Athletes or sportsperson need food which can prevent them from obesity and provide them with all the needed nutrition and energy which is required for performing the rigorous physical exercises. The diet of athletes should include substances which can provide them proteins and nutrition for rebuilding tissues and for repairing damaged cells. A balanced diet should be taken to prevent excesses of any substance. There are certain food products which can hinder the process of rebuilding in muscles and athletes should be cautious to avoid such food items in their diet.

The calorie requirement for an average athlete is around 2000 and to increase the amount of calories you should not just increase the quantity of food but should increase the number of times the meals are taken. A smaller section of snacks should be added to fulfill the appetite in between practice sessions.

You can include a number of different varieties of food items in the diet to keep the food interesting and to enjoy eating.

The diet of an athlete or sportsperson should include

Breakfast: Light boiled eggs with bread, orange for fruit and low fat spreads, or bran cereals, yoghurt and fruits juices or brown breads, tomatoes and low fat spread. Any of the combination can be taken in one time.

Lunch: It can include tuna fish, tomatoes/onion/salads, celery sticks, apples, beetroot/crisp breads. Salads can be taken with lean ham or take chopped parsley with vegetable oils and fruits.

Dinner: You can take chicken and vegetables in dinner or soups, fishes, beans and a fruit.

The total calorie requirement of the day should be met by the selected diet and one should try to avoid high fat diet.

Body builders may need more than 3000 to 5000 calories in day. You can include certain snacks from these: sausage roll or pies or ice cream or butter sandwich or pudding or biscuits or sardines or oatcakes, during the day to fulfill the need to eat.Sportsperson who is weight trainers or body builders need a good amount of proteins and calories in day. Muscles can be grown on taking fresh fruits and vegetables, and it has been found that the muscles which are built by taking fruits and vegetables are stronger as compared to non vegetarian diet.

Some of the food items which can be included frequently in diet are

The food products which should be included in the diet are yoghurt, oatmeal, fruits such as blueberries or Emblica officinalis, sweet potatoes and salmon. Most of the dietary requirements are fulfilled by these food products.

1. Oatmeal can be taken with milk and dried fruits or it can be cooked in oven with milk.

2. Yoghurt provides Vitamin B 12 and it can be taken in snacks.

3. Blueberries and Emblica officinalis are fruits which contains good amount of antioxidants and Vitamin C needed for controlling blood pressure.

4. Sweet potatoes provide vitamin E and iron which is needed for oxygen production in body.

5. Salmon contains omega fatty acid which is required for preventing heart diseases. Omega fatty acids are found in fish and flax seeds. It provides protection against arthritis and inflammations.

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