European University of Lefke (EUL) Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Asst. Prof. Dr. Kamil Dağcılar made statements on “The Importance of Athlete Nutrition”.

“Sport, in addition to being a set of physical activities, refers to a concept that helps the individual socialise by giving people a sense of personal and social identity and a sense of group membership. Individuals do sports for different purposes such as socialising, being healthy, gaining success or earning money. The number of people doing sports is increasing day by day. In parallel with this, organisations organised in the field of sports are also increasing and developing day by day. Large-scale international organisations also increase the competitive environment.” Dağcılar stated that with the increase in competition, studies to increase athlete performance have also started to increase and studies in the field of sports nutrition are an example of this.

“Adequate and balanced nutrition of athletes is important for the realisation of optimal body functions.”

Dağcılar continued his statement as follows: The increase in competition has led to an increase in studies in the field of sports nutrition in the last 10 years. While studies contribute to the development of nutritional science, combining the science and practice of sports nutrition guides the development of athletes within the framework of the rules of the game. In addition to the protection of athlete health, nutrition is very important in terms of obtaining efficiency from the training, maintaining the desired body composition, and showing optimal performance during the competition. Especially the choice of food before training or competition and the time of food consumption directly affect performance. Excessive consumption of late-digested foods just before exercise or starting exercise with prolonged fasting causes a decrease in optimal performance. Furthermore, although sports branches are generally analysed in 3 groups: power-strength, endurance, and team sports, the energy and nutrient requirements of athletes in the same group but in different sports branches or athletes in the same sports branch but working in different positions may differ. Therefore, nutrition should always be individualised. The energy and nutrient requirements calculated by taking into account the physical intensity and duration of the sport and the individual characteristics of the athlete should be met with the right time and amount of nutrient liquid and/or nutritional supplements. Creating an athlete-specific nutrition plan helps to maintain athlete health and optimal performance.

Dağcılar expressed that “the duration and intensity of the trainings according to the period and periods in which the athletes are in cause the energy requirement of the athlete to change from day to day”. He also drew attention to some important points related to energy. The energy requirement basically varies between individuals depending on factors such as age, gender, and weight. The critical point in athlete nutrition is the correct determination of the energy expended and the correct fulfilment of the energy expended. If the dietary energy intake is lower than the energy expended during exercise, it causes a decrease in body lean mass and adversely affects performance. In cases of excessive energy intake, the body fat ratio increases, causing the athlete to fatigue early by exerting more effort, again causing the athlete’s performance to be negatively affected.

“The energy and nutrient requirements of the athlete should be determined by expert dieticians”

Finally, Dağcılar made some recommendations and concluded his words as follows: There is no miracle diet or food recommended for athletes. In general, it is recommended that athletes follow a diet that is rich in carbohydrates, while protein, vitamins, and minerals should be consumed sufficiently, and energy from fat should be in the range of 20% to 30%. In addition, replacing the fluid losses that increase with physical activity is also very important for athlete health and performance. Individual differences and habits, intensity, time, and duration of training are the main points to be considered in the nutrition of football players. If energy and nutrient requirements are not met adequately, hormonal imbalances, metabolic dysfunctions, and immune dysfunctions may be observed, especially due to inadequate energy intake. For this reason, it is very important that the energy and nutrient requirements of the athlete are determined by expert dietitians and a good nutrition plan is created.