Key Points to be Considered While Formulating Products For Sports Nutrition

1. Key Points to be Considered While Formulating Products For Sports Nutrition Dr. Nancy Agnes, Head, Technical Operations, FoodResearchLab, info@foodresearchlab.com Keywords: Well-designed nutrition plan, energy requirements, obstruct athletic performance, Macronutrients from the food supply, Digestive enzymes, Pre-workout consumptions, post exercise consumptions, muscle proteins, I. INTRODUCTION Sports nutrition is a dynamic clinical field of study, which is unique to each individual and planned according to their goals. Sports nutrition is a well- designed nutrition plan that allows active adults and athletes to perform at their best. Sports nutrition development supplies the right food type, with an adequate amount of energy, nutrients and fluids to sustain the body functioning at the optimum levels. Scientific studies have reported that the sports nutrition has laid the foundation for competitive athletes and overall athletic success. For active adults who exercise 3 to 4 times a week, a normal healthy meal would suffice. Moderate to elite athletes who perform 5 to 6 times will need significantly more nutrients to support energy requirements. II. NUTRITIONAL BASICS The human body requires carbohydrates and fats as the main energy source and the amount depends on the exercise intensity and duration during food product development. Inappropriate caloric intake can obstruct athletic performance. Macronutrients from the food supply the essential energy for optimal body functions. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are complex and an important source of energy for the human body. Carbs can be simple such as from fruits, vegetables and milk or complexes such as from whole grain bread, oats and other cereals. Digestive enzymes break down these carbohydrates into glucose and feed energy (Adenosine triphosphate ATP) to the cells, tissues and organs. Based on the body size and training requirements, carbohydrates are composed of 45 to 65% of the total food intake. Proteins A minimum of 1.2 to 1.7 g/kg of body weight should be consumed every day by an athlete for strength and endurance training. However, depending on the overall caloric requirements sourced from foods alone, the needs for protein supplementation could be dictated. A recent study suggests that individuals engaging in vigorous activity can consume a high protein and carbohydrate rich food soon after the training. Pre-workout consumptions have demonstrated to have a greater effect on the skeletal muscle protein synthesis compared to post exercise consumptions. Fats Generally, dietary fat has been misunderstood and blamed for many health problems but is an essential nutrient for optimal health. Stored body fat in adipose tissues provides insulation to internal organs and protest nerves are gained by consuming additional calories than we can burn and is completely different from dietary fat. An optimal level of body fat is required for healthy athletic activity. One gram of dietary fat provides 9 calories and one pound of stored fat provides 3600 calories of energy. Fat reserves are less accessible to athletes who need to perform quick and intense workouts. However, fat is essential for longer, and endurance based exercises. Research findings recommend athletes consume at least 30% of their total daily caloric intake as a healthy fat. Omega 3 and 6 are essential fatty acids that are a key to a sports nutrition diet . Meal timings A recent study suggests that athletes who perform moderate to high intensity activity for at least 40 min are improved by consuming a high carbohydrate, low protein, low fat meal, 3 hours prior to the exercise. This study disproves the common misconception that athletes need to starve before competition or training sessions. Some athletes compete for hours at a time, for which appropriate snacks and liquid supplementation should be consumed. Meal timing has also been reported to have an effect on the synthesis of muscle proteins (MPS). Impaired MPS may allow the downstream creating of lean body mass. 1 Copyright © 2021 Food Research Lab. All rights reserved

2. Post exercise supplementation is proven to be beneficial for aerobic exercise. Post exercise carbohydrate intake does not affect MPS, but essential amino acids are responsible for MPS. Hydration supplements fall under sports foods. Micro nutrients such as iron, calcium, vitamin-D, multi-vitamin, omega 3 fatty acids fall under medical supplements. Creatine, caffeine, nitrate and beta alanine fall under performance supplements. Strength vs. Endurance Resistance strength training programs are designed for building the strength of skeletal muscle. High intensity work requires a sufficient amount of macro nutrients for muscle consumption is vital for increasing lean body mass, at least 1.2 to 3.1 g/kg of body weight. However, for endurance programs, one to three hours per day, require high energy intake in the form of the carbohydrates is essential. Based on research, target carbohydrate consumption ranges from 6 to 10 grams per kilogram per day. Moreover, fat is a secondary source of energy A good amount of hydration and electrolytes are essential for healthy athletic performance. Active adults and athletes lost body water and sodium during sweating and if this exceeds 2 per cent of body weight this leads to dehydration (hypohydration). Sports drinks and rehydration with water and sodium are often consumed to restore the lost amount of water. Lack of sufficient hydration may lead to hypohydration, hypovolemia (decreased hyponatremia (low sodium level). Supplementation in sports nutrition According to Sports Medicine, only a few limited supplements are backed by clinical research. The Australian Institute of Sports provides a general guide for sports performance supplements. Sports bars, drinks, gels, electrolyte supplements, and protein blood volume) and building. Protein 2 Copyright © 2021 Food Research Lab. All rights reserved

3. for long duration training sessions. Replacing fluids and electrolytes which are lost through respiration is important for performance. III. SPECIALIZED NUTRITION Specialized nutrition is built for athletes training at very high altitude, in very hot and cold conditions, and for astronauts who require a slightly different meal plan. At very high altitudes, more oxygen supply is essential; therefore iron rich foods are increased in the plan. Foods rich in antioxidants, proteins are essential to avoid any deficiencies. Fluids are constantly replenished to keep the athletes well hydrated. Athletes competing in extreme hot or cold conditions are at higher risk and prone to illness. Athletes in hotter condition need to balance their fluid and electrolyte balance to stay competitive and utilize their optimal performance. However, athletes in colder environments need to keep up their body temperature. Leaner athletes are usually at a risk of hypothermia. Therefore, foods and fluids to withstand colder temperature will encourage performance. REFERENCES 1.Gavrilova, N. B., Chernopolskaya, N. L., Rebezov, M. B., Shchetinina, E. M., Dogareva, N. G., Likhodeevskaya, O. E., ... & Sanova, Z. S. (2020). Specialized sports nutrition foods. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 12(2), 998- 1003. 2.Benardot, D. (2020). Advanced sports nutrition. Human Kinetics Publishers. 3.Arenas-Jal, M., Suñé-Negre, J. M., Pérez-Lozano, P., & García-Montoya, E. (2020). Trends in the food and sports review. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 60(14), 2405-2421. achieving optimal nutrition industry: A 3 Copyright © 2021 Food Research Lab. All rights reserved