Food fuel tips for athletes

Sabrina asks: I don't like eating a lot of protein; what other food will help me with my competitive swimming?

Wynnie says: Michael Phelps caused quite a stir when he revealed that he ate more than 10,000 calories a day. While this amount is unusual, most elite swimmers need to eat between 4,000 to 6,000 calories to replace the energy they use during competitions or while training. These swimmers are usually in the pool twice a day and deplete their glycogen stores almost completely each time.

One of the most common reasons athletes don't reach their full potential is that they're running on empty; that is, they're not eating enough carbs to fuel their active muscles. Make sure you include at least one fist-sized portion of carbs, e.g. rice, pasta, bread or cereal, with every meal.

Besides needing to eat more to meet their increased energy requirements, elite athletes who are involved in strenuous or endurance sports that involve two hours or more at one time need to ensure they get enough vitamins and minerals, in particular calcium and iron.

Calcium helps to build and maintain strong bones. Two to four portions per day of dairy products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais will do the trick. One portion is 250ml of milk or yoghurt, 40g cheddar cheese or 55g processed cheese. Green, leafy veggies, canned fish with soft bones, calcium-fortified products, lentils and almonds also contain calcium.

Iron is a mineral that is needed to carry oxygen to different parts of the body. Teen girls need more of this to replace monthly menstrual losses. Include some iron-rich foods in the diet by eating lean red meat, chicken, tuna, salmon, eggs, dried fruits, leafy green vegetables, and whole grains.

Athletes need slightly more protein than sedentary or moderately active people. If you don't eat enough protein rich foods, this can cause fatigue and slow recovery after training, so I'm afraid you have to eat some. But protein-rich foods include fish, lean red meat and poultry, dairy products, nuts and tofu, so there's plenty of choice.