We all know that what you eat affects your athletic performance. It seems like common knowledge that eating a diet based on potato chips and soda is not going to get you very far– although I have seen an athlete win medals on a Pop-Tart and chocolate milk diet. It is important to fuel your body with the right fuels.

Carbohydrates are the best source of fuel. Foods high in carbohydrates and low in fat are going to be your best friend. Your body stores excess carbohydrates as glycogen, and this is what your muscles use when energy is needed. Some great sources of carbohydrates are cereals, breads, vegetables, pasta, rice and fruit. If you do not like to get your carbohydrates from food, you also can drink your carbohydrates in sports beverages or fruit juices before you exercise.

People always say that you should consume proteins to build your muscles. Well, although this is true, you do not have to have a diet that is heavy in protein. Protein is not your body’s food of choice for fueling exercise, but you do need it to for muscle repair and growth. Some good sources of protein are meat, dairy products, and nuts.

Fats are good, too! Fats can be a source of fuel for your muscles during your exercises. The best type of fat comes from unsaturated fats from foods such as vegetable oils, nuts, and fatty fish. Just make sure that you only eat these foods after or well before you exercise.

You should learn to stay away from foods high in fiber and fructose right before an intense workout, as they probably will cause some problems. Why? Well, foods containing a lot of fiber, such as beans and lentils, bran cereals and fruit, could cause gas or cramping while fructose can increase the tendency for diarrhea with high-intensity exercise.

Foods are an important part of your diet if you are an athlete. Without the right foods, you make be weak and not live up to your full potential.

When it comes to fitness, there is no secret that you put your body through the wringer.  Afterward your body requires the replacement of essential nutrients.  There are many companies and a trillion dollar fitness industry willing to sell you the secret potions to replenish you after a workout and to get you going for the workout.  Instead of creating an empty bank account, visit your grocery store for better alternatives.

Before your workout, drink a cup of coffee.  Athletes used to frown on this because it is a diuretic.  Those working out take in as much water as they can during the workout.  Coffee may cause you to lose water and therefore decrease your muscle efficiency…so it was thought.

Taking in some coffee before the workout gives you a needed boost of energy from the caffeine.  That is the obvious result.  What is not so apparent is caffeine actually is a pain inhibitor.  A study done at the University of Illinois researched the effects of coffee on athletes.  It was discovered it blocked certain pain receptors in the brain.  This means when you get to the point you are feeling the pain and usually decide to stop can be pushed even further.  “No pain, no gain.”

Coffee before the workout, and for afterward another treat for you.  Chocolate milk.  Not only is it delicious, it is better for you than almost every other drink at replenishing your fluids.  Water is the best at replacing the water you lose, obviously.  However, chocolate milk does have water and does replace those fluids.

Many turn to sports drinks for replacing the electrolytes lost.  Sports drinks actually have too many of these carbs and often are best for you when watered down.  Also they have almost no protein, which is the most important nutrient for muscle recovery.  Chocolate milk has all the essential carbs and sodium to aid in water retention and electrolyte replacement.  Not to mention, chocolate milk also contains protein making it even better than sports drinks.

Save money on expensive supplements, and buy two cheap alternatives that are even better for you.

You found a great workout plan with which you truly connect. You work your butt off at the gym everyday. Today you compared your measurements with your baseline numbers and discovered a 15% improvement. How would you like to make that 20% or 25%? Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain muscle or just maintain what you already have, there is another aspect of fitness that is just as important as the routine that you choose…supplementation.

We put our bodies through the ringer every workout, but we rarely do the easiest part of the workout correctly, our diet. Lifting weights and cardio workouts really stress our muscles. Once we get into the gym and get moving we diminish our calorie storehouses at a faster rate than we do just going through the motions of our days. For some of us, the goal is to burn those calories, but the need to supplement still applies.

Our muscles need many nutrients to repair themselves and to make the best of the workout. The most important of these are proteins, which repair and rebuild. There are two main types of proteins: soy and whey. Whey protein is quickly absorbed into the body and muscles. Soy is much slower. Whey protein should be taken immediately after a workout to rebuild the muscles that you have just torn down. Soy is best to use in a smoothie or as a midday snack to replenish your body throughout the day.

There are numerous other supplements that others recommend, however, protein is a need not a want. The others are very useful in helping you get to your fitness goals. If you do a simple search for supplements online, you will be bombarded with results. This posting may even be a result of such a search. Most of the trendy or, rather, “cutting edge” supplements turn out to be bad for us like ephedra was. Do you know that pro athletes were actually encouraged to take anabolic steroids in the 70’s to speed up recovery times?

The key is to do your research. Find a company that you can trust and look for medical reviews. Ask your doctor what she thinks about a particular supplement.