How can you adapt your nutrition to your sporting goals?

Training hard is one thing, but if results stagnate, it's time to turn to the plate. How can you adapt your nutrition to your sporting goals? For a start, you need to be aware of the close link between nutrition and sport.

A diet adapted to the sporting objective and the individual plays a very important role. To improve your endurance, optimize your muscle mass, lose fat or just stay in shape, your food intake needs to be adapted to the pace of your physical activity. Protein, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, minerals, water... every nutrient counts. The wrong dose or the wrong amount of food can slow down your progress.

So how do you eat the right products, at the right time and in the right quantities? You don't have to be a top-level athlete to take an interest in what your body needs. Sports nutrition has its place in training plans to optimize energy intake.
Here we show you how to adapt your diet to your physical preparation without making the classic mistakes. 

Basic nutritional requirements for training

The diet to be favored must be balanced from an energy point of view, but also varied to guarantee a sufficient intake of macronutrients and micronutrients. 

A base of 3 macronutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, fats

This is the basic caloric intake where each macronutrient contributes to providing the sustainable energy the body needs: 

• Proteins are constituents of muscle cells that are also involved in recovery;  
• carbohydrates provide energy for muscles and the brain; 
• lipids play a structural role in nutrient absorption. 

Certain proportions must be respected to ensure optimal distribution of these macronutrients: 

• 20 to 35% protein ; 
• 45 to 65% carbohydrates ;
• 25 to 35% fat content.

Of course, this very general breakdown changes according to your morphological profile, your basic metabolism, the discipline you practice and your specific needs. 

Vitamins, minerals and hydration to round out your day

Vitamins and minerals do not provide calories, but their usefulness is fundamental. The body uses them for the chemical reactions that drive metabolism, cell growth and the proper functioning of the nervous system¹.

During intense physical effort, the body compensates for the effects of oxidative stress resulting from exercise. Its electrolyte losses and other physiological changes (protein losses, glycogen depletion, etc.) must be compensated for to recover properly. This is where balanced nutrition and hydration come into play. 

The art of meal timing

Essential foods for good health include fruit, vegetables, lean meats, dairy products and wholegrain cereals. However, you can't eat just anything and everything whenever you want.

Depending on when you're training or competing, the sportsman's diet changes. For example, we prefer foods that are easy to digest before, during or after the sports session. If you eat fats that are difficult to digest before a marathon, you risk digestive problems.
In the same way, avoid trying out new food plans or products during a high-stakes sporting phase. 

When diet adapts to sporting objectives

Targeting mass gain: what to eat for hypertrophy?

If your goal is muscle hypertrophy, you need a diet rich in calories, but also in protein via quality nutrients. We recommend that you consume between 45 and 55 kcal/kg/d while aiming for 2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight from all foods ingested throughout the day.

Muscles are put to the test after weight training, and that's why they need quality protein to kick-start muscle protein resynthesis and support muscle growth. The latter serve to rebuild muscle fibers damaged by exertion and initiate what is known as the recovery process. Hence the importance of preparing a post-exercise protein snack.

Prefer complete proteins, such as chicken, eggs or fish, although vegetable proteins such as legumes are also useful. To supplement these intakes, products such as whey are interesting, if the product is of good quality and without additives.

Carbohydrates are used to replenish glycogen reserves built up during physical effort, and needed for subsequent physical sessions. Choose complex carbohydrates such as wholemeal bread, brown rice, sweet potatoes or oat flakes, paying close attention to their glycemic index (medium or low).

Finally, lipids help maintainhormonal balance and the absorption of nutrients into cells. Take care in choosing the right lipids, such as mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acids: olive oil, avocado, walnuts, etc. 

Fat loss goal: succeed in your weight loss programme

For a successful dry period, the athlete's diet must comply with 2 principles:

• Reduce your caloric intake to achieve a negative energy balance;
• increase protein intake to avoid muscle wasting.

