Fitness is an important part of life for many people. However, a healthy diet for athletes is often neglected, which means that success only comes slowly.
The right food before exercise and an adapted diet are the basic building blocks for successful training. It is important to avoid alcohol, sweets and fast food, but also to consume the necessary carbohydrates and protein.
In the following article, you will learn what you should not eat and drink as an athlete. We will also show you tips and tricks on how you can improve your performance through nutrition.
A balanced diet is essential for athletes and non-athletes alike to keep your body healthy and functional for a long time.
What should you not eat as an athlete?
As an athlete, you have to pay attention to a lot of things. Not least your nutrition, which plays a major role in your performance.
When your energy reserves built up by food are used up, you will perform less well in fitness training. But unhealthy food can also inhibit your performance potential.
Chocolate, fast food and fatty foods are a no-go for athletes. But even for non-athletes, too much of these things should not be consumed.
Tip: In addition to unhealthy food, you should not eat too many fats and carbohydrates before exercising. This could cause an unpleasant bloated feeling and you will quickly feel weak.
Sports porridge for athletes - find out more!
How long before exercising should you stop eating?
Eating before exercising is a hotly debated topic. The rule of thumb here is not to eat too much 2 to 3 hours before exercising.
During this time, light meals are recommended, such as a banana or even low-fat quark with fruit. About 8 hours before your training session, you should ideally choose a meal that will give you plenty of energy.
This includes wholemeal pasta with lean chicken or fish, oats, dates and nuts (cashews, hazelnuts, etc.). You could, for example, make yourself a delicious porridge with fruit, berries (cranberries, raspberries, etc.) and nuts, which you can then enjoy during your training session.
What should athletes not drink?
Sugary drinks are obviously not the best choice for athletes. In principle, everyone should drink enough every day. For people who do a lot of sport, the average amount drunk is about
2.6 litres per day. Water and unsweetened tea are ideal for replenishing fluids. We lose 500 millilitres a day through breathing and skin without even noticing it and without sweating.
To keep all of your body's processes running smoothly, you need to drink enough every day. Alcohol should only be consumed in moderation. It dehydrates your body and damages your mechanism.
Tip: Occasionally drink a cup of coffee before training and benefit from this energy boost.
Why should an athlete avoid these foods?
One very clear reason is the drop in performance. Fat makes you sluggish and tired. In addition, high-fibre foods can cause bloating, which is anything but pleasant during exercise.
You may also experience heartburn, nausea and stitches, which in the worst case could even force you to stop your workout. You can easily prevent these unpleasant side effects by avoiding fat and unhealthy foods.
A healthy diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables promotes physical activity and gets you exactly where you want to be in terms of performance.
What can an athlete eat?
You may wonder what an athlete can still eat when they have to give up almost everything that is enjoyable. But athletes can also eat delicious food that is, above all, healthy.
Wholemeal pasta with chicken, porridge with fruit and chia seeds, delicious salads, quark with fruit, oats with nuts and many other dishes are on the daily menus of athletes.
Non-athletes should also follow these guidelines to benefit from a healthy body.
Tip: You don't have to stick to a strict and uncompromising healthy diet, otherwise you'll quickly lose the desire to train. Treat yourself to some fast food or a piece of chocolate from time to time.
What is important is a balanced and healthy diet to keep your body functioning optimally and avoid the risk of malnutrition. This will also help your body to recover faster, especially after a workout.
Healthy breakfast from VERIVAL for athletes
After a workout and also for a healthy breakfast, the body needs carbohydrates and protein. For this reason, you should eat something within 30 minutes of your workout.
The first proper meal should be eaten after about 2 hours so that the body receives all the necessary building blocks for efficient muscle regeneration and muscle mass is not unnecessarily broken down.
What's more, healthy eating doesn't always have to be time-consuming. VERIVAL products support this thesis. They adapt ideally to every diet, whether you are vegan or eat sugar-free. We have also provided for a gluten-free breakfast – so nothing stands in the way of your healthy breakfast!
The generous range offers the perfect products for every preference. We at VERIVAL see it as our responsibility as a food manufacturer to contribute to a healthy and balanced diet.
In doing so, we focus in particular on a balanced, hot breakfast consisting of complex carbohydrates, low in sugar, high in fibre, with sufficient proteins as well as essential amino acids, healthy fats and valuable vitamins and minerals.
In this way, the body receives exactly the ingredients it needs every day to achieve optimal performance, whether during a sweat-inducing training session or in the normal course of everyday life.
