A nutritious diet is a key to an athlete’s training and performance. The kind of diet that they possess at times is the spark that they need to perform at a certain level and have an edge over other competitors. Food has become a very component of the training and research into what foods are a healthier choice for athletes is fast picking up pace. Among the foods that the athletes should avoid, we have put together a list of seven foods that the athletes should definitely take off from their diet.
Diet Soda
A can of diet soda to quench thirst can be very harmful to the health of the athletes. Foods that contain artificial sweeteners are preferably avoided by the athletes. Diet soda with high content in artificial sweeteners and caffeine can adversely affect the health as they lead to weight gain and can lead to the development of digestive problems. They are also rich in calories and can give the feeling of a filled stomach and thereby depriving an athlete of healthier food.
White Bread
Carbs are essential for athletes as they are important for their strength building. However athletes usually avoid foods with carbs like white pasta, rice and white bread. The issue with white bread that it is made from refined flour. The white refined flour gets devoid of essential fiber, wheat germ and vitamin B while being processed. It loses it nutritional value and some studies also indicate that it can raise blood-sugar levels and increase risk of type-2 diabetes.
Alcohol
Athletes should be very conscious of the foods that can hinder their performance and that can interfere with their nutritional requirements. Alcohol is one such beverage that the athletes should avoid. A higher intake of alcohol has many adverse effects on athletes. For instance, it slows down muscle recovery, decreases sprint performance and weakens motor skills. Alcohol is also linked to dehydration which can lead to an increased risk of injury or heat stroke.
Bad Meat
Proteins are an essential component of an athlete’s diet. Meats are rich in proteins which give the athletes good source of energy, especially with regards to strength and bodybuilding. The question may then arise as to how meat can harm athletes? At times meats are highly contaminated. This can be due to environmental reasons or due to the antibiotics or other treatments that the animals are given for faster growth. These types of meats can be highly dangerous for the athletes as it may contain substances that actually may come under the category of banned substances. For instance bad meats may contain Clenbuterol, a drug banned by the Doping Agency. Unknowingly an athlete may eat such bad meat and he/she can then test positive for this banned substance. Therefore athletes should be very wise and critical about the meat that they eat. However there are many products available in the market that claim to help you pass a drug test. One of such products is Clear Choice Sub Solution. If you dread a drug test, see this page to know if this solution can help you pass a drug test.
Flavoured Yogurt
Yogurts are good for the health generally. However it is usually the flavoured yogurts that the athletes should definitely avoid. Flavoured yogurts have a good quantity of sugar. Particularly those yogurts that have fruits or granola as add-in are very rich in sugar. Consumption of these flavoured yogurts can hinder an athlete’s fitness. It can prevent one from having a lean physique. Because of the high quantity of sugar, it can also increase sugar levels in the blood which results in an increased appetite leading to overeating.
Coffee
Caffeine benefits athletes in some aspects and some studies suggest that smaller amount of caffeine improves performance. On the contrary, black caffeine can actually be a food that an athlete should avoid because of the negative impact that it has on the athletes’ health. Black coffee can cause heartburn and also lead to building stress. A lot of caffeine intake encourages the release of stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine and nonrepinephrine. These hormones adversely affect heart rate and blood pressure levels and thereby lead to tension building. Coffee is also known to have dehydrating effects on the body and therefore athletes should avoid intake of coffee.
Microwave Popcorn
Microwave popcorn is highly unhealthy for an athlete. For many it is a comfort snack especially when you are chilling out and watching a movie. This popcorn is rich in sodium and its packing is even more harmful. The packing contains harmful Perfluorooctanoic acid in the bag which has toxic elements. Filled with high amount of unsaturated fats and high sodium content, the popcorn does not help the athletes in any way whether it is to do with workout or recovery.
Well, good health is central to any athlete. The food that you intake and at the same time the food that they avoid are central to your performance and training.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.