EFFECTS OF TIMING OF FOODS AND FLUIDS ON ATHLETES PERFORMANCE

The nutrition status of an individual prior to exercise training or event competition can have a considerable impact on athletic performance. 

Dietary recommendations should
focus primarily on adequate hydration and maximizing liver and muscle glycogen stores with suffi cient carbohydrates. The timing of meals and snacks depends on the intensity of the exercise and an individual’s gastrointestinal ability to tolerate varying amounts of foods and fluids. Therefore, strategies typically include consuming meals that are composed of familiar foods, moderate in protein, and low in fat and fiber to facilitate gastric emptying and to minimize gastrointestinal distress. Maintaining proper hydration status is critical both to overall health and physiological performance with exercise. Optimal exercise performance can occur if the rates of fluid ingestion/absorption are equal to the rate of fluid loss through sweat and/or urination.
Dehydration and associated health risks result from a fl uid imbalance, in which fl uid losses exceed fluid intakes and exercise performance becomes impaired. 
Dehydration can be further exacerbated in temperature/humidity extremes, where hot/humid conditions produce increased fluid losses through evaporation, and cold environments result in reduced rates of fluid ingestion. 113 In higher altitudes (higher than 2500 m), diuresis and respiratory fluid losses increase the recommendation for fl uid intake up to 3 to 4 l/day to sustain optimal kidney function. According to the DRI report concerning hydration, the average recommendation for total water (including drinking water, water in beverages, and water that is part of food) is 2.7 and 3.7 l/day for adult females and males, respectively. Both reports from the DRI and Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that drinking according to thirst and consuming beverages with meals are adequate to achieve these recommendations and maintain the hydration status of most Americans. Furthermore, the  guidelines for water consumption were established for individuals participating in light/moderate activities in relatively mild temperatures (~20°C). For more physically active individuals who may exercise in warmer climates, these recommendations would need to be adjusted accordingly.
Elite athletes or individuals who engage in higher-intensity, endurance-type exercises may be at risk of developing hyponatremia.Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) is defined as “the occurrence of hyponatremia in individuals engaged in prolonged physical activity (> 4 h) defined by a serum or plasma sodium concentration below the normal reference range (usually 135 mmol/l). According to the (2005) EAH Position Statement, women, novice athletes, slow-paced runners, and athletes with relatively low body weight, exercising in extreme hot/cold environments or have excessive drinking behaviors (either water or sports drinks), are at risk for hyponatremia. Read other important article HERE