Nutrient Timing for the High-Intensity Athlete
Feeding the Need Part 2 – “What Type of Athlete am I?”
Want better endurance? Want to feel better, not just during, but after training? Good nutrition can not be overrated when it comes to proper sports performance, recovery and growth.
Is your body screaming “more protein” or a packet of salt in your sports drink? Get a sense of what your body is craving for your particular sport. But before you break out the scale and calculator, take a moment to rate yourself on the intensity scale below. Once you determine at what intensity you train, it’ll be that much easier to design your nutrient training menu and bring your training up a notch!
Where do you fit on the Athletic Intensity Scale list?
1. Endurance – Vigorous, continuous activity for an hour or longer. Examples: long-distance running, cycling and cross-country skiing.
2. High Intensity (HI) – Short bursts of maximum or near maximum effort. Examples: Power lifting, combat sports, sprinting, plyometrics, tennis, volleyball, track and field, crew, swimming.
3. Moderate Intensity – Physical exertion difficult enough to increase your heart rate and cause heavy breathing, but easy enough to sustain for more than 30 minutes. Examples: aerobics, basketball, dance, jogging, Pilates, Qi Gong.
4. Low Intensity – Everyday activities that involve movement of major muscle groups. Examples: walking up stairs, walking to the store, washing the car.
