Proper nutrition for athletes is important, especially for those concerned with high-performance endurance challenges and events such as marathons or iron man competitions. Training for these types of events requires a great deal from your body. You can lessen the strain by eating the right foods during training. Food choices that are good during the training period are not necessarily good for you all of the time. In fact, the food that is best for you to eat in the days immediately prior to an event are very bad for you on a daily basis.

In the days and hours before a high-endurance event, it is best to choose foods that are high in carbohydrates. Proper nutrition for athletes emphasis carbohydrates much more than proper nutrition for other people. Ideally, 75 percent of your calories should come from complex and simple carbohydrates in the two or three days prior the to the event. Simple carbohydrates are foods that contain sugar in its simplest form, which requires minimal additional processing by the body. Sugar, molasses, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and whole wheat bread are all examples of complex carbohydrates.

The food that an athlete should eat on a daily basis is not the same as the food that should be consumed before a big event. Fat provides a sense of fullness because it takes a longer time to digest than carbohydrates. Protein is important because some studies have shown that during the early stages of vigorous exercise, the body can lose protein rapidly. Fiber is also important to maintain a healthy digestive system and a feeling of fullness. However, while cutting carbohydrates might be sensible for the average exerciser who is trying to stay trim, it is not a good idea for an athlete whose training is high intensity and occurs daily. When you exercise, your body is most easily able to derive energy from the stores of carbohydrates in your blood. Proper nutrition for athletes and maintaining healthy levels of those stores will allow you to experience more productive workouts.

Eating nutritionally-balanced food is of the utmost importance. Ideally you should get a large number of your vitamins and minerals from fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy. However, sometimes it is not possible to get the intake you need from food alone, in which case you should select a nutritional supplement in the form of pills or drink mixes.

Enough really cannot be said about the important of drinking water as an athlete. Dehydration can cause an athlete to experience exhaustion and muscle cramping while exercising. Drink water every time you exercise, as well as consistently up until and during an athletic event. Lack of water intake can also cause poor decision making, which is not a problem you want to encounter during endurance training. When preparing for an event, in addition to the water you drink before it, you should drink large amounts after the event. Drink at least two cups for each pound you lose during the event.