Sports nutrition is now a worldwide need

By Eddy Sutio

Physical fitness is a universal phenomenon. People from all walks of life around the world are now more aware about the need to engage in any physical activity to maintain their health. They are also more aware now that exercise, as a discipline, needs a particular dietary program to go with it.

Collaboration among sports scientists from America, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia resulted in the development of world wide sports nutrition. There is a growing efforts of collaboration among different sports nutrition, to share among themselves, the latest findings in the world wide sports nutrition efforts. 

One of the most interesting findings from this research, if not latest, is the attitude of the peoples from every region or country engaged in physical fitness. They seem to follow a pattern of "universality" with their attitude towards sports and fitness.

1. Number one in the list is the preoccupation with "winning" aspect of sports competition. This mindset had made athletes, coaches, and sports managers, victims of sports and sports nutrients misinformation.

Many are convinced that their regular sports nutrition is not enough succumbed to several drastic measures. Some have restricted their fluid intake, frequented saunas, while others used laxatives. Some even reportedly went too far as fasting. If you would ask me how in the world your body would develop muscles while fasting-I have no idea. Base on this, a world wide sports nutrition is in tall order.

2. Second from the list of findings is the overwhelming belief in excessive training. While it is true that gradually raising your training or exercise into a higher level each time as needed, overworking your body will do you no good.

You need to allow your body to heal or repair itself. There is a wide consensus among sports experts that a full day is what your body needs to recover its lost energy level after a strenuous exercise.

3. A more stringent exercise can make up for poor nutrition program. Here's another argument why world wide sports nutrition is so important.

The findings talks about testimonials from several respondents, admitting to regular visit with their favorite fast-food chain, while enrolled in a sports program. The logic behind this attitude seems to be the belief of these respondents that their "poor diet" will be burned out once they enter the gym.

This is a clear indication that there is still a need for a sports nutrition awareness program wider in scoop. This prompted one respondent to comment that perhaps, a website containing lots of information on world wide sports nutrition would help.

Related to this problem is the amount and quality of food intake that is so essential in every fitness or sports program. Many people still consider sports nutrition as non-essential part of their fitness program. They seem to think that food intake has little relation with their health program.

4. Another common widely held belief in relation to world wide sports nutrition concept is the idea behind muscle growth. A lot of people believe that it is during workout or exercise that muscles develop.

This directly runs counter the fact that during exercise, our muscles are literally being destroyed and needed enough rest after exercise. But this "destruction" should  not be avoided because our immune systems depends much on this destruction to recalibrate its defense mechanisms by stimulating its arsenal of antibodies.

During the "healing process", i.e., rest period, the human body is flooded with natural chemicals to help the muscles heal it's own system. This body chemicals, was found out, to stimulate the slowdown switch of cell ageing.

In simple terms, the more people work out, the more their cells age slowly. But again nutrition is central to this, because human body depends on the food intake as basic energy. World wide nutrition then, becomes an important concept for the understanding of this phenomenon worldwide.

And this amazing process does not happen during the exercise regimen. This healing process happens during the night, while a body is at rest. It seems that evolution had really decreed that it needs mammals, particularly humans, to be at rest, while it do wonders.

This is the reason why we will never outgrow the need for sleep. The human body, an incredible machine as it is, needs rest, and sustenance, as evidenced by worldwide sports nutrition.