Nutrition

In order to excel in badminton you will need to adopt an adequate nutritional

program. Don’t
preoccupy yourself with losing weight in a fastest manner. You should adopt a diet
which will
provide you with the right balance of food and drink and satisfy your organism’s
needs. It is very
important that you eat properly and drink enough water during your hard training.

The food that you eat will provide you with the needed fuel for energy which will
ensure the
proper functioning and growth of your muscles and efficiency of your whole body.
The main
ingredients that your body requires are fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

In order to build a lean mass of muscles you will have to combine a proper intake
of calories
with an adequate working out and training program. Fueling of those exercises and
building of
muscle tissues will require intake of sufficient amounts of calories. While proper
intake of
calories is very important, you should make sure to intake the proper sort of
calories.
Carbohydrates are considered to be the dominant source of energy for most muscle
strengthening programs and sports, badminton included. They are being stored as
glycogens in
humans’ muscles and act as a fuel which is used to provide enough energy for brief
but
intensive bursts of power. The longer and harder you work out, the more glycogens
or fuel your
muscles will need.

Once you empty the storage of glycogens in your body, your energy level will be
considerably
reduced and you will be forced to stop exercising. Athletes who are doing strength
exercising,
badminton training and are concerned with developing of lean muscles, should
consider
carbohydrates in their nutrition.

Carbohydrates can be divided in two main categories – simple and complex. Simple
carbohydrates are found in sweets, sugar, chocolate, energy drinks and so on. In
these forms
they contain a lot of ‘empty’ calories and sugar and have very low nutritional
value. This means
that you should avoid consuming such food in larger quantities, as it may even be
bad for your
health.

If you consume too much sugar contained in simple carbohydrates, your body will
compensate
the situation by lowering the level of sugar in your blood. The additional energy
will then be
stored as fat, while reduced level of sugar in your blood will cause fatigue.
Therefore make sure
not to eat sugary foods or drinks prior to playing Badminton.

Complex carbohydrates are considered as beneficial for one’s health. In regard to

your dietary
needs, they have a lot more complex structure and high nutritional level. They are
contained in
brown rice, whole-meal bread, peas, potatoes, beans, cereals, nuts, fruits and
root vegetables.

It is recommended that complex carbohydrates should be contained in 40-50% of your

daily
diet. You will need more carbohydrates as your exercises become harder.

Nutrition experts advise importing of minimum 500 – 600 grams of carbohydrates per
day in
order to keep the glycogen storage of your muscles on a high level.

Personal requirements of carbohydrates can be based on the following formula:

3.6 grams of carbohydrates x body weight (in lbs) = carbohydrates grams per day
For example, a person who weighs 200 lbs will require around 720 grams of
carbohydrates per
day, which equals 2900 carbohydrate calories.
Fats are one of the essential nutrition elements together with carbohydrates and
proteins. Your
body needs a certain amount of fats in order to remain healthy. Fats can be
saturated and
unsaturated. Saturated fats are found in cheese, butter and meat, while
unsaturated fats are
contained in fish and vegetable oils.

Generally, it is considered that you should intake somewhat more unsaturated than
saturated
fats. Anyhow, you need fats as they have an important role in functioning of your
body and they
provide the energy fuel for your muscles. Fats should be consisted in around 30%
of your total
daily diet.

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Proteins are considered to be the main building material of muscle tissues and
people who are
involved in badminton training and regular exercising require more proteins in
their diet than
people who do not work out. However, many athletes who are occupied with strength
training
are often overestimating their body’s need for proteins.

You should import proteins in quantity of around 10 to 15% of your daily diet.
Strength athletes
who are seriously training need to import around 0.6 – 0.8 grams per a pound
weight of the
body. That equals 128 to 164 grams for a person who weighs 200 lbs, or 90 – 115
grams for
140 lbs weighing person. Proteins are the basic source of essential amino-acids
and are found
in meat, dairy products and fish, as well as in cereals peas, nuts and beans.
It is also important that your diet includes fibers, as they are needed for proper
functioning of
your stomach. They are found in vegetables, beans, peas and seeds. You should eat
15-25
grams of fibers every day.

One of the most important parts of your nutritional program is water. You need to
drink enough
water to compensate for losing it through sweat during your training, competitions
and practice.
If you do not drink water, your body will soon overheat and your blood will cease
to properly
circulate around your body, depriving your muscles from the much needed fuel for
their optimal
functioning.

It is necessary that you drink water to regulate the temperature of your body and
to ensure the
proper functioning of your muscles during trainings.

You should always start your exercising fully hydrated. During the workout, make
sure that you
often sip small amounts of water to compensate for losing it.

Aside from regular daily intake of 8 glasses of water, you will need to drink
additional water to
compensate for the fluids that are been lost during your working out. To make sure
that you are
fully hydrated prior to your training, drink two cups of water two hours before
exercising.

