Nutritional guidelines for female athletes

This chapter overviews the key concepts of sports nutrition considering whether the current guidelines are suitable for female athletes and providing special insights into issues that might be different to those of their male counterparts. A variety of nutrition goals can be identified in the training and competition elements of sporting involvement. During most competition activities, athlete experiences deterioration in speed, power, skill, or the other attributes that define success in her event. Many sporting competitions require the athlete to perform more than once to decide the eventual outcome. The major nutritional strategy during exercise involves replacement of the fluid lost in sweat. Sweat losses vary during exercise according to such factors as the duration and intensity of exercise, environmental conditions, and the acclimatization of the athlete. The chapter considers the characteristics of foods and food combinations that may be of particular value in constructing meal plans for female athletes.

© 2015 International Olympic Committee

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