Why look at a food label?

The article presents information on reading food labels to assist athletes in making better food choices. It discusses the six components required to appear on labels by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including product identity, net contents or number of servings per container, and the ingredient list. The key recommendations of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are presented. Daily values as an expression of a food\u27s nutrient content are discussed

Nutritional needs of the recreational athlete

The article looks at the the nutritional requirements for recreational athletes. The author discusses the differences between recreational and competitive athletes. Requirements for energy intake are reviewed. The need for maintaining proper hydration and electrolyte levels is also noted. Differences in protein requirements for weightlifters and endurance athletes are discussed

B-complex vitamins\u27 role in energy release

This article reports on the B-Complex Vitamin\u27s role in energy release. The author describes the importance of carbohydrates as a source of energy in physical activity, as well as the ways in which vitamins, minerals, and water work together to impact an athletes performance. Included are the definitions of essential chemicals, the importance of the six basic nutrients, and the role of B-complex vitamins in energy metabolism

Energy in-energy out: A balanced equation?

The article reports that many athletes are not ingesting an adequate number of calories from their diets. Fat and lean body mass become the sources for fuel for energy and this leads to lack of tissue growth. Exercise physiologists have calculated energy intake and energy expenditure metrics with recommendations

Red Bull: The other energy drink and its effect on performance

The article reports on Red Bull energy drink and its effectiveness. It is created with synthetic ingredients which are stated to be the best quality available from pharmaceutical companies. Caffeine is one of the key ingredients which is normally not found in sports energy drinks. The limited research concludes that taurine and glucuronolactone in Red Bull have not been proven to improve body functions

Practical suggestions for vegetarian athletes

The article recommends health practices and behavior for vegetarian athletes. Vegetarians can be categorized by the types of foods that they consume. Vegetarian diets are more common among adolescents with eating disorders than in the general adolescent population. Athletic trainers should be concerned if symptoms of eating disorders surface in an athlete who states that he or she is a vegetarian

Nutritional concerns for ethnically diverse athletes

The article discusses the variety of international nutritional guidelines, comparing the food guide pyramid of the United States to similar constructs such as the Chinese food guide pagoda. Athletic therapists are advised to consider culinary differences between cultures when advising ethnically diverse athletes on nutritional issues

National Athletic Trainers\u27 Association Position Statement: Evaluation of Dietary Supplements for Performance Nutrition

Objectives: To help athletic trainers promote a food-first\u27 philosophy to support health and performance, understand federal and sport governing body rules and regulations regarding dietary supplements and banned substances, and become familiar with reliable resources for evaluating the safety, purity, and efficacy of dietary supplements. Background: The dietary supplement industry is poorly regulated and takes in billions of dollars per year. Uneducated athletes need to gain a better understanding of the safety, eligibility, and efficacy concerns associated with choosing to take dietary supplements. The athletic trainer is a valuable athletic team member who can help in the educational process. In many cases, athletic trainers are asked to help evaluate the legality, safety, and efficacy of dietary supplements. For this position statement, our mission is to provide the athletic trainer with the necessary resources for these tasks. Recommendations: Proper nutrition and changes in the athlete\u27s habitual diet should be considered first when improved performance is the goal. Athletes need to understand the level of regulation (or lack thereof) governing the dietary supplement industry at the international, federal, state, and individual sport-participation levels. Athletes should not assume a product is safe simply because it is marketed over the counter. All products athletes are considering using should be evaluated for purity (ie, truth in labeling), safety, and efficacy

National Athletic Trainers\u27 Association Position Statement: Safe Weight Loss and Maintenance Practices in Sport and Exercise

Objective: To present athletic trainers with recommendations for safe weight loss and weight maintenance practices for athletes and active clients and to provide athletes, clients, coaches, and parents with safe guidelines that will allow athletes and clients to achieve and maintain weight and body composition goals. Background: Unsafe weight management practices can compromise athletic performance and negatively affect health. Athletes and clients often attempt to lose weight by not eating, limiting caloric or specific nutrients from the diet, engaging in pathogenic weight control behaviors, and restricting fluids. These people often respond to pressures of the sport or activity, coaches, peers, or parents by adopting negative body images and unsafe practices to maintain an ideal body composition for the activity. We provide athletic trainers with recommendations for safe weight loss and weight maintenance in sport and exercise. Although safe weight gain is also a concern for athletic trainers and their athletes and clients, that topic is outside the scope of this position statement. Recommendations: Athletic trainers are often the source of nutrition information for athletes and clients; therefore, they practices, and methods to change body composition. Body composition assessments should be done in the most scientifically appropriate manner possible. Reasonable and individualized weight and body composition goals should be identified by appropriately trained health care personnel (eg, athletic trainers, registered dietitians, physicians). In keeping with the American Dietetics Association (ADA) preferred nomenclature, this document uses the terms registered dietitian or dietician when referring to a food and nutrition expert who has met the academic and professional requirements specified by the ADA\u27s Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education. In some cases, a registered nutritionist may have equivalent credentials and be the commonly used term. All weight management and exercise protocols used to achieve these goals should be safe and based on the most current evidence. Athletes, clients, parents, and coaches should be educated on how to determine safe weight and body composition so that athletes and clients more safely achieve competitive weights that will meet sport and activity requirements while also allowing them to meet their energy and nutritional needs for optimal health and performance