Four macronutrients that can improve your athletic performance

Improving Athletic Performance

Increased energy. Improved stamina. Decreased recovery time. These are just a few of the benefits that an optimized diet can have for athletes. 

Your body is depending on you to supply it with the necessary raw materials to conduct its countless everyday functions. The more you demand from it, the more careful you must be about your nutritional strategies. Physical therapists can help you learn more about effective nutrition strategies. They can also help you improve your athletic performance by addressing sports injuries and other issues. 

Improving your athletic performance can mean paying attention to these four macronutrients

Proper nutrition can be vital for improving athletic performance; however, it can be difficult to know what nutrition aspects you need to focus on specifically. 

Macronutrients are one of the most important parts of an athlete’s nutrition plan. These are types of nutrients that the body needs in large amounts. Four of the most important macronutrients for boosting athletic performance are: 

  1. Carbohydrates — Carbs are vital to athletic performance because they provide immediate energy to the body. This makes them important for fueling short-burst activities and endurance training. Maintaining enough carbs in your diet also helps the body burn fats and prevents the body from burning proteins. 
  1. Proteins — This macronutrient is made up of 20 essential amino acids. Proteins are used for many bodily tasks, but in athletes, they’re especially important for muscle repair and strengthening. 
  1. Fats — Fats are stored as the body’s reserve fuel supply. But athletes also need fats in their diet for other reasons. They’re key to the production of the bone-and-muscle-mass-developing hormone testosterone. Additionally, they can help improve muscular endurance and joint lubrication.
  1. Fiber — Dietary fiber is another important macronutrient for athletes. This macronutrient comes from the indigestible parts of plants, and it fulfills many roles for athletes. For instance, getting enough fiber can help you feel full while eating fewer calories. In turn, this can help you lose weight. In addition, dietary fiber can boost your immune system. High-fiber foods also contain vitamins and minerals that are helpful to athletic performance. 

Find more ways to improve your athletic performance at SSOR

At SSOR, our team of physical therapy specialists can help you find many ways to improve your athletic performance. We offer complimentary screenings that can pinpoint muscle imbalances, joint misalignments and other performance-degrading issues. Our team also excels at building individualized physical therapy plans designed to reduce pain and decrease your risk of an athletic injury. 

Don’t have the time to come into one of our clinics for therapy? No worries! Our physical therapists can help you right from your own home thanks to our virtual therapy and at-home care. We can even get you started with a physical therapy plan if you don’t have a doctor’s referral. 

Are you ready to start getting our help with issues that are decreasing your athletic performance? Contact us today for more information about how we can help you or to schedule your initial appointment.