What is the relationship between nutrition and performance?

Nutrition can help improve athletic performance. An active lifestyle and exercise routine, along with a good diet, are the best way to stay healthy. Following a good diet can help provide the energy you need to finish a race or simply enjoy a casual sport or activity. The relationship between nutrition and sports performance is as certain as the connection between physical training and sports success.

The physical demands of all sports require the consumption of healthy foods, with the correct proportion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The types of foods eaten should also contain optimal amounts of vitamins and minerals, all backed by adequate and consistent levels of hydration in the body. Good nutrition helps students get to school ready to learn. Because improvements in nutrition make students healthier, students are likely to have fewer absences and attend class more often.

Studies show that malnutrition leads to behavioral problems and that sugar has a negative impact on children's behavior. However, these effects can be counteracted when children eat a balanced diet that includes proteins, fats, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. Therefore, students will have more time in class and will have fewer interruptions in learning throughout the school year. In addition, student behavior can improve and cause fewer classroom interruptions, creating a better learning environment for each student in the class.

According to the ISSN and other sports nutrition experts, when a person loses 2% or more of their body weight through sweating, it can significantly affect their performance. There are several sports science and medicine support systems in different countries to help elite athletes1, and nutrition is a key component of these services. Carbohydrates receive a great deal of attention in sports nutrition because of the vital role they play in athletic performance. The development of a specific nutritional plan for an elite athlete will represent variations, unlike any total change, in basic nutritional approaches.