The energy balance is easy to understand: it's the ratio between what you consume and what you expend. The idea is therefore to spend more than you consume in order to lose body fat, without losing lean body mass.

While it's tempting to cut your calorie count drastically, we advise you to do so gradually to avoid fatigue during the drying phase and, consequently, the breakdown of proteins by the body in order to recover fuel. Aim for a reduction of 300 to 500 kcal per day.

The aim of boosting protein intake is not to increase muscle mass, as with weight gain, but to limit the risk of muscle wasting during the dry phase. To achieve this, we recommend adjusting your diet during the dry phase to 1.6 to 1.8 g/kg/d of protein, 3 to 3.3 g/kg/d of carbohydrates and 1.4 to 1.5 g/kg/d of fat. 

Endurance goal: keep up with long-duration sports

Endurance sports require you to adopt a healthy diet right from the preparation phase, so that you have enough fuel for your physical exercise.

Here again, the principle of energy balance is important to consider, with the difference that in endurance sports, we're looking for a balanced energy balance. If the energy balance is negative, persistent fatigue and the risk of injury ensue. If, on the other hand, the balance is positive, the athlete runs the risk of weight gain and reduced performance.

Once you've calculated your daily energy requirements, which depend on your sex, age and level of physical activity, you need to ensure that your macronutrients are properly distributed, by aiming for : 

• 1.6 g/kg/d of protein, which helps repair damaged muscle tissue after training;
• 5 to 6 g/kg/d of carbohydrates to store the muscle glycogen that will serve as fuel on D-day, in order to preserve reserves during exercise and replenish them afterwards;
• 1 to 1.5 g/kg/d of lipids, the famous fats that are essential for the proper transport of vitamins and for maximizing the body's cellular functioning. It's also a specific energy source for long-duration, moderate-intensity efforts. 

For performance, complex carbohydrates with slow digestion are ideal for gradual release during exercise. Traditional starchy foods such as pasta, rice and potatoes are a good example, but consider varying them with legumes or cereals such as quinoa.

After an intense endurance session, a post-exercise carbohydrate+whey shaker drink limits the response to low blood sugar and helps repair muscle tissue. 

Performance goal: take care of your recovery

Four criteria are particularly important for good recovery, two of which are linked to what you ingest: 

• SLEEP ; 
• FOOD ;
• hydration;
• and recovery activities.

Rest is an integral part of sporting performance. Neglecting it can lead to hormonal imbalances and muscle wasting. At night, the body secretes a hormone that triggers muscle repair.

Diet, on the other hand, is essential for recovery after exercise, as the body needs the amino acids contained in proteins. Insufficient intake would be detrimental to the muscle repair process³. And, contrary to popular belief, protein intake can take place before or after the workout, depending on the sporting objective. Even if we always recommend taking protein post-exercise, studies show that the most important criterion is the total dose over the day, rather than the precise moment of intake.

Hydration in bodybuilding, and particularly in weight training, is sometimes neglected, despite the fact that the body contains 60% water, which is used for essential functions such as transporting nutrients, eliminating waste and regulating body temperature. Dehydration of 1% already impairs sporting performance and increases the risk of injury or feelings of fatigue.

Finally, active recovery activities have the advantage of stimulating the circulatory system and reducing aches and pains... a better way to recover from a major effort, especially if it involves the legs. 

Specific diets

Vegetarian nutrition for athletes

People on a vegetarian diet need to be particularly vigilant about their protein intake. The challenge is to choose plant proteins that meet the body's needs for BCAAs, essential amino acids found in animal proteins.

Here are two simple tips to follow:

• Mix one type of legume with a grain product, such as wheat and chickpeas, corn and kidney beans or rice and lentils;
• opt for whey, a high-quality whey protein, a natural source of the essential amino acids and BCAAs you need. In fact, it's a benchmark protein in sports nutrition. 

The intermittent fasting diet

Fasting is a common practice among athletes, but depending on the sporting objective, it can be more or less beneficial.

