Most athletes look fit and healthy, but many ignore the importance of having a proper diet. As an athlete, it is easy to overlook the detrimental effects of indulging in an unhealthy diet by convincing yourself that you will burn off the extra weight. You might also convince yourself that the impact of having a poor diet is not as harmful as it is made to sound. However, ignoring what you put into your body could be costly.
In athletics and sports, you need the right fuel to display optimal performance. If you neglect this principle, you will most likely experience avoidable health issues that could culminate into more severe health conditions. The following are problems you will encounter as an athlete if you fail to eat the right foods and take vital beta-alanine supplements.
1.Suppression of your immunity
When you are training, your body produces stress hormones. The short-term effects are that your body is triggered to increase growth and release energy stores, including body fat. However, if your stress hormone levels remain high, your immunity is impaired. Hence when your carbohydrate reserves are depleted, you might experience low blood sugar as the glycols in your liver are depleted. With time this will harm your immune function, and it also affects your stress levels.
Luckily, eating a balanced diet will ensure that your body’s carbohydrate demands are met, depending on your activity levels. Avoiding the overconsumption of certain carbs, such as processed foods, will also boost your immunity.
2.Displaying poor performance
Poor performance is every athletes’ fear. When you are competing and training, your body requires significant amounts of energy from the fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in your body cells. If you fail to include the correct proportions of each of these nutrients in your diet, you will perform poorly.
Additionally, when you are in strength training, you will need adequate carbs for energy. During intensive training, your body will break down the proteins in your body reserves to keep you going. You will also need to take enough carbs and fats in endurance training. From all the above, it is clear that proper nutrition is necessary if you want to stay on top of your game.
3.Unintended weight changes
Sometimes the goal of your training could include weight changes. However, when your nutrition is poor, you might experience unintended weight changes. At times, these could prove dangerous for your health. If you are continuously training and are not taking your macronutrients in the correct ratios, you will lose muscle mass. Moreover, depending on your genetics, diet, and training, you could lose or gain body fat at an unhealthy rate which will deter your performance.
These are a few of the issues that you expose yourself to when you indulge in poor nutrition. Other problems include having more extended recovery periods and malnutrition. It is, however, okay to indulge in snacks such as cake once in a while. Seeking a registered dietitian’s help will help you have a personalized plan to ensure that you are in the right shape.
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