GOLF NUTRITION

Golf Nutrition

Golf Nutrition

Introduction

For best competition performance on the golf course, maintaining proper nutrition is very important. There's no one specific food or diet that will fit every golfer's needs. A golfer's nutrition plan should be individualized to meet the needs of training and competition or recreational play. Since carbohydrates are the primary fuel for performance related activities, they should be the primary consideration of a golfer's diet.

Listed below is a breakdown of the amounts of food sources a golfer should have to maintain optimal performance on the course.

• 20-30% of daily calories from proteins.

• 20-25% of daily calories from fats.

• 50-60% of daily calories from carbohydrates.

These ranges leave you some room to create the ratio that works best for you. Here are some common ratios. They are listed in the order of carbohydrates, protein, then fat: 50-30-20, 55-25-20, 60-20-20. Each of these combinations promotes balance, while favoring carbohydrates to promote better energy. Whether eating for weight loss or to improve performance, here are 3 rules to follow which will guide you to a greater level of success.

1. Eat 5 to 6 small meals throughout the day.

2. Eat every couple of hours to increase your metabolism and keep energy levels constant.

3. Eat well balanced meals containing some carbohydrates, proteins and fat.

Thesis Statement

Instead of eating a traditional “three meals per day,” golfers can benefit from learning to eat several small meals over the course of the day.

Analysis

Most of the nutrients required for golf nutrition derive from:  ·   Macronutrients for golf nutrition: carbohydrates, proteins, fats and water  ·   Micronutrients for golf nutrition: vitamins and minerals

For optimum golf performance, you need to eat complex carbohydrates (those that break down slowly, such as legumes, fruits, green vegetables, whole-grain bread, cereals, pastas and rice) as your golf nutrition a minimum of two hours before your game.To sustain energy throughout the round, get your golf nutrition from eating fruits, such as an apple or a banana, or nuts and dried fruits such as raisins. Lay off candy bars and chips. Your daily golf nutrition requires you to empower your body with energy and strength through consuming foods high in protein. However, animal protein may also give you excessive fat. As an alternative, you may like to get your protein from vegetables and beans instead of from animals.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as little as 50-60 grams of protein (0.36 gram of protein per pound of body weight) is adequate for most adults. This breaks down to about 10 to 20 percent of total calories daily. As an athlete, you may require slightly more. To calculate the exact amount of protein for golf nutrition: Multiply your ideal weight - not your actual body weight - by 0.36. To illustrate, if your actual weight is 190 pounds, and your ideal body weight should be 160 pounds, then the amount of protein you need for golf nutrition is:160 X 0.36 gram = 57.6 grams of protein daily for optimum golf ...