Sports Nutrition - An Introduction

Most athletes and sportsmen who are promoting sports based products have a duty to their sponsors and unfortunately, do not have a responsibility to ensure that the information they disclose is accurate or complete. In reality, the only genuine source of information about sports nutrition that can be considered to be reliable is that available from reputable peer-reviewed scientific journals and magazines.

Previously many commentators on the subject would have made the fairly simplistic assertion that a diet of three meals a day which is balanced with respect to the major food groups would be sufficient and adequate to perform at an optimal level. However, this is not the case and most professional and elite athletes these days would specifically consult with a sports nutritionist or sports dietician to ensure that the fuel they are adding to their body is right for them and their activity.

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In fact, the complexity of the subject is such that it is believed that in order for the body to work best at the limit of its capability then a total of around 60 substances need to be ingested in some form every day. Admittedly many of these "ingredients for sports nutrition" are only required in small or miniscule amounts, but the fact is that they still need to be included in the diet.

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