Food for Athletes

10 "Superfoods" For Fitness Athletes A healthy athlete can be a fitter athlete. Remember to consume a wide variety of healthful foods.

Legumes Sometimes referred to as “the poor man’s meat,” legumes are an excellent source of soluble fiber, which is important for keeping an athlete’s blood sugar and energy levels stable. As far as plant foods go, most legumes are relatively high in protein and are a good source of slowly assimilated complex carbohydrates. This is great for providing a more stable and longer lasting supply of energy to working muscles. Legumes can be eaten in chili, stews, and soups, and are also enjoyable when served cold in bean salads. Some of the more common legumes found in the U.S. include pinto beans, kidney beans, navy beans, lima beans, black beans, chickpeas, lentils, and black-eyed peas. Legumes can be purchased dry, canned, and sometimes frozen. Salmon One of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is a great way to add more protein to your diet. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are important building blocks of cell membranes and, like protein, may help athletes recover from strenuous exercise. Omega-3 fatty acids are also a great addition to anyone’s fat-loss plan.

Adding a variety of different nuts to your diet can provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, and essential fatty acids. Nuts Nuts are a very rich source of nutrients, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, vegetable proteins, fiber, vitamin E, potassium, folate, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, phosphorous, phytosterols, antioxidants, and arginine. Although nuts are considered a fatty food, the fat in them may be beneficial. Some healthful choices for the athlete include almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, and pistachios. Be careful not to go overboard with your nut consumption. Eating too many nuts could lead to an increase in body fatness. A good guideline may be to eat one or two handfuls per day. An often overlooked source of nutrients, mollusks can provide a bounty of essential minerals. Mollusks Low in fat, a source of protein, and loaded with essential minerals, mollusks can be a good addition to an athlete's diet. Three popular and nutritious mollusk choices are clams, oysters, and mussels. Clams, in particular, lead the way for all foods in heme iron content. Heme iron - found only in meat, poultry, fish and seafood - is iron bound to a nonprotein compound that is much more easily absorbed by the body than free iron. Clams are also an excellent source of vitamin B12 and copper. These three nutrients may help maintain good blood status for delivering oxygen to working muscles. Along with copper, mollusks are also rich in zinc and selenium. These minerals are necessary for the proper functioning of the body’s immune system and its antioxidant defenses. Mollusks can be cooked in a variety of ways, including steaming, stewing, roasting, baking, broiling, sautéing, poaching, and frying. Whole Grains Athletes may find whole-grain foods helpful in providing a more stable and longer-lasting supply of energy for exercise. Whole grain foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and essential fatty acids. Some examples of good whole-grain foods include oatmeal, whole-wheat flour, barley, spelt, brown rice, and some hot and cold breakfast cereals. Be wary of products labeled “100% wheat,” “stone-ground,” “multi-grain,” “seven-grain,” “12-grain,” or “organic.” They often contain very little whole grain. Instead, look for whole-grain products that say 100% whole wheat.

Eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli is a good way to increase micronutrient intake without taking in a lot of extra calories. Cruciferous Vegetables Vegetables such as watercress, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, and cabbage are known as cruciferous vegetables. These vegetables are high in fiber, rich in vitamin C, very low in calories, and are a good source of healthful phytonutrients. Eating cruciferous vegetables is a good way to take in important micronutrients without taking in a lot of calories. Anyone wishing to lose bodyfat will find cruciferous vegetables to be a good addition to his weight-loss plan. Try to get three or more servings of these vegetables each week. Flaxseeds Also known as linseeds, flaxseeds are small, oval-shaped seeds from the blue flowering flax plant. Flaxseeds are considered one of the best plant sources of healthful omega-3 essential fatty acids, and they’re also a good source of fiber. Flaxseeds (but not flaxseed oil) are rich in phytochemicals called lignans that may have strong antioxidant properties that can help you stay healthy. There are several sources of lignans, such as whole grains, various berries, and soybeans, but flaxseeds are the best source. For easier digestion, flaxseeds should be ground first; a coffee grinder is good for this. The pleasant, nutty flavor of ground flaxseeds can be enjoyed in many foods, such as baked breads, muffins, and cookies. They can also be eaten in salads, cereals, soups, and sauces, or mixed with a serving of Nitro-Tech ® Hardcore protein powder. Allium vegetables, such as onions, are loaded with healthful flavonoids. Allium Vegetables Allium vegetables, such as garlic, chives, onions, scallions, and leeks, are a flavorful way to add healthful nutrients to an athlete’s diet. The benefits of garlic and other allium vegetables may come from their abundant flavonoids, such as quercetin, and also from their sulfur-containing compounds. Allium vegetables may be more beneficial when uncooked. So you may want to add them to salads, salad dressings, and other raw recipes to get the most from them. Berries Eating dark berries may provide athletes with a range of healthful phytonutrients that may have powerful antioxidant effects. Berries are also a good source of dietary fiber. Berry choices include blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, crowberries, blueberries, black currants, bilberries, elderberries, chokeberries, and lingonberries. It is interesting to note that frozen berries are just as nutritious as fresh ones. So if berries are out of season in your area, you can still reap their benefits by visiting the freezer section of your local grocery store. Tomato Products Not often do you find a natural food that actually benefits nutritionally by being cooked and processed. This seems to be the case for tomatoes. It appears that even though some vitamin C is lost when tomatoes are heated, the antioxidant power is increased during the process. Researchers have found that the antioxidant lycopene, which is the pigment that makes tomatoes and other fruits like pink grapefruit and watermelon red, is made more bioavailable to the human body after heating. Foods rich in lycopene include canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato juice, tomato paste, salsa, and ketchup. You put a lot of effort into your training. Eating well will keep you going strong and staying fit. Remember, a fit body is a better body, so try to add some of these "superfoods" to your plan today.