An athlete's body is subjected to enormous amount of strain during workouts. Also a great amount of energy is required and consumed during these periods. In order to perform well, the muscles must be strong enough and has enough energy to sustain the vigorous activities required during workouts.

For many years, there have been plenty of arguments on the best diets that athletes should have in order to perform at their optimal levels. Dietitians from all over the world have differing opinions on this issue. You can be sure that these arguments will not stop but will continue on into the future years.

However, many people do agree that physical activities, performance levels and recovery from exertions are enhanced by optimal nutrition. Many agree that the appropriate selection of food and fluids, the timing of their intake and the choice of supplements are important to optimal health and sports performance.

During high physical activities, the body needs a great amount of energy. The main source of energy comes from carbohydrates. Stored as glycogen in the muscles, they provide the body with the fuel for intense short burst of energy. The more intense the activities and the longer the duration of such activities, the more glycogen is used up. When glycogen is depleted, you'll have no more energy left and will need to stop exercising. Therefore, you'll need to consume a sufficient amount of carbohydrates in order to maintain enough glycogen in your body. Experts recommend to consume 3.6g of carbohydrates daily for every pound you weigh. So, consume 504g of carbohydrates each day if you're weighing 140lbs.

Protein is required for muscle building as it is the basic building material for muscle tissue. Athletes, especially those doing strength training, will need plenty of protein to build those muscles. The recommended daily protein requirement for serious strength athletes is 0.6 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight.

Besides carbohydrates and protein, fat is also an essential nutrient. Fat provides fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins to the body. Moreover, a moderate amount of energy is also provided by fat. But it is not healthy to consume too much of it. Unsaturated fat should provide only 20% to 25% of your total calories requirement for each day.

It is important for athletes to be well hydrated. Additional to the normal daily requirement of consuming 8 glasses of water, they should also have fluid intake before, during and after exercises and races to compensate for the fluid loss during these periods. Two hours before any workouts, you should drink 2 cups of fluid. Every 15 to 20 minutes during the workouts, you should drink 4 to 8 ounces of fluid to keep hydrated. Drink 16 ounces of fluid after the fluid to replenish fluid lost. To be more precise, you can weigh yourself before and after workouts. Drink 16 ounces of fluid for every pound lost during these workouts.

When your workouts are prolonged, lasting more than 1 hour, energy bars and sports drinks can help you to keep energized. Besides providing energy, you'll also get to be hydrated by sports drinks. After workouts, it's important to eat some protein and carbohydrates to help repair and rebuild your muscle tissues and to refill your glycogen stores.

During workouts, you can give your muscles a slight power boost by consuming creatine. In order to realize its benefits, you'll need to do this in combination with a good diet and a good training program. A good source of creatine is found in meat. This nutrient can also be obtained from supplements. To give your muscles an initial boost, consume 5g of creatine monohydrate 4 times a day. Do this for 5 consecutive days. Then, everyday take 2g for maintenance.

I've just shown you some great sports nutrition tips. Keep them in mind and use them for your personal success.