Taekwondo athletes choose to
compete in a weight category which is lower than their normal weight simply
because it provides them with more advantage. They have longer lower limbs
which will give them better chances to strike and hit the opponent thus earning
them a point. It also makes their movement swifter because of their lighter weight.
However, there are certain athletes who undergo drastic measures just to
achieve a rapid amount of weight loss.
Rapid decrease in weight done
through fluid restriction, severe food deprivation, excessive exercise, use of
laxatives and diuretics and even regular use of sauna will bring more harm to
the body of Taekwondo athletes rather than good. It is a must that athletes
should be fit before their tournament so they can properly execute their
blocks, kicks and strikes.
These require maximum
nutrition potential which can only be acquired through right combination of
food and training. It is never wise to deter from eating nutritiously rich
carbohydrate foods like pasta, whole grain cereals, rice, fruits and
vegetables. The intake of protein rich food like lean meat, fish, chicken,
beans and legumes holds vital nutrients that will help the body repair broken
muscles and bones. What must be done instead of drastic weight loss regimen for
these Taekwondo athletes is identification of the weight group category which
they intend to enter on an earlier phase so they can safely plan their diet
months before the tournament.
A training diet is not evil if
and only if it can be planned accordingly. There is nothing wrong in trimming
down on one's weight but to do it in a flash will produce detrimental effects
to the body. Nutritionists and heath experts suggest that Taekwondo athletes
maintain a weight within 2-3 kilogram of their competition weight so they can
minimize nutritional strategies which can drastically affect their body
movements and coordination. Nevertheless, the following are helpful tips which
Taekwondo athletes would wish to follow two to three days before their
tournament.
A. Avoid excessive salt
consumption which you typically get from processed foods and chips.
B. Instead of fasting days
before the competition, it is wiser to eat low residue foods 12 to 24 hours
before the competition. You may try eating white breads, liquid meal
replacements, fiber cereals and even Power bars so your body can still have
enough energy to use on the tournament.
C. During the actual
tournament or after the weigh-in, it is best to hydrate your body by drinking
enough fluids.
D. If you feel nervous and you
find it difficult to eat a regular meal before the competition then it will
help if you can eat a liquid based snack just to guarantee there will be enough
nutrients supplied to different parts of your body.
E. After the tournament,
immediately eat a light snack composed of 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrates
because this will help promote muscle repair and will also initiate a faster
recovery process. These set of snacks can either be two cereal bars, a roll
with banana filling or jam, three pieces of fruit, a 200g of carton of yoghurt
combined with a cereal bar or a 250 to 300ml low fat fruit smoothie.
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Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Brendan_Mark_Smith/1070262
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