When you get out of bed, glycogen reserves and insulin levels are low, prompting the body to activate lipolysis: fat burning. While this is an interesting way to lose weight, it has its limits, as it increases the risk of compensatory muscle loss. To take advantage of this practice, protein powder is consumed to provide the body with the proteins it requires.

Scientific research shows that regular training can induce interesting metabolic effects, such as a better switch from glycolysis to lipolysis, i.e. from carbohydrate utilization to lipid utilization. 

Matching nutrition and goals: 13 mistakes to avoid 

1. skip breakfast 

Before an intensive morning session, skipping breakfast deprives the body of its fuel, unless it's part of a well-supervised fast. 

2: Neglecting protein at breakfast

A breakfast without protein is a wake-up call without dopamine, since the former stimulates the production of the latter. So remember to add yoghurt to your toast. 

3. focus on proteins 

For successful muscle hypertrophy, yes, protein is important, but don't forget that carbohydrates and lipids are also necessary for proper muscle development. 

4.eating too many carbohydrates 

Carbohydrates are good, but not at any time and not of any type. You have to earn them, so it's best to eat them when you're exercising. Eating too many carbohydrates in the evening, without any sporting activity, can compromise a weight-loss objective, for example. Of course, there are carbohydrates and carbohydrates. A packet of sweets and a ration of al dente semi-complete pasta may represent the same dose of carbohydrates, but their effects on the body are radically different.

5.relying solely on calorie count 

Ignoring the intrinsic quality of food is a strategic mistake. Yes, green smoothies are stylish, but they're no substitute for a healthy snack like banana bread, for example. 

6.restrict lipids 

Reducing lipids for fear of putting on weight slows down hormone production and is a dietary error when it comes to combining performance, diet and sport.

7. forgetting your vitamin and mineral requirements

Neglecting your intake of vitamins, minerals and trace elements is a mistake if you want to recover properly, as they help fight fatigue and are responsible for our immune defenses. 

8.wait until you're thirsty to drink

By the time you feel thirsty, you're already 1% dehydrated, which is already a lot for the body, which at 3% risks malaise or even cardio-respiratory arrest. 

9 Competitive testing 

Trying out a new energy drink or cereal bar on the day of a competition can lead to counter-productive digestive problems. 

10.copy a plan without adapting it

Imitating the practices of a sports coach and copying a diet without personalized nutritional advice can be risky or ineffective, because every sportsperson is unique.

11.post-effort compensation

Saving unbalanced meals for post-exercise breaks the established momentum, just like eating out at the weekend after a week of dieting. It's back to square one.

12.limit nutrition to dry food

It's just as common a mistake as the previous one to adapt your diet during the dry phase and then relax your efforts afterwards. Slackening your nutritional efforts with less-balanced meals and poorly measured quantities slows recovery and slows progress.

13.neglecting your diet during rest periods

Even without training, the body repairs fibers, recharges its batteries and fights inflammation linked to oxidative stress. Neglecting dietary intake during these low moments impairs proper recovery and muscle growth. 

Conclusion

Adapting your nutrition to your sporting goals is an essential part of making progress. Mass gain, fat loss, endurance gains: each objective requires a specific nutritional strategy adapted to each individual. A balance between macronutrients and micronutrients provides the body with the energy it needs, promotes recovery and helps prevent injury. Eating the right meals at the right times is one way to achieve your goals.

While building muscle mass requires a calorie surplus rich in proteins and carbohydrates, weight loss requires a gradual calorie deficit to preserve muscle mass. As for endurance sports, they rely on complex carbohydrates, supplemented by proteins for recovery and lipids for prolonged efforts. Clearly, a fixed strategy cannot be adapted to all these physical practices. The only thing they have in common is the importance of hydration, which remains the same whatever the goal. Dehydration of 1% is always synonymous with impaired performance, and regardless of the sport practised, it's essential to adjust water quantities to the sport.
Now that you've learned all you need to know about sports nutrition, you can make the most of what you eat. 

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