As an athlete, you need to look at what type of sport you compete in. No matter what sport you compete in, you will need a large amount of energy. You need nutrient-dense foods to help recover from the rigors of being an athlete. 

You will eat foods chock-full of specific vitamins and minerals, like vitamin D and zinc, as an athlete. Foods high in vitamins and minerals will help with recovery and sleep. You can also get energy from higher carbohydrate-based food. Eating a lot of carbs will allow you to produce a higher amount of power output later in the competition.

The research will show that an athlete with a higher carbohydrate consumption before the competition will lead to producing power at a higher percentage later on in the competition. Distance runners specifically respond well to higher carbohydrate nutrition plans because they burn so many calories.

Eating more carbohydrates also causes you to have healthy gut flora. Eating more carbohydrates means you are probably eating more fiber and more microbiota-accessible carbohydrates. Your healthier gut allows you to improve your absorption of nutrition.

You will also find that consuming a diet high in protein will help you perform at a higher level, especially when participating in rigorous training. Higher amounts of protein don’t mean fats are bad, it means that in the macronutrient balance that it is favorable to have more carbs and proteins.

You want to source your meat or fish from something wild or grass-fed meat. The higher the quality of meat the better. Grass-fed meat is high in omega 3’s and higher in conjugated linoleic acid. Along with that, it is high in protein, tastes good, and gives you a lot of B vitamins.

You can go to your typical grocery store and try to buy meat that is lean and healthier. You can also source wild fish online. Wild salmon is great. At worst, you can get your fish from farm-raised environments.

Having a high-protein diet makes you more satiated. Your body uses more calories to digest the protein. Protein helps recovery from arduous training that puts a toll on your body. The high protein helps you rebuild the muscle that is damaged to increase hypertrophy. 

You want to have meat 6 to 7 times a week. Increase your total protein intake regularly.

Nutrition is one of the most overlooked portions of sports performance. Food isn’t just fuel. If you want to optimize your overall performance, you have to optimize your diet. Not only do you need a high carbohydrate diet that is timed well, but you also need a lot of protein with the appropriate amount of fat.

Fiber also plays a pivotal role in helping your gut microbiome which will enhance your nutrient absorption.