R U Serious? You Did Not Know That You Should Not Eat Crap?

Milo of Croton (6^th century BC) was one of the greatest athletes of all time. In addition to winning many wrestling tournaments, he was an Olympic wrestling champion six times. Based on the stories of ancient Greek commentators, Milo’s daily diet consisted of 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of meat, 20 pounds of bread (9 kilograms) , and 18 pints of wine (2.25 gallons or 8.5 liters). While, based on physical appearance, it looks like some of today's professional and recreational athletes still use that kind of diet we can say that most individuals that are involved in sports activities are aware of important connection between nutrition and athletic performance.

In addition to talent and the burning desire to win, there are three components that are equally responsible for sports results: the quality of training, the quality of rest, and the quality of nutrition. When an athlete has satisfied only one or two of these requirements, the chances to achieve their top level of performance are immediately diminished. The consequences of this scenario are less visible in team sports where one extraordinary or very good individual can carry the entire team on their own back (Kobe Bryant - LA Lakers or Lionel Messi – FC Barcelona) but the consequences are highly visible in individual sports.

Since the quality of training and the quality of rest are not subjects of this article, let me go straight to the subject of relationship  between sports nutrition and athletic performance. Improper nutrition among athletes has multiple negative effects on performance:

• Extended recovery time after workouts
• Limited ability to sustain high levels of intensity and high volume of trainings
• Unsatisfactory performance in competitions
• Muscular system becoming susceptible to injuries
• Recovery time after injuries is slower 
• Immune system’s ability to fight infections diminishes

I know lot of athletes who do not think that nutrition is that important, but they are wrong. In professional or amateur sports you do not become a champion because you do something dramatically different than your competitors. You become the champion because you work just a little harder, your workouts are just a little longer, you plan just a little smarter, you sleep just a little longer, and you eat just a little better. When in each of the segments of athletic training you do just a little bit more than others and the difference between you and your opponents becomes dramatic: you are the champion, others are not.

Often, athletes work hard and they feel that they have hit a roadblock; they feel that whatever they do will not bring an improvement in their competition performance. They start using performance enhancing drugs because they think doping is the only remaining solution to achieve the dream. That is a mistake. This is the 21^st century; information on everything is easily accessible. Everybody, from recreational athletes to personal trainers, from professional athletes to their coaches, should spend some time and do some serious research on proper nutrition. Small changes and adjustments will bring a visible difference between the past and future performance: even if you do not become a world champion, you will definitely beat your personal best; and even if you do not have competitive goals, you will definitely bear your personal best as well..