Whether you are a professional athlete, a member of a local sports team, or someone like me who runs a couple of times a week to stay in shape, your nutritional needs are different from someone whose exercise consists of punching keys on a computer or pressing a button on a remote control to channel surf.

I for one can always tell the days I have gone running. Rather, my stomach tells me that I have gone running. I am constantly hungry and I crave carbohydrates. Well, I always crave carbohydrates, I love them. The good news is that anyone that is physically active needs to eat a lot of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates include: breads, cereals, starchy vegetables (like lima beans, peas, and potatoes) bagels and dairy products. Carbohydrates are very important to sports nutrition because they are directly proportionate to the amount of activity we do. Someone who is not active requires very little carbohydrates. This is one reason that low carb diets have been so popular and so successful. It cuts out carbohydrates completely. The people I know that have lost weight on this diet are very inactive people. The Atkins Diet would not work for someone like myself because, although I am not a professional athlete, I am an active individual. I require a moderate amount of carbohydrates to maintain good sports nutrition. Someone who works out for hours a day every day will need a large amount of carbohydrates to maintain an adequate energy level. If you’ve ever “hit the wall” during a workout, it is probably because you have not eaten enough carbohydrates. Another important fuel for athletes that is important for good sports nutrition is water, water and more water. Water does more than quench your thirst and keep you hydrated. Water carries much needed vitamins, minerals and other nutrients throughout the body, it helps remove waste from the body, keeps core body temperature in check, and cushions joints and muscles. This last point if very important for athletes. The average person should drink 8 glasses of water a day. (that’s about 64 oz. of water) If you consider yourself a light person and you participate in physical activity for about an hour, you should drink 9 glasses of water rather than 8. If you of medium build and participate in physical activity for about an hour, you should drink about 10 glasses of water daily. And, if your build is a little larger and you participate in physical activity for about an hour then you should drink 10+ glasses of water a day. Basically, the larger you are and the longer you workout, the more water you need to drink. It makes sense. We need to replace the hydration we lose when we sweat. Another important aspect of sports nutrition is protein. Protein is responsible for muscle building. Protein can be found in meat, nuts, soy, fish, eggs and milk. Large amounts of protein are most important for athletes who are looking to build muscle mass, such as a body builder or football. However, one important note about protein and sports nutrition is that more is not necessarily better. Just as excess carbohydrates are stored as fat, so is protein. Fat is an enemy to any athlete who is trying to build more lean muscle. Therefore, research the recommended serving size of protein for your body weight and age. Sports performance comes from good sports nutrition and a balanced diet that includes grains, fruits and vegetables, proteins, dairy products and even fats. Visit Clif.com for a great nutrition bar to take on the run (not literally, you’ll get a cramp) or to eat as a snack on those days you feel constantly hungry. I think I’ll grab one right now, I ran today and I’m ravenous!