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Lead Stories: Friday, July 25, 2008

Do not limit calories before competition

Posted June 14th, 2007 at 9:03 AM by Jamal Walker

Section: Nutrition, Race Prep & Recov

empty_plate Most athletes know that lack of fluids weakens and tires them, so they take adequate amount of fluids, before, during and after competitions.

However, many do not know how much they need extra calories. They often are told incorrectly that the human body has so much fat on board that lack of calories is not a significant problem.

Researchers at the University of Wales in the United Kingdom found that moderate calorie restriction two days prior to competition slows down endurance far more than reduced fluid intake over that same period (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, February 2007). Moderate dehydration does not harm performance until a person becomes severely dehydrated. On the other hand, lack of calories stops you cold in your tracks.

Read the rest at our partner site: HerActiveLife.com

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