Position of Dietitians of Canada, the American Dietetic Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance
- PMID: 11551367
Position of Dietitians of Canada, the American Dietetic Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance
Abstract
It is the position of Dietitians of Canada, the American Dietetic Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine that physical activity, athletic performance, and recovery from exercise are enhanced by optimal nutrition. These organizations recommend appropriate selection of food and fluids, timing of intake, and supplement choices for optimal health and exercise performance. This position paper reviews the current scientific data related to athletes' energy needs, assessment of body composition, strategies for weight change, athletes' nutrient and fluid needs, special nutrient needs during training, the use of supplements and nutritional ergogenic aids, and nutrition recommendations for vegetarian athletes. During times of high physical activity, energy and macronutrient needs - especially carbohydrate and protein intake - must be met in order to maintain body weight, replenish glycogen stores, and provide adequate protein for building and repairing tissue. Fat intake should be adequate to provide essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, as well as to help provide adequate energy for weight maintenance. Overall, diets should provide moderate amounts of energy from fat (20-25% of energy); there appears to be no health or performance benefit to consuming a diet containing less than 15% of energy from fat. Body weight and composition can affect exercise performance, but should not be used as the sole criterion for sports performance; daily weigh-ins are discouraged. Consuming adequate food and fluid before, during, and after exercise can help maintain blood glucose levels during exercise, maximize exercise performance, and improve recovery time. Athletes should be well hydrated before beginning exercise; they should also drink enough fluid during and after exercise to balance fluid losses. Consumption of sport drinks containing carbohydrates and electrolytes during exercise will provide fuel for the muscles, help maintain blood glucose levels and the thirst mechanism, and decrease the risk of dehydration or hyponatremia. Athletes will not need vitamin-and-mineral supplements if adequate energy to maintain body weight is consumed from a variety of foods. However, supplements may be required by athletes who restrict energy intake, have severe weight-loss practices, eliminate one or more food groups from their diet, or consume high-carbohydrate diets with low micronutrient density. Nutritional ergogenic aids should be used with caution, and only after careful evaluation of the product for safety, for efficacy, for potency, and to determine whether or not it is a banned or illegal substance. Nutrition advice, by a qualified nutrition expert, should be provided only after the athlete's health, diet, supplement and drug use, and energy requirements have been carefully reviewed.
Similar articles
-
Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and athletic performance.J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Mar;109(3):509-27. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2009.01.005. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009. PMID: 19278045
-
American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Nutrition and athletic performance.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009 Mar;41(3):709-31. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31890eb86. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009. PMID: 19225360 Review.
-
[Sports nutrition].Rev Med Liege. 2001 Apr;56(4):200-3. Rev Med Liege. 2001. PMID: 11421152 Review. French.
-
Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and athletic performance.J Am Diet Assoc. 2000 Dec;100(12):1543-56. doi: 10.1016/S0002-8223(00)00428-4. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000. PMID: 11145214
-
Joint Position Statement: nutrition and athletic performance. American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association, and Dietitians of Canada.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Dec;32(12):2130-45. doi: 10.1097/00005768-200012000-00025. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000. PMID: 11128862
Cited by
-
The Role of Diets and Dietitians for Para-Athletes: A Pilot Study Based on Interviews.Nutrients. 2022 Sep 9;14(18):3720. doi: 10.3390/nu14183720. Nutrients. 2022. PMID: 36145095 Free PMC article.
-
Body Composition Assessment and Mediterranean Diet Adherence in U12 Spanish Male Professional Soccer Players: Cross-Sectional Study.Nutrients. 2021 Nov 12;13(11):4045. doi: 10.3390/nu13114045. Nutrients. 2021. PMID: 34836297 Free PMC article.
-
Effects of post exercise protein supplementation on markers of bone turnover in adolescent swimmers.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2020 Apr 15;17(1):20. doi: 10.1186/s12970-020-00350-z. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2020. PMID: 32293471 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
-
Sport nutrition for young athletes.Paediatr Child Health. 2013 Apr;18(4):200-5. doi: 10.1093/pch/18.4.200. Paediatr Child Health. 2013. PMID: 24421690 Free PMC article.
-
Evaluation of the nutrition knowledge of sports department students of universities.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2011 Sep 5;8:11. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-8-11. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2011. PMID: 21892942 Free PMC article.
LinkOut - more resources
Miscellaneous