ESPN SportsFigures

Absolutely! In order to perform at your peak, you need to keep your body hydrated. When you exercise, your body loses fluid through sweat. If you lose too much fluid and become dehydrated, you can become tired, your heart can be stressed, and you can even suffer from heat stroke. The best way to stay hydrated is to drink a lot of water before, during, and after exercise.

2. What is the difference between water and sports drinks?

Both water and sports drinks are important to keep you healthy. When you exercise you sweat and sweat is made out of a combination of water and electrolytes which contain salts such as sodium, chloride, and potassium (that is why skin tastes salty after sweat dries). Drinking water will replace the water lost when you sweat but what about those salts? In order to replace those, you need to ingest electrolytes and sports drinks are a great source.

3. How does food affect my energy level when I'm doing something athletic?

In order to stay healthy during a game, you have to be very careful about what you eat. The best pre-game foods you can eat are complex carbohydrates (toast, cereal, bagels, bananas). These foods digest slowly to give you long-term energy. If you don't have enough energy you are more likely to lose concentration and injure yourself so energy boosting food is a must. Before a game, you should also try to avoid foods that either upset your stomach (such as spicy food) or may give you short-term energy. Foods high in sugar may give you a quick energy fix but once it wears off, you'll rebound and end up with less energy than you had before you ate anything.

4. Which gives your body more energy - carbohydrates, protein, or fat?

Believe it or not, your body gets energy from all three sources. For the most part, your body uses carbohydrates as its primary fuel, especially during high intensity exercise (like a sprint). That is why athletes' diets should be 50-75% carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. If your exercise is lower intensity (like a jog), your body uses fat as its main fuel. Just because your body gets some of its energy from fat doesn't mean that you need to add fatty foods to your diet. You will get enough fat from your regular food. Protein gives your body energy but in a different way. Instead of providing fuel, protein builds and maintains your muscles.

5. Can you be a good athlete if you are a vegetarian?

Yes! A vegetarian diet can be very healthy and can provide you with all of the energy you need to be a great athlete. Vegetarians eat lots whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, all of which are great sources of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide the fuel your body runs on when you are exercising. The only thing that vegetarians need to think about is their protein intake. Protein helps build and maintain muscles and most people get their protein from meat. Some vegetarians eat eggs and fish which are also excellent sources. Other, non-animal sources of protein are cheese, soy, nuts, tofu, beans, and snacks like protein drinks and snack bars.

top

6. What happens if I don't eat enough before I exercise?

It is very important to eat properly and to drink water before you exercise. Without that fuel, you can lose mental concentration and get tired more easily. You can also become dehydrated. Think of your body as having a gas tank. Eating properly fills the tank, exercise empties it. If you fill the tank, there will be enough energy stored for you to use when you exercise. If you try to exercise on an empty tank, you won't have anything to run on. Most people can't exercise right after they eat so make sure to plan your day so that you have enough time to eat, digest, and then exercise.

7. Sugar gives me energy, can't I just eat some candy before I exercise?

Eating candy before exercising isn't a good idea. Foods high in sugar may give you a quick energy fix but once it wears off, you'll rebound and end up with less energy than you had before you ate anything. Instead, choose low sugar, high carbohydrate foods like breads, fruits, and vegetables before you exercise.

8. Caffeine gives me energy, can't I just drink coffee or soda before I exercise?

Caffeine and sports do not mix. While caffeine does give you a quick boost, it also has two negative affects on your body. First, it makes your heart beat faster. When you exercise, your heart also beats faster. So, when you combine caffeine and exercise, your heart is beating much harder than it needs to which could cause health problems. Second, caffeine is a type of food known as a diuretic. That means that it makes you go to the bathroom. Every time you go to the bathroom, your body loses fluids. Since it is very important to keep your body from being dehydrated when you are being athletic, you should stay away from diuretics.

9. Why should you wait an hour between eating and exercising?

After you eat, your body has to digest the food which means that it processes it from the stomach into the intestines. Digestion takes energy (which is why you get tired after a big meal). When you are an athlete, you want to be able to use all of your body's energy without wasting any of it on digestion so the best bet is to wait until the food is already digested. Also, if you have food still in your stomach and you start to move around a lot, you can feel sick and a sick athlete isn't going to be very good or have much fun.

10. What is Glutamine?

Glutamine is an amino acid that creates a growth hormone in your body. Everyone has glutamine in their bodies already but some athletes think that they should take extra glutamine because it will help them grow more muscles. They also use it when they are injured because it helps muscles heal faster. Most people do not need to take glutamine supplements because they already have the right amount in their bodies. No one under the age of 18 should ever take glutamine supplements and those over 18 should consult their doctor before taking them.

top

11. What is Creatine?

Creatine is a chemical found in your liver, kidneys, and pancreas that helps your muscles respond quickly and generate energy. Some athletes take creatine pills in order to try to boost the work that their muscles can do. Since your body creates creatine naturally, there is no need to take these supplements and in fact, they can have very bad side effects such as muscle cramps, dehydration, diarrhea, nausea, and seizures. No one under the age of 18 should ever take creatine supplements and those over 18 should consult their doctor before taking them.

