An athlete at the grassroots level, particularly in India, should get proper nutrition to excel and stay healthy. Estimating calorie intake is a big issue in ensuring that these athletes are at their prime with their energy levels and get all they can out of it. However, how the correct balance of nutrition could be established for these athletes in India can only be understood after analyzing sports science and their individual needs.
Athlete Health And Sports Science
Sports science is all about how the body will respond to physical activity and therefore improving performance through nutrition, training and recovery among others. Sports science still lags behind in many of the Indian grassroots levels however is gaining popularity. Much work, however, remains to implement scientific training and nutritional strategy at the grassroots level within India.
Involvement in sports for an athlete depends upon various aspects, like genetic factors and intensity of physical activity done, alongside dietary inputs. Healthy nutrition should provide a perfect balance between the intake of macronutrients, micronutrients and fluid. This can be one of the primary requirements for every athlete involved at the grassroots level. Grassroots athletes in India, however, face serious challenges as resources and awareness about good nutrition through sports science in India are less.
Calorie Needs For Grassroots Athletes
In accordance with their age, gender, body composition and the intensity of training, the calorie needs of grassroots athletes in India will be different. According to sports science, it is generally asserted that athletes require more calories than sedentary populations to support both training and recovery. For a male athlete at the grass root level, his daily requirement may be around 2,500 to 3,000 calories. For female athletes, their daily requirement may be approximately 2,000 to 2,500 calories. These will depend on the frequency of training, type of sport and climate conditions.
Challenges And Solutions For Sports Nutrition In India
Indian sports nutrition is still evolving. Major challenges at the grassroots level exist. Athletes at that level may not get proper nutrition from experts about their needs and sometimes may face issues about including different foods because of culture. Therefore, Indian sports nutrition has to emphasize a locally available nutrition plan which may be inexpensive and should be able to provide adequate carbohydrate intake to supply energy, adequate amount of protein to build muscle and replenish muscles and fat in adequate amounts for long periods of endurance.
An estimated calorie intake of 2,500 to 3,000 calories for male athletes and 2,000 to 2,500 for female athletes at the Indian grassroots level can be considered a good starting point. However, the state of sports science and sports nutrition in India should remain moving forward, providing grass root athletes with appropriate education in the areas of nutrition and importance of balanced diets. Indian athletes, with better understanding and support, will surely get better health care outcomes and walk toward overall improvement in performance in national and international arenas.
So as an Indian grassroots athlete, lets us know how much calories do you consume?
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye
