Image source: Parenthub

The world that we live in today is not the one that was there 10 years ago and is entirely different from what was present 50 years ago. The world is developing and life is getting easier, every task or chore that we do manually is getting automated for our pleasure and relaxation. Thus we are steadily moving to a sedentary lifestyle where our body doesn't move much. The side effects of such a lifestyle is being seen in this increasingly obese world. Thus the only way out of this vicious cycle is regular exercise and a balanced diet. The both should be complementary and not exclusive as right diet complements exercise and thus promotes a healthy functional body. A healthy body houses a healthy mind. A balanced diet is essential for everybody. But with regards to athletes and sports persons their daily calorie intake is much higher than that of a non exercising counterpart. Thus a balanced diet for an exercising person has a slight difference in composition.

A Balanced Diet:

• Carbohydrates: They are the primary energy source for the body.
• Fat: They come a close second to carbohydrates with respect to energy requirement and is usually the stored form of energy. It is also important with regards to transport of fat soluble vitamins.
• Minerals: They are inorganic elements found in varying concentrations throughout the body.
• Natural protein: They play a major role in the growth and repair of muscles.

• Roughage: They are the fibrous portion of diet which is needed for a healthy digestive system.
• Vitamins: Water and fat soluble vitamins are necessary for various metabolic processes of the body.
• Water: It is like the base material of the body and plays the important role of transporting aqueous substances.

Proteins:

They probably play one of the most important roles in maintaining a healthy athletic body. The quantity, type and time of protein intake all play a crucial role with regards to muscle growth, repair and replacement.

Functions:

• Muscle growth and repair.
• Natural proteins also play a crucial role in making enzymes, hormones and various other body chemicals.
• That they reduce appetite is a popular theory formulated by scientists even though the exact mechanism is not certain.

Quantity:

How much natural protein is needed for a human per day is represented by the term Recommended Dietary Allowance(RDA). The RDA tries to give a rough estimate of how much protein is required in grams per person per kilogram per day. This value varies for non-exercising people, endurance athletes and power athletes. Thus we can conclude that the amount of protein required cannot be generalized completely and depends on the nature of work the body muscles are doing.

• Normal Person:8g/kg/day
• Power Athlete:2-1.7g/kg/day
• Endurance Athlete: 2-1.4g/kg/day

The required ratio of carbohydrates:fat:protein is usually 60%:25%:15%. Thus a high protein diet does not necessarily mean its less in carbohydrates.

Type:

Whey Protein:

• It is a natural protein which is derived from milk. It is called what is known as a naturally complete protein as it contains all the necessary essential amino acids which are needed for daily body activities.
• It has the highest biological value as it is readily absorbed in full after a workout session.
• It also contains branch chain of amino acids which are the amino acids which are most used during intense exercise.
• It has a high concentration of methionine and glutathione which help in the production of glutathione which is an extremely powerful antioxidant.

Time:

• Even proportion of natural protein is advised to be taken throughout the meals of a day. But in our normal diet it is seen that we consume 15% for breakfast, 20% for lunch and the rest for dinner and snacks which isn't even. Thus for a fit body we should have proteins evenly throughout the day.
• It is essential to have natural proteins and carbohydrates just before , during and after exercise so as to promote faster and better muscle repair and growth.