Running, or more commonly known as track and field, is a very common sport in almost all countries. In fact, each country gives out their best runner to compete with other countries and these runners run as fast as they can to give honor to their countries. Well, a runner won't be able to do that if he does not take the proper sports nutrition that runners should have.

Just like any other person, runners are also advised to observe balanced diet to get proper sports nutrition but the proper diet for runners should include intake of foods rich in carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals. Let us discuss them one by one.

CARBOHYDRATES

The best source of energy for runners is carbohydrates. In fact, runners should dedicate their calorie intake to at least 60 to 65 percent of carbohydrates. Taking the form of glycogen, carbohydrates is amassed in the liver as well as in the muscles but it is the muscle glycogen that is used to give us power when we run. This gets exhausted when we run that is why runners take a lot of water to fill it up.

FATS

The required fats intake of runners is at least 20% and at most 25% of their diet. This is because a higher fat diet would result to quick gain of weight. Obviously, a runner who carries a heavy body won't be able to run as fast as he should. So runners should stick to a diet low in both cholesterol and saturated fats. On the other hand, a fats-diet lower than 20% is likewise detrimental to health. People with very low fat percentages are sometimes considered anorexic and these people cannot run fast to be considered as runners. Another bad effect of very low fat percentage is the bone becoming brittle because of the fact that estrogen is not properly metabolized. Thus, sports nutrition dictate that a runner should take only what he needs.

PROTEIN

During training, it can't be helped that runners suffer loss of energy as well tissue damage. That is why protein is highly necessary in their diet. At least 15 to 20 percent of a runner's diet should be dedicated to protein because it helps give energy and even repair the tissues that are damaged. Thus, runners must ensure that they get enough protein because too little protein may result to poor recovery between sessions. However, too much is also not recommended because the body will only store the excess as fat.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

In order for the body to function properly, Vitamins are highly necessary. Each kind of Vitamin has its own role to play so the body needs to have a sufficient amount of each of these vitamins. Otherwise, deficiency may result and might lead to serious illnesses. Minerals, on the other hand, are the ones responsible in regulating the functions inside the body. It is responsible in ensuring that these functions are working properly. Of course, a runner must always be in shape at all times and both vitamins and minerals will greatly help.

So if you are a runner, take note of these. Surely, with proper sports nutrition, you can get that gold medal home and bring pride to your family and even to your country!