Category: Sports dietetics

Research shows high-intensity soccer play rapidly depletes muscle glycogen stores, the body's primary energy source. Knowing what is the best breakfast for soccer is therefore crucial for topping off these reserves and ensuring you have the endurance and mental acuity to last the full 90 minutes.

Studies have revealed that female vegetarian runners often exhibit lower iron stores than their meat-eating counterparts. This highlights why understanding which mineral is commonly deficient among vegetarian athletes is a critical step for maintaining peak performance and overall health on a plant-based regimen.

Endurance training drastically increases an athlete's energy requirements, with some marathon runners needing over 4,500 calories daily to meet their demands. Understanding how many calories should a long distance runner eat a day is crucial for fueling performance, preventing injury, and ensuring proper recovery.

According to sports dietitians, for races under 90 minutes like a 5K, specific carbohydrate loading is unnecessary for most runners, as the body's natural glycogen stores are typically sufficient. The key to nailing your nutrition lies in a strategic pre-race and race-day fueling plan that delivers the right carbs at the right time, ensuring you have the energy to run your best.

According to the World Health Organization, limiting free sugar intake to less than 10% of total energy is part of a healthy diet. However, this recommendation doesn't provide the full picture for active individuals. So, **can we eat sugar if we do the gym**? The short answer is yes, but the timing, type, and amount are crucial for maximizing performance and health, rather than harming your progress.

According to one study, nearly 90% of physically active people experience exercise-induced muscle cramps in their lifetime, leading many to seek quick fixes like mustard. But beyond anecdotal tales of consuming a packet to stop cramps, is mustard truly good for recovery from a nutritional standpoint?

During intense exercise, the body depletes its glycogen stores and creates microscopic muscle damage. While it's clear that refueling is necessary, does eating more increase recovery, or is the key to consuming the right nutrients at the right time? A strategic nutritional approach is proven to be far more effective than mere overconsumption.

After a strenuous workout, the body enters a recovery phase where replenishing glycogen and repairing muscle tissue are paramount. Many people, driven by convenience and craving, might wonder: **is pizza a good recovery food?**

After an intense workout, your body's muscle glycogen stores can be depleted by as much as 90% depending on the duration and intensity. This physiological response is the primary reason **why am I craving rice after a workout** and other carbohydrate-rich foods, as your body sends a powerful signal to replenish its energy reserves. Understanding this process is key to optimizing your recovery and fueling your fitness goals.

The practice of eating a big bowl of pasta before a race is a tradition for countless runners. However, should a runner eat pasta the night before a race, or is this time-honored ritual built on a misconception? The truth is that proper pre-race fueling is more strategic than a single, last-minute meal.