While you are working out, also drink four to eight ounces every fifteen to twenty
minutes. After
you have finished with your training, compensate for any losses of fluid by
consuming additional
sixteen ounces of water. To be absolutely precise, you may weigh yourself prior to
and after
exercising. For each pound that you lose while you are working out, you should
compensate by
drinking sixteen ounces of water.
Sport drinks and energy bars can be helpful when exercising lasts more than one
hour. There
are also supplements of carbohydrates which can help you to import the needed
amount of
carbohydrates if you do not have time to eat a proper meal during a busy day. It
is convenient to
consume a beverage which replaces a meal right after training or working out,
however it can
also be done with a banana, a tuna sandwich, a bagel, or some other snack of real
food.

Try to always import some carbohydrates and proteins after your working out, so
your muscles
could receive the much needed fuel to grow and refill glycogen storage for your
training and
working out that will follow.

Food supplements which are supposed to improve building of muscles in most cases
aren’t
working. However, some of them like creatine, electrolyte and fluid replacers,
supplements of
carbohydrates and replacers of liquid meals, may serve a purpose for some athletes
and their
training program.

Creatine has a potential to help an athlete produce somewhat more power during his
training,
however it has to be combined with a proper diet. Some examinations have shown
that gaining
of muscle tissues can be speeded up by loading creatine into them.

Although there are many supplements of creatine available at the market, meat
remains the
best nutritional source of creatine. An average dosage of creatine loading is five
grams of
creatine monohydrates 4 times per day, for five days. Recommended maintenance
dosage is 2
grams per day. If you consume more creatine than it is needed, it will give you no
additional
benefit. As well, you need to be aware that there are some governmental
regulations or control
for many popular dietary supplements, creatine included. This means that you are
taking those
supplements at your own risk, as there is no guarantee whatsoever that they are
pure.

You should consult some legit physician, nutritionist or a provider of health care
to advise you a
personal nutritional program.

Within the first hour after your exercising, it is essential that you restock your
glycogen reserves
by eating carbohydrates. That will help you to recover more quickly and restock
your energy
fuel. If you miss to do so, you may find exercising the following day somewhat
more exhausting.

If you are working out throughout the day, make sure that you eat often small
snacks, which will
help you to regenerate and refuel energy.
If you are a competitive player, make sure that your breakfast is consisted of
complex
carbohydrates. Drink a lot of water to keep yourself fully hydrated during
practice, competitions
and workout. Check your daily diet, so you include the needed amount of fats,
proteins and
fibers. Make certain that you are eating carbohydrates within the first hour after
hard training
and take a day off to rest to allow your muscles and liver to refuel their
glycogen reserves.

Have a main meal at least 3 to 4 hours prior to competition, as it will need time
to digest. During
the competition itself, eat small carbohydrate snacks like bananas and cereal bars
and drink
water or fruit juices.

It is interesting to note the difference between nutritional diets of Asian people

and those from
the western countries, simply because of the outstanding results that Asian
athletes are
constantly producing on every competition of a world-wide level in most of sport
disciplines.

When you enter a typical western supermarket, it is hard not to be impressed by

the mere
variety of the food that is offered on its shelves. However, we need to be able to
see the bigger
picture by taking into account completely different nutrition of billions of
people in Asia, who are
constantly coming up with superior competition results. Taking into account their
dominance in
sport it would be arrogant not to consider nutritional practices of Asia as well,
and pinpoint the
major differences between eastern and western diet.

Many Asian people used to live in rural areas, in villages or on farms where they
grew their own
food. Many of them still have limited access to supermarkets and shops where a
processed and
refrigerated food can be bought. The major component of the diet in rural areas is
grain,
especially rice.

Many households grew it by themselves and there is even an interesting statistics

for the year
1999 in China – the rural households consumed an average amount of 247 kilograms
of grain
per person, and only 42 kg of that quantity was bought. In year 2000 only 12% of
households in
rural areas had their own refrigerator, so purchases of perishable supplies were
also limited by
that fact.
The typical Asian rural diet tends to be a way richer in fibers and carbohydrates,
and is lower in
fats than a typical western diet. In Asia, in the mornings, people often eat
porridge for breakfast,
or millet gruel. A common choice is also salted vegetables, eggs – fried or
boiled, soybean milk,
twisted deep-fried dough cakes and sticks. For lunches and dinners people tend to
eat boiled
noodles, steamed rice as a major food accompanying it by vegetables and smaller
amounts of
protein contained in chicken, fish, eggs and meat. The usual way to prepare meals
is by stir-
frying the components with soy sauce, salt or a little sugar.
An average rural Asian resident consumes about 650 grams of grain daily, and in
case of rice, it
equals to a daily amount of about 550 grams of carbohydrates. That amount of
carbohydrates
alone produces 2000 kilocalories. If you include a small quantity of meat, eggs,
fish, and so on,
the general composition of an average Asian diet is still immensely carbohydrate
in nature, with
carbohydrate-based calories composing more than 75% of overall intake. This means
that
maybe even less than 10% of calories come from proteins.

