Are you an athlete? Do you want to be one or are you simply look for ways to improve your athletic performance in the gym or playing team sports? In terms of building stamina here are some suggestions for you to experiment with to get the most out of your athletic performance.
Eat Right for your Sport
Understanding how your body process food can help your athletic performance greatly. The body uses a mixture of carbohydrates and fat, plus a little protein, for energy This energy mixture varies depending upon the intensity and duration of the physical activity you undertake and the composition of the food from which the energy is derived. For example, endurance sports, such as marathon running, tend to cause the body to burn a higher proportion of fat for energy, while power sports tend to cause the body to burn greater amounts of carbohydrates. The type of physical demand and athletic performance therefore dictates the proportion of macronutrients needed in the diet. A marathon runner generally needs a diet high in carbohydrate, with moderate fat and protein, while a sprinter needs a diet high in carbohydrates and protein, while being low in fat.
One interesting fact that will also be helpful to you is that complementary proteins only have to be eaten within 24hrs of each other instead of all in one meal, so you don’t need to overdo it in terms of adding lots and lots of protein to a single meal to improve your athletic performance. Throughout the day, your body will know what to do and will build protein in your body from what is called an “amino acid pool”.
Change it Up
It is important to make sure that you mix up your fitness program every so often to encourage your body to keep adapting i.e. getting stronger and fitter and improving your athletic performance. This can include simply increasing the difficulty over time and also trying new activities, poses, etc. Another thing to experiment with is your pre and post workout meals. It may be that a good boost of simple carbs before your workout and a recovery meal with a 4:1 carb ratio could help you have more energy during the workout and also help with your recovery afterwards so that you can get stronger and have more stamina in your next workout. As always it’s about experimentation and listening to your body.
Fitness Capital
Once you become fit, you accumulate what is called “fitness capital.” Capitalizing on an abundance of energy, mental clarity, and the necessary drive to maintain fitness will lead to significant life-improving results in other areas. View fitness as the development of something much bigger, something far more important than athletic performance success. Just like any kind of capital, it’s only worth something if you re-invest it to build something greater—and you can use your athletic performance fitness to help you create a fuller life.
