The two main characteristics of this group of
sports, therefore, are that, at least in most of
them, competition is open to men and women,
and that, in many, athletes compete in specific
weight categories. This latter fact places parti-
cular demands on the athlete, with special
consideration required for training and diet in
preparation for competition.
General nutritional principles
for athletes
The requirements of the athlete for energy and
for individual nutrients are different in different
sports, and will be influenced very much by the
total training load that is carried out (Rogozkin
1978). Body mass is also a major factor, as is
immediately obvious when looking at the
requirements of a light-flyweight boxer (48 kg
weight class), a track athlete, or a wrestler in the
super-heavyweight class (over 130 kg). Even
for athletes with similar body size, however,
the nutritional requirements will vary greatly
depending on the training load: this is set in part
by the demands of the sports but will also vary
within any given event depending on the pro-
gramme selected by the athlete and coach. Rec-
ommended energy intakes for male and female
athletes in different sports are clearly influenced
by many factors, but are likely to be about
14.6–23.0 MJ (3500–5500 kcal) daily for male ath-
letes and 12.5–18.8 MJ (3000–4500 kcal) for female
athletes during periods of hard training
(Rogozkin 1978).
The protein requirement of athletes in different
sports is described in detail in Chapter 10. It
is clear that the requirement for protein will
depend to some extent on the specific nature of
the sport, but will also be very much influenced
by the amount and intensity of the training load,
which will vary at different times of the season.
In Russia, it is generally recommended that the
daily protein intake for athletes in hard training
should be about 1.4–2.0 g · kg–1 body