Nutrition and athletic performance

Optimal athletic performance requires adequate nutritional support. This mean getting enough food to meet increased energy needs and a wide variety to ensure adequate nutrient intake. The main energy source should be carbohydrate. Dietary guidelines for healthy eating apply to athletes and diabetics alike. This study evaluated the diets of young athletes for nutritional adequacy and determined the effect on their performance. Sample selection was based on convenience and included normal and diabetic athletes, mainly swimmers and footballers. Attitudes and practices were determined by questionnaire and a 24-hour recall provided data on nutrient intake. BMI and body fat were calculated. Results showed that the nutritional factor most likely to be low was energy. in many cases, this correlated with the athlete's perception of performance. Vitamin and mineral intakes were generally adequate but fibre intake tended to be low. This may be related to the sparsity of fruits and vegetables for many. The main sources of carbohydrate were refined cereals and sugars. Carbohydrate intake ranged from 50-60 percent of calories. Fat intake was relatively high and protein substantial. Most had BMIs above average, with a few underweight and two marginally overweight. Performance was related to quality of diet and importance placed on nutrition. Also critical was the level of training and self-esteem score.(AU)

Diabetes diet in the Caribbean: deprivation or satisfaction? - position statement

Diet and exercise are recommended as the first line of intervention for Type 11 diabetes, especially in patients presenting with obesity. There are many patients in the Caribbean who have a negative perception of the diabetic diet and prefer to take medication as a more desirable option. The reasons stated below for these perception are mainly subjective and based on experience in working with these persons and their doctors. 1. Doctors often refer patients "to get a diet sheet". They perceive this single sheet of paper as being a lifetime prescription of what to eat, when, in what form and in the correct quantity. The expectation is that by handing this to the patient, it has the power to cure a lifetime of poor eating habits and desires, and the patient must follow it explicitly without any resistance. 2. To the patient with little understanding of his or her condition or the need for dietary changes, the diet sheet is seen as an imposition which is going to disrupt his or her routine, create hardships for the family and alienate him or her form social contacts. Patients go through the routine of accepting their fate but as soon as they leave the doctor's or dietitian's office, the piece of paper lands in the garbage can. 3. The dietitian traditionally has imparted dietary information as rules of dos and don'ts with the absurd reward of allowing the patient to eat as such as desired of "free foods". Needless to say, these are usually the very foods which the person has the least desire for. The modern approach to the diabetic diet is however one of working together with the client to develop an eating plan that meets personal needs in every way. All foods are allowable so the emphasis shifts from "right foods and wrong foods" to "desirable eating habits" and "understanding eating habits". This is applicable to all member of the family so that the client does not feel alienated from them. Implementing this approach does, however, require a greater level of involvement from the client and his/her family as they work through what works and what does not, for them. A successful working relationship must be developed to generate the kind of commitment required. This means more time than it often realized, but the reward are greater in terms of a more liberalized lifestyle and greater enjoyment of wider range of foods and dishes (AU).