Nutrition and Supplements for Athletes By Ryan Cafaro

Athletes are similar to cars!  Athletes are high performance machines.  Would you put regular gas in a Porsche?  Why would you put junk in your body?  Fuel yourself for your performance!

NUTRITION

Basics of Nutrition  Carbs are fast burning energy  Protein rebuilds damaged muscles  Fat is stored long term energy  All three are necessary for performance

Carbs are great for..  Distance runners  Swimmers  Cyclists  Soccer Players  Most endurance athletes  An all around source of energy

Protein is great for..  Body Builders  Wrestlers  Power lifters  Gymnasts  Most strength/power athletes  Building block of muscles

Fat is great for..  Endurance athletes as backup fuel  Keeping weight up  Protecting vital organs  Keeping the body warm  Making food taste amazing

Sources of Carbs  Bread  Pasta  Potatoes  Rice  Fruits  Grains

Sources of Protein  Meat  Eggs  Dairy  Beans  Protein powders  Soy

Sources of Fat  Nuts  Oils  Meat  Certain Fish  Certain Vegetables  Eggs

What do the best eat?  Olympians often have the strictest diets.  Bananas seem to be the food of choice!  KYmY

SUPPLEMENTS

What are supplements for?  Boosting performance  Maintaining health  Getting nutrients food missed  Fighting illness  Improving recovery time

Popular athlete supplements  Multivitamins  Fish Oil  Glucosamine  Creatine  Glutamine  Ginko Biloba

Multivitamins  Men and women specific brands  Fulfills daily vitamin and mineral requirements  Age specific brands as well  Normally taken once per day  Can help athletes with energy and recovery

Fish Oil  Improves brain performance  Works as a cancer preventative  Improves health of arteries  Helps support insulin function  Can prevent muscle protein breakdown

Glucosamine  Helps maintain cartilage in the body  Helps with joint maintenance  Slows progression of arthiritis  Can manage arthritic pain

Creatine  Improves explosive power  Can boost testosterone  Can improve focus and memory  Studies show it can improve productivity

Ginko Biloba  Regulates blood flow to the brain  Can help glaucoma patients improve vision  Known to boost memory  Can fight macular degeneration  Can improve walking in people with intermittent claudication

Good luck athlete!  Here’s to achieving your goals!