The Asian population generally has a high intake of fibers and complex
carbohydrates and very
low intake of sugar and fats, making cancer and coronary heart diseases relatively
uncommon
in Asian countries. In addition to that, the diet based on high intake of
carbohydrates is very
much suited for athletes who are subject to intensive training programs.

However, in their effort to enhance intake of nutrients and proteins, many Asian
athletes fall into
the common traps of western diets, which may lead to increased amount of
cholesterol and
excess fat.
Despite the growing urbanization trend, the diet of Asian people is still heavily
based on
carbohydrates, which should be a food of choice for all the athletes. A 70%
carbohydrate diet
would be considered high by many western athletes, while it is considered as usual
for their
Asian counterparts.

Protein intake is still very important, so Asian athletes include additional

amounts of high quality
proteins into their diet. Western athletes, in contrast, rely on greater
quantities of less nutrient
enhanced proteins, which often contain only a few essential fats and nutrients and
are often
displacing some valuable carbohydrates from the diet.

Asian people tend to approach food as not just a fuel for their training, but also
as a method of
healthy living and quality life sustaining. That kind of approach is also
healthier and motivates to
include more nutritional varieties in one’s diet, which is always a good thing.

Whether you are located in Asia or in the West, you can combine best of two
worlds’ practices
and develop your nutrition as much as it is possible according to your Badminton
achievement
needs and sport in general.

In order to be successful in your training it is important that you hold onto

several nutritional
principles, which basically can be summarized in 11 easy to follow guidelines:

1) You should regularly eat smaller and more frequent meals, which is going to
help you to
fulfill your energy needs. If you are planning to spend the whole day outside,
just make
certain that you pack some portable snacks and drinks along with you.

2) Focus your meals around carbohydrates. Nothing will be more beneficial for your
overall
body condition and the results you can achieve in Badminton as assuring a regular
daily
intake of carbohydrates. Choose such food as porridge and cereals, pasta, rice,
starchy
vegetables, fresh, dried or canned fruit, as well as dairy products – yoghurt,
milk, cheese
etc.
3) You may use sports drinks, sugar, energy bars and sweets to boost your level of
carbohydrates, but you should absolutely avoid replacing your meals with these
products, as
they are low in minerals, vitamins and fiber. Pay attention on a bad effect these
drinks may
have on your dental health and make sure that you rinse your mouth regularly with
water.

4) You should ensure intake of low fat proteins, so try to include them in your
dinner meal.
Avoid protein-rich additives and use food such as fish, lean meat, liver, low fat
diary and
legumes.
5) Fat intake should be minimized, so avoid eating chocolate, chips, biscuits,
fatty meats,
mayonnaise and so on. Fats should not be completely eliminated, just limited.

6) Make certain that you take at least 2 vegetables a day and 2 to 4 fruits. They
will supply
your body with a wide range of vitamins much needed for better absorption of
carbohydrates, proteins and fats. These vitamins will also serve as a protection
against
diseases and will help you to recover from difficult training and matches.

7) Try to adopt your portions according to a constant plate model which you should
use for
every meal. Therefore for example, every food plate should consist of one half to
two thirds
of food rich with carbohydrates and one third of protein rich foods. Fat should
only be
contained in the little that remains.

8) Your snacks should be low in fats and rich in carbohydrates. Ideal are fruits
or dried fruits,
scones, fruit bars, unbuttered popcorn, low fat yoghurt, plain biscuits, etc. Eat
the snacks
between the meals and after your training to help recovery of your muscles.

9) Make certain that you adopt variety as a principle for your nutrition. It will
make your diet
interesting and will increase your chances to get in the wide range of the
required nutrients.

10) You need to establish a proper fluid intake plan for the time during, before
and after your
training or a tournament. You should bring along at least one bottle of cool,
refreshing fluid
to your training, which can easily be topped up. After your training has ended,
you should
continue to drink the prepared fluid to account for the fluid which you lost
during your
training. Longer training sessions might require you to use carbohydrate fluids,
such as
sports drinks or glucose-based powder which is added to water. If you are
excessively
losing water through sweating, consider intake of some sodium rich salty snacks or
sports
drinks. Absolutely avoid fluids that contain caffeine or alcohol, as they will
even further
encourage your body fluid loss.

11) On the day you have a scheduled tournament, never try out new diet strategies.
You should
eat a light carbohydrates-rich meal which is easy to be digested. You can take a
bowl of
cereals with some low fat yoghurt, toast with honey, fruit, etc. If you don’t have
much
appetite or you think that you cannot control the solid food, you can also take a
liquid meal
supplement, followed by some carbohydrate-rich drink. Around half an hour after
the match,
you should have a small snack of around 100g of carbohydrates along with some
fluid, as
well as a small quantity of lean proteins.