Any athlete, casual or not, will tell you that part of what enables them to perform at their best is proper nutrition and hydration. These are two aspects of your health and fitness journey that you have complete control over, and therefore are two things you can quickly fix if you’ve been getting them wrong for years. One thing that is important to bear in mind is that you can’t optimise your diet and hydration levels instantly, it takes a long term effort to keep these things in balance and improvements may be gradual over the course of weeks, months and even years.
If you are looking to improve your performance by optimising your nutrition and hydration then the best time to start is now so you can see the benefits as soon as possible. It is not necessary to change everything all at once because this can be more challenging to manage, but incremental changes can really help keep you moving in the right direction, especially if you already have a good exercise and fitness routine. Trying to do too much at once can be too much of a change which can make things unsustainable, and furthermore, too many sudden and drastic changes to your diet can be hard on your digestive system.
As with all things, there is a fine balance between doing too much and doing too little, and this is where most people find they struggle the most. For example, doing what you perceive to be a lot might feel great for a week or two but it can be extremely difficult to keep up the pace. Before you know it, you have fallen off the wagon with your diet and exercise and are struggling to get back on track. On the other hand, making a few small changes at a time can be a lot more manageable, meaning they should be easier to stick with over time.
It is not enough to eat well on the days you train or have an event, this is something that needs to be done consistently over time to give you the maximum benefit. You should always speak to a dietician, but to give you an idea of the kinds of things you should be eating you should look for more whole foods, and more plant based foods as well as sports optimised nutrition from a sports nutrition store.
For example, complex carbs such as wholegrains are a great foundation for any meal, though they should be carefully portioned. To this base you can add lean protein such as tofu, tempeh, chicken, fish or turkey, and pretty much unlimited vegetables to fill you up. Most athletes struggle to pack enough low calorie protein into their meals and will supplement their dietary intake with shakes, protein bars and other protein rich, supplemental foods.
This is not to say that you can’t eat sugary, fatty, or oily foods - you can eat anything you like as part of a balanced diet. The thing you need to keep in mind is that as long as your weekly intake averages out, you shouldn’t have any issues with eating too much or not getting enough of a particular nutrient. As you get into the swing of optimising your diet, you will need to start paying more attention to nutrient content of foods, including micro and macro nutrients. Keeping track of your diet in this way can make it easier to see the results you are after, such as mass and muscle gain, weight loss, toning, or targeting particular areas and muscle groups, as well as going for longer and building endurance.
As with diet, hydration works best when you maintain consistency. You need to be sipping water all day every day, though depending on what you eat you may not need to pack in 2 litres of water daily because the water content in your food counts too. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated so it is definitely best to make a conscious effort to have a little water throughout the day. Try having a glass of water before each meal, and consider swapping your afternoon coffee break for a water break instead.
Katie Murray