how quickly carbohydrate foods raise blood glucose levels higher the glycemic index faster the blood glucose levels rise. Then when exercising, consume carbohydrates in the form of glucose or sucrose such as sports drinks and energy bars so that the body remains hydrated and energized during exercise, especially for long-duration sports, following recommendations for carbohydrate intake during exercising:
Table 1. Suggested Carbohydrate Intake during Exercise
Sport Duration | Suggestion | Form |
30-75 minutes | Mount Rinse | Cairan (sport drinks) |
1-2 hour | ≤30 g/jam | 1 bottle sport drinks |
2-3 hour | ≤60 g/jam | 2 portion of energy bar/ energy gel |
>2.5 hour | ≤90 g/jam | 3 portion of protein bar/ energy gel |
After exercise, consume carbohydrates like fructose from fruits to restore glycogen reserves.
2. Protein
Protein is an important nutrient in sports because it is needed for the growth of muscle tissue and supports the body's immune system. Endurance sports enthusiasts recommend meeting their protein intake because amino acids from muscle metabolism are a source of energy for this type of exercise after muscle glycogen. Sufficient reserves of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in the body can delay fatigue and reduce muscle aches after exercise.
Protein intake after exercise can also increase the body's protein synthesis and support muscle formation in the body and optimize the recovery period. Amino acids are divided into essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are amino acids that cannot be produce by the body and must obtain from food and drink. While non-essential amino acids are amino acids that can be produced by the body. BCAAs are essential amino acids that we can get from animal and plant protein sources such as red, chicken, eggs, milk, fish, cheese, yogurt, nuts, especially soy, and seeds such as quinoa.
3. Fat
Fat is a nutrient that is the main source of energy when resting or doing activities with low to moderate intensity. Body fat stored in adipose tissue in the form of triglycerides. All types of fat can be utilized as energy other than cholesterol. Although cholesterol is necessary for the formation of hormones, excess intake of cholesterol can trigger atherosclerosis. Consumption of food sources of fat can suppress hunger because fat can provide a longer feeling of fullness than other energy sources. However, choose a good type of fat such as Omega-3. This fat is very well included in the Kachimeshi menu because it can support muscle building, muscle repair, reduce muscle aches, and boost the immune system, especially during recovery. The recommended daily consumption is >3 g/day which can be obtained from sardines, salmon, mackerel, oysters, soybeans, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.
4. Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals are nutrients that are needed in small amounts however vitamins and minerals are very important in regulating body functions such as converting food into energy and maintaining healthy bones. Vitamins and minerals are important in supporting the body's performance. Here's the role of vitamins and minerals helping maintain the body's performance when exercising.
a. Producing Energy
Various vitamins such as vitamins B1, B3, and B6 needed in the body's metabolism. These vitamins help break down food from macronutrients such as carbohydrates and fatty acids into smaller units that the body can convert from food into fuel. We can get various variants of the vitamins B by eating whole grains, nuts, poultry, beans, bananas, and tuna.
b. Improve Performance
Vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, iron, and vitamin A highly recommended to improve body performance and replace nutrients lost due to dietary restrictions. Try to meet the needs of these mineral vitamins through food sources first and then from supplementation if it is lacking. We can get the above vitamins and minerals from the following sources:
- Vitamin B12: seafood, beef, milk, cheese, eggs, and yogurt.
- Iron: Red meat, chicken liver, green vegetables, seafood, seeds, and nuts.
- Vitamin A: sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, mackerel, salmon, cod liver oil, liver, cheese, and eggs.
C. Bone Health
Running, jumping, and intense physical activity puts stress on bones and joints. Several vitamins and minerals can help improve bone health such as vitamin D and calcium. Vitamins can be obtained from fortified milk, soymilk, fatty fish, cod liver oil, mushrooms, and sunbathing. While calcium can be obtained from milk, cheese, sea fish, green vegetables, nuts, seeds, calcium-fortified foods, and drinks.
5. Fluid
Fluids maintain a stable body temperature and maintain the body's acid-base balance. When a person is dehydrated because the intake of fluids is less than the fluids expelled by the body, the person can suffer from dehydration. Dehydration can reduce exercise performance and can also be harmful to the body. Sports enthusiasts can measure their hydration status in the following ways :
Table 2. How to Measure Hydration Status
Condition | % Body Weight Change | Urine Color |
Hydrated | +1 to -1 | Clear or faded yellow |
Mild dehydration | -1 to -3 | Light yellow or yellow |
Moderate dehydration | -3 to -5 | Yellow almost orange or orange |
Severe dehydration | ≥-5 | Brown to dark brown |
% Body Weight Change = [(Weight after exercise – Weight before exercise) ÷ Weight before exercise x 100]
6. Kachimeshi
Kachimeshi or Winning Meals is a nutritionally balanced and delicious meal program that can help support athletes to achieve their body's best performance. Kachimeshi can not only be applied to athletes but also sports enthusiasts. Kachimesi's menus are made by balancing the needs of macro and micronutrients for sports enthusiasts, so that their daily needs are met both when exercising and doing daily activities. Kachimeshi in principle refers to Balance Nutrition, only the proportions are adjusted according to the category of the sport involved. By applying Kashimeshi to their daily diet, it is hoped that sports enthusiasts will have better sports performance, reduce the risk of injury when exercising, and recover faster from injury.