Abstract

In present days, consistent scientific evidence is confirming that nutritional intake has an essential role in optimizing training and competition performance in athletes. When nutritional practices are adequate, athletes can exploit their maximum talent performance, while promoting a suitable recovery process with a lower risk of disease and sport injuries. Therefore, in order to address these issues, it is important to clearly define all the nutritional parameters which optimize the athletes feeding practices: energy intake, macro and micronutrients consumption and hydration practices. To begin, it will be necessary to estimate the individuals total daily energy requirement, its mean, the calories the athlete will expend and if any changes in body composition are required. It will also be important to obtain a negative or positive energetic balance for fat loss or muscle mass gain respectively, through a progressive process carried out alongside a sports nutritionist. In any case, the first step will be to estimate the resting metabolic rate (RMR) value of the athlete by using the Cunningham equation, which is the best recommended option for athletes, or the Harris-Benedict equation as a second option, when lean mass data is not known. Progressively, it will be necessary to add the calories spent in training and physical activities (thermic effect of activities) while taking into account the thermic effect of food. The numerous recommended methods for athletic population are described on the specific scientific bibliography