Super Sports Nutrition

Hello, I’m The Proleptic. I’m here to teach the prospective
superheroes of the world a thing or two about prepping themselves for
the road ahead. What I’m going to discuss is the subject of sports
nutrition. What you do or do not know about taking care of yourself in a
physical sense can make all of the difference in a fight-or-flight
situation. Let me say this now, if you have the choice to avoid a physical confrontation, avoid it at all costs!
The last thing this select community needs, it’s one of our own in a
potentially life-threatening situation. However, many people define
superheroes by their superior strength, agility, speed, and ability.
But, in order to tap into that potential, knowledge of proper nutrition
techniques is required.


I’ve never been one to dawdle around, so let’s get to the point. In
order to increase your strength and speed, as well as build your
physique, there are rules to follow. I’m only going to touch on a few of
them today, but they are the points that I consider the most vital.
Your topics for today are as follows:


-Eating well
-Vitamins/Minerals
-Protein


Topic number one, eating well:


If you think you can be a superhero by eating poorly, you are
mistaken. In order for your body to function correctly (cognitive,
digestive, motor, etc. functions). If you are looking to build yourself
up at the gym or at home, a proper diet is essential.


Eating plenty of meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains are the
cornerstone of any successful diet. Meats provide you with the protein
and amino acids your body needs to recover and grow. Fruits and
vegetables provide the body with many of the vitamins, minerals it
requires as well as fiber, which is important for digestion. Grains
provide you with carbohydrates. Contrary to popular belief, carbs are
NOT the enemy. Carbohydrates are some of the most basic forms of energy
your body uses and without them, you’d be about as motivated as a rock.


Now, there are good carbs and bad carbs. Bad carbs are refined sugar
(aka fructose), white bread, most pizza doughs, and most pasta; they are
referred to as simple carbs and are the commonly the product of food
processing. Consuming some simple carbs during the right time of the day
is not a bad thing as long as the portion is limited and eaten at the
right time of day. Stay away from simple carbs at night time if possible.
Complex carbs are whole grains: bread, pasta, rice, etc. These are
unrefined, unprocessed carbohydrate sources that are much healthier than
their simpler counterparts. Complex carbs should still be avoided at
night time if possible.


Fats are also part of a healthy diet as long as they’re the right
kind. Like carbs, fats have healthy and unhealthy members. The kind of
fat to be avoided is saturated fat. Saturated fat is animal fat, or
solid fat. Limit your consumption of saturated fat as much as you can.
Unsaturated fat, commonly found as vegetable/olive oil, inside nuts,
avocados, etc. are considered healthy fat. Since your body needs fat,
it’s worth considering trying to obtain your daily fat amounts from an
unsaturated source. A rule of thumb is to remember that unsaturated fats
are derived from plants. Saturated fat comes from animal sources
exclusively.


Moving on to category 2, vitamins and minerals:


Vitamins and minerals are the catalysts of every process your body
carries out. If you are lacking in these you will have a much harder
time getting in shape. Most vitamins and minerals are found in healthy
diets that include fruits and vegetables. It can be difficult to eat
well enough to get proper amounts of vitamins and minerals in your diet,
that’s why I suggest taking a multi.This way you’re ensuring that if
you aren’t able to eat properly one day, you will at least get your
essential vitamins and minerals.


From my experience, GNC carries the best vitamins. I say that because
they are naturally sourced and contain no synthetics, which your body
cannot fully process anyways, and they’re time released. Most vitamins
come in a capsule that dissolves and releases the vitamin and mineral
content into your system so quickly that you can’t absorb all of it and
it goes to waste. Time releasing is important because it releases the
nutrients in a steady manner, allowing for proper absorption. GNC also
carries a wide variety of multis, ranging from antioxidant support,
sport support, and even energy support. The list goes on.

The last of my topics takes us to the subject of protein.


Protein is essential for building muscle. While it can be found in
many foods, taking protein immediately after a workout is a MUST for
building muscle.


During your workout, your muscles are being constantly broken down. A
source of protein taken within 30 minutes of your workout not only
helps your body put itself back together, it also encourages muscle
growth. After a workout, taking 40-50 grams of whey (milk-derived)
protein in the form of a shake is ideal. The fast-acting nature of whey
protein helps to deliver an immediate source of recovery fuel for your
muscles. Not only will you help your body in recovering itself, you will
probably feel less sore in the morning.


My preferred protein is Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Whey. It can
be bought at a very reasonable price both online and in stores, it
provides a solid 24 grams of high-quality protein per scoop, and the 5
lb tub contains at least 73 servings per container.


In addition to protein shakes, eating a high-protein diet will
further your recovery and muscle building, as the human body requires
between 0.8 – 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to build
substantial muscle. Also, consuming more fiber and eating more fruit
will provide your body with both fiber and digestive enzymes to aid your
protein digestion, thus improving your body’s protein economy.

That covers it for now, three basics to help you become more “super”.
There’s one more point I’d like to exphasize, and it’s more important
than most other advice, and it’s this:

Consistency is key! Any effort to get stronger will
ultimately fail if you fail in keeping a consistent schedule. Put away
some time every week to work out. Even if you can’t work a full workout,
try to do something so you will at least maintain what you’ve worked
for.


Until next time