12. What are steroids?

Steroids are powerful drugs that some people take in order to boost their athletic performance. They help build muscle tissue and increase body mass by acting like the body's natural male hormone, testosterone. Unfortunately for these people, research shows that steroids might make them bigger but they can't make them better athletes. Even sadder is that these people are taking steroids despite the very serious side effects. For example, steroid users can end up with high blood pressure, heart disease, liver damage, cancer, headaches, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Steroids are especially dangerous for people under the age of 18 because they can make them stop growing too soon.

13. What is Triax?

Triax is a sports supplement that claims to help athletes lose weight. The makers say that it speeds up your metabolism so that you burn off more calories each day. Unfortunately, not only has research shown that people who take Triax don't lose more weight than those who don't take it, it has also been proven to have serious side effects. People who take Triax can end up having severe diarrhea, panic attacks, or heart attacks. If you need to lose weight, rely on a healthy diet and exercise instead of pills.

14. What is Ephedra?

Ephedra is a stimulant found in everything from sports drinks to decongestants to pills. People take it because it gives them an energy boost by speeding up their heart rate. While the small doses in some medicines are okay, overdoing it can be very dangerous. When you exercise, your heart speeds up on its own. By adding a chemical that speeds it up even more, you are asking for trouble. Another problem with ephedra is that is can be addictive so once you start, you might not be able to stop.

15. Is alcohol bad for athletes?

Yes, alcohol is bad for athletes because of what it does to the body. First, it impairs the brain so that the athlete won't be able to make good decisions. It can also make the person more clumsy which can lead to injury. Like caffeine, alcohol is a diuretic which means that it makes you have to go to the bathroom, causing you to lose fluids. Since athletes need to keep as much fluid as they can in their bodies, they need to avoid all diuretics. Finally, if an athlete has been injured, alcohol can actually make the pain worse. Alcohol increases blood flow which can cause a sprain or a break to swell up even more. Ouch!

top

16. I am an athlete, should I be taking extra vitamins for energy?

Vitamins do not contain energy themselves. Instead, they help the body use the energy it got from other nutrients such as healthy food. Taking one multi-vitamin a day isn't a bad idea for anyone, whether they are an athlete or not, but taking more than one a day isn't necessary since you can get all the vitamins you need from healthy food. That said, athletes do need to make sure that they get their daily allowance of Vitamin E. Vitamin E is called an antioxidant which means that it helps the body's cells repair themselves. This is useful for athletes who do damage to their bodies on a daily basis. Still, there is no need to take a Vitamin E supplement because foods like fruits and vegetables and multi-vitamins are great sources.

17. I am an athlete, should I be taking protein supplements?

Every health food store is filled with all different types of protein supplements - from powders to pills. In their advertising, they make it seem as though you need them in order to build lots of strong muscles. Scientists have proven though that people who take these supplements don't grow muscles any faster than people who don't. So, instead of wasting your money on supplements, just be sure to eat a protein rich diet with foods like meat, fish, eggs, cheese, soy, nuts, tofu, or beans.

18. I am an athlete, should I be taking iron supplements?

Iron is one of the minerals that athletes need to make sure to get enough of. In blood, iron is responsible for carrying oxygen to body cells and removing carbon dioxide. People without enough iron are at risk for extreme fatigue and exhaustion. Adolescents have to be very careful to have enough iron in them because it also helps them grow. Luckily, foods such as meat, enriched breads, raisins, and dark leafy vegetables are all great sources. If you still don't think you have enough iron, talk to your doctor about taking an iron supplement.

19. I am an athlete, should I be taking calcium supplements?

Calcium is a very important mineral for everyone. Since it helps build and strengthen bones, it is especially important for athletes since weaker bones can break easier, leading to major injuries. Athletes should make sure to eat calcium rich foods such as milk, cheese, enriched juice, salmon, and dark leafy vegetables two to four times a day. If you include enough calcium in your diet, there will be no need for supplements.

20. I am an athlete, how many calories should I eat a day?

The answer to this question depends on a lot of things such as your age, gender, height, body weight, and how much exercise you get a day. It is best to consult with your doctor to figure out what is best for you but here are a few sample guidelines: a professional male ice hockey player can eat up to 5,000 calories a day and still stay in shape. The number is so high because most hockey pros are in their 20s and 30s and are pretty tall and bulky. A competitive male cross country skier can eat up to 6,000 calories a day. They have similar body types to hockey players but their sport burns more calories per day because races go on for hours so they can eat a little more. In contrast, a competitive female figure skater or gymnast should only eat about 2,000 calories per day. This is because they tend to be teenagers whose bodies need to be light enough to fly through the air.

top