Nutrition for Sports Performance: 3 Essential Amino Acids
Nutrition is probably the most decisive piece of the sports performance puzzle. If you don’t follow a well-constructed nutritional plan, there’s a big chance that your sports performance is going to be affected. Getting the right amounts of micronutrients and macronutrients could make the difference between getting to the nationals and ending up injured. Yeah, it seems like a pretty vague relationship, but it’s actually true. Nutrition plays a critical role in the performance of athletes because it determines the amount of energy an athlete will have to perform a given sport.
Like any other thing we do to get better at sports, it’s important for us to know why we need to follow a certain nutritional plan – eat certain foods and not others, cut down on some we already eat and so on. We should also know what those foods do to our body and how it affects our performance in sports. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the top three. Firstly, let’s talk about our Basal Metabolic Rate, BMR and why it’s important to know this value. The fundamentals of nutrition have a major effect on all sports athletes.
Basal Metabolic Rate
Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is simply the least amount of calories your body requires to carry out daily regular body functions while you are at rest. The value of this number is important for athletes to maintain the same weight without allowing the body to eat into your extra reserves. The quickest and easiest way to calculate your BMR is by multiplying your body mass X 10. When you do that, you’ll get a base number that is around 1-200 of your body mass. For instance, a 160lb female athlete needs to consume at least 1600 calories to just remain at the same weight while she’s not exerting herself.
When it comes to increasing the activity of an athlete, those extra carbs you have on practice days will make up for the additional burning of calories. If an athlete is trying to gain or lose more weight, the measurement has to be adjusted. A general rule of thumb is adding or subtracting 500 calories from the BMR to account for weight gained or lost.
Important Macronutrients for Sports Athletes
Proteins
Proteins are Proteins are regarded as the most important macronutrients for increasing sports performance because of their muscle-tissue regenerative capabilities. But proteins offer much more benefits than just repairing broken down muscle tissues. Proteins are amino acids, which the body can naturally produce in small amounts, below are 3 essential amino acids that our bodies must get from foods we eat. Each one of these has a distinct and vital role it plays to improve sports performance.
Essential Amino Acids for Athletes
Let’s take a look at three of the eight amino acids that are critical for sports performance: Valine, Leucine and Isoleucine. Please note that the information contained in this article is not intended to be a prescription for sports athletes. Please confirm with and consult your sports health physician before taking any protein supplements to boost your performance.
Leucine
Leucine is essential for sports performance because it assists in regeneration of muscle tissues after exercise. It’s also the amino acid responsible for regulating your blood sugar level, as well as replenishing your body with energy after a heated workout. Leucine can be used as a substitute to glucose after exercise. Here are a few common protein-rich foods and their Leucine content (In %)
- Milk – 9.8%: 31 grams
- Egg – 8.8%: 34 grams
- Fish – 8.1%: 37 grams
- Beef – 8%: 38 grams
- Chicken – 7.5%: 40 grams
- Wheat – 6.8%: 44 grams
Going by these percentages, you ideally need to consume at least 30 grams of protein daily, and more if you are getting Leucine from plant-based proteins. (Which contain less Leucine content) The quality of proteins you consume primarily dependent on the Leucine content. The amount of protein you consume and its effects on your sports performance will depend on the quality, and not just the quantity of proteins you consume.
Isoleucine
Isoleucine is derived from Leucine and helps to regulate blood sugar levels. Isoleucine aids muscle recovery after a tedious exercise and also helps to regulate general energy levels. Isoleucine is available as a supplement in a bitter powder or in a capsule form.
Valine
Valine is one of the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) that work with the other two BCAAs, isoleucine and leucine, for rapid tissue development, repair of broken down tissues, managing glucose, and maintaining high energy levels. Valine prevents the breakdown of muscle tissues by supplying your muscles with the additional glucose needed for vitality after an intense workout. Valine also helps expel potentially poisonous substances from the liver and can transport nutrients to different tissues in the body as required.
It is an essential amino acid, which means that it can’t be produced in the body; and must be obtained from dietary sources. Common sources of valine include:
- Meat
- Dairy products (e.g. milk and cheese)
- Mushrooms
- Peanuts
- Soy protein.
Although the vast majority of athletes get enough valine from their nutritional plans, there have been recorded instances of valine insufficiency.
Athletes with an intense workout regimen or engaged in body-building can consider taking valine supplements. Valine is available in a capsular form, and many experts advise that it be taken together with the other amino acids mentioned above, isoleucine, and leucine. The perfect balance is 2 mg of Leucine and Valine for every 1 mg of isoleucine.
A word of caution here, excessive doses of valine may cause hallucinations and a skin creeping sensation and even visualizations. It can even disturb your normal liver and kidney functions. Never take protein supplements without first consulting a qualified sports health physician.
Last words
Nutrition is an essential component of sports performance that cannot be overlooked. For athletes to excel and maintain high levels of activity, they must create and adhere to a nutritional plan which is suitable for their particular type of sport. However, before starting any nutritional plan, please consult a qualified sports health physician to determine what foods and supplements will be suitable for you based on your overall level of health and medical history.
