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Eat Snacks!

Saturday, 21 November 2015 00:10

By Kate Davis (usatriathlon.org)

High-level athletes ask a lot from their bodies day-to-day. Proper fueling is essential for an athlete to be able to arrive at each day's workout ready to give 100 percent. A key part of proper fueling is snacking. Read on to find out why athletes should be snacking and score a few healthy snack ideas too.

1. Blood sugar regulation
Eating only meals typically means many hours between eating sessions. Athletes should be eating every 2-3 hours to be sure to keep blood sugar stable. Spikes in blood sugar can lead to loss of focus and...

concentration and increased headaches as well as feeling cranky, dizzy or lightheaded. These symptoms can keep athletes from getting the most out of a training session.

2. Metabolism regulation
The body can only use so many calories and nutrients at one time. So, if an athlete eats three very large meals only, this can force the body to store instead of burn, which may lead to an increase in body fat. To help the body most efficiently use the calories being taken in, athletes should eat snacks between meals. This will naturally make meals a smaller, more efficient size and continuously feed the metabolism to help the body properly use everything coming on board.

3. Muscle preparation
Pre-workout snacks are essential to help prepare muscles for exercise. Without good pre-workout fueling, energy levels can drop too early, leading to a poor workout. A proper snack gets muscles needed fuel for that upcoming workout session. READ MORE