Basic Nutrition for Female Athletes

In the modern world, we no longer have to run every day, hunting for our next meal or searching for fruit to keep us from starving. With the convenience of being able to buy everything we need to survive at the local mall, it’s negated the need for us to constantly stay active, which in turn means that it’s much easier for us to gain weight. The best way to mitigate that is by staying active, which can either mean hitting the local gym, joining a sports club, or running every day. Whatever the case, exercise is important, and recommended by doctors all over the world.

Along with exercise, our diet is vital to staying in good shape and maintaining our overall health, and, this is where it can become confusing. With all the different diets and fads popping up every few weeks, it can be incredibly difficult to find something that truly works for you. It doesn’t have to be daunting, however, and with some nutritional facts, it’s easy to maintain your health while also keeping fit.

Just like when betting NZ, doing your research can lead to better results, and the more you know about nutrition and how it can affect you, the better off you will be in the long run.

Female Nutrition

Female athletes have very unique nutritional needs, which requires them to eat both for their athletic performance and their hormonal health. Proper nutrition can help to sustain normal levels of oestrogen, which helps to stimulate bone growth in active women. Conversely, inadequate nutrition can have a dramatic impact on athletic performance, and also a woman’s hormone balance, and therefore her overall well being.

So, what constitutes proper nutrition for female athletes? It’s vital for her to eat enough calories each day. Standard guidelines recommend at least 40 calories per kilogram of body weight per day. For example, a female athlete that weighs 60 kilograms will need to eat around 2400 calories per day. This is the minimum for an active woman but if she finds herself gaining weight, this is no cause for concern. This simply means that she was eating enough previous, and the extra calories will improve her performance in the long run.

Macronutrients

In terms of macronutrients, an athlete will need to eat around 6 grams of carbs per kilo per day, as well as 1.4 grams of protein per kilo per day. So, for example, a female athlete weighing 60 kilograms will need to eat around 360 grams of carbs and 84 grams of protein per day. This will constitute about 1800 calories, and the rest can be supplied through eating healthy fats, or extra protein.

Vegetarians and Vegans

Women following vegetarian or vegan diets should always consult a sports nutritionist in order suitable solutions, especially in terms of protein intake. In most cases, supplements will be recommended, especially if the athlete partakes of a fully vegan diet. As with all athletes, vegan or vegetarian female athletes should also aim to consume about 6 grams of carbohydrates per kilo and 0.1 grams of protein per kilo in each post exercise meal.

To Summarise

In summary, female athletes should eat 40 calories per kilo per day, and incorporate lean protein and both simple and complex carbohydrates into their daily diets. Carbs and proteins should be eaten both before and after exercising, and as always, fruits and vegetables should make up the bulk of every athlete’s diet.