Sports Nutrition for Athletes and Active People: What to Eat for Better Performance
Training makes you strong — but nutrition is what actually makes the training effective. Adaptation processes, muscle growth, recovery and performance improvements depend largely on the quality and quantity of nutrients consumed. Read here which nutrition athletes should pay attention to and how to meet your needs.
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When you exercise regularly, a fascinating interplay of strain and adaptation occurs in your body. Each training session triggers a process that initially feels like a controlled crisis: your muscle fibers are slightly damaged, your energy stores are depleted, and metabolic pathways are pushed into high gear. But it is precisely from this strain that growth emerges. Muscles become stronger, the cardiovascular system more efficient, and tendons better able to handle load. Whether this process runs smoothly or stalls is largely determined by your nutrition. It is the decisive lever that accelerates, amplifies, or even makes these adaptations possible.
The good news: You can significantly improve your performance in training and your recovery afterwards with a well-planned diet.
Info
The recommendations are intended for athletes and ambitious recreational athletes who train regularly several times a week—typically about four sessions or more—and for anyone who wants to specifically improve their athletic performance.
Athletes don't eat "more" — they eat differently.
Many people assume that athletes simply need more calories. That's true, but it's only a tiny part of the truth. The crucial difference isn't in the amount, but in the composition. During phases of athletic activity your body literally relies on receiving certain nutrients at the right time. And during periods of intense activity the body is especially sensitive to what it receives. If energy is lacking, performance suffers. If protein is lacking, recovery slows. If micronutrients are lacking, the immune system can collapse or the muscles can tire. That's why sports nutrition is not a trend, but a well-researched system that can help you reach your goals much faster and healthier.
Athletes have a:
higher energy requirements (of course — but often underestimated)
higher protein requirement
increased carbohydrate needs
increased need for micronutrients
increased fluid and electrolyte requirements
The most important nutrients for athletes
1. Carbohydrates – the engine of performance
Hardly any nutrient has been as misunderstood in recent years as carbohydrates. While many diets demonize them, almost all sports science studies show that for active people they are one of the most important performance factors. Your muscles store energy in the form of glycogen, and this glycogen is made up almost entirely of carbohydrates. When you train intensively, this store is depleted rapidly. Without adequate intake a crash can occur that you may know: sudden fatigue, loss of strength, and problems concentrating. Especially in endurance and interval training this immediately affects performance.
How much do you need?
It depends on how often and how intensely you train:
Training volume of 3–4 times per week: 3–5 g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight
Intensive Training: 5–7 g/kg
Very intense or prolonged endurance training: 7–10 grams per kilogram
For a 70-kg person, that could be 350–700 g carbohydrates per day — significantly more than many people think.
The best carbohydrate sources for athletes
Rolled oats
brown rice
Potatoes, sweet potatoes
Fruits (especially bananas, berries, oranges)
Legumes
Whole-grain bread, whole-grain pasta
The right timing: When are carbohydrates most important?
Before the training: for full glycogen stores
After the training: to refill the storage
During long sessions (>90 min): 30–60 g of carbohydrates per hour
Timing acts like an amplifier: you don't eat more, but the same amount has a stronger effect.
2. Protein – Building block for recovery and muscle growth
Whether you want to build muscle or simply recover quickly, protein is indispensable for that. Tiny damages occur in muscle fibers during training, which the body repairs in the hours afterward. For this it needs amino acids, the building blocks of protein. If these are not present in sufficient amounts, recovery is prolonged and the body's adaptation is diminished. Athletes therefore need more protein than people who do little or no exercise. But does it really have to be that much, and can the requirement only be met through supplemental products?
How much protein do you really need?
Physically active people need more protein. While the average person requires 0.8 to 1 g per kg of body weight per day, for
Recreational athlete: 1.2–1.6 g per kg body weight
Strength training: 1.6–2.2 g/kg.
That can correspond to 100 to 150 g of protein per day relative to body weight. That sounds like a lot, but it's doable if the protein is spread out over the day and included in every meal.
Quality is crucial.
Proteins with a complete amino acid profile, i.e., containing as many different amino acids as possible, are particularly valuable. These include:
Eggs
Meat, fish
Whey protein (whey)
soybean
Quinoa
Plant-based proteins are just as good – you benefit most when you combine them cleverly:
Legumes + grains
Nuts + legumes
Tofu + rice
Protein Timing: The Invisible Booster
Protein around training (0–2 hours before or after) improves muscle growth and recovery.
3. Fats – underestimated all-rounders
Fats are not only sources of energy but are also important for hormone production, regulation of inflammation, cell structure, vitamin absorption, and long-term energy. A moderate fat intake of about 30% of total energy intake is considered optimal; during phases of high training volume it can even be slightly above that.
Optimal fat sources for athletes:
Avocado
Nuts & seeds (almonds, walnuts, chia and flaxseed)
Olive oil & olives
linseed oil
Omega-3-rich fish: salmon, mackerel, sardines (organic quality)
4. Micronutrients – the underestimated helpers
While macronutrients provide energy and building materials, micronutrients regulate countless processes in the background. For athletes and people with high energy needs, some are particularly important. Magnesium plays a central role in muscle contraction, iron is essential for oxygen transport and thus for any form of endurance performance. Vitamin D affects not only the immune system but also muscle function. Calcium not only strengthens bones, but is indispensable for signal transmission in muscle. B vitamins support energy metabolism.
Not to be underestimated: the more and the more intensely someone trains, the higher the need for certain micronutrients and the more important adequate intake becomes. Particularly physically active people lose many minerals through sweat. Therefore it can make sense to check your micronutrient status more often and support it with a broadly based micronutrient supplement.
Important micronutrients for athletes:
Less fatigue: Iron, folic acid, magnesium, niacin, vitamin C, vitamin B2, B12 and B6 help reduce tiredness and fatigue.
More energy: Niacin, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6 contribute to normal energy metabolism.
Hormone: Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity. Zinc helps maintain a normal testosterone level.
Cardiovascular: Vitamin B1 contributes to normal heart function. Folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 contribute to normal homocysteine metabolism. Vitamin K supports normal blood clotting. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of blood vessels.
Strong defense: Iron, vitamins C, A, D, B6, B12, folic acid, copper, selenium and zinc support the normal function of the immune system.
Cell protection: Vitamin B2, selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc help protect cells from oxidative stress.
5. Fluids and Electrolytes
Many people drink too little, but for athletes that has immediately measurable consequences. Even a fluid loss of two percent can significantly reduce performance. Concentration, strength, endurance — everything suffers. If you sweat a lot, you don't just lose water but also electrolytes like sodium, potassium or magnesium. If these are lacking, dizziness, headaches, or cramps may occur.
For effective fluid management, however, it is usually sufficient to drink regularly and consciously replenish electrolytes after intense sessions. This doesn't have to be done with expensive sports drinks. A glass of water with a small pinch of salt and some juice serves the same purpose and is often even better tolerated.
Nutrition around training: an area that is often overlooked.
Many athletes pay attention to their overall diet, but forget that meal timing can be crucial for performance.
Eat a carbohydrate-rich meal two to three hours before training, supplemented with some protein.
Shortly before the session, a small snack can help mobilize the last energy reserves.
After training, a meal combining carbohydrates, proteins and minerals supports the crucial phase of recovery.
The reality: Why do so many athletes still eat poorly?
The main problem rarely lies in knowledge — it lies in everyday life. Stress, long workdays, time pressure and a lack of routines cause meals to be skipped or improvised. As a result, many athletes unintentionally eat too little, which over time can lead to drops in performance, sleep problems or injuries. This so-called "underfueling" affects surprisingly many active people. Their bodies send warning signals — but they are often so subtle that they go unnoticed.
A simple solution is to assemble each meal from three components: a source of protein, a source of carbohydrates and a portion of vegetables or fruit– supplemented with a spoon-size of good fats. These simple basic structures help keep the nutrient base stable. Supplementing with many important micronutrients can provide additional support. It's worth paying attention to the comprehensiveness of the nutrients. Exercise drains the body — that's not a problem as long as we replenish.
Conclusion: The diet you really need
Sports-appropriate nutrition is anything but a diet; it's a way of consciously nourishing your body. It is built on ample carbohydrates for energy, adequate protein for repair and growth, high-quality fats for hormonal balance, micronutrients for the many unseen processes in the background, and good hydration. With this solid foundation you help your body develop what really counts: consistent performance, improved recovery, and the feeling that training gives you energy — rather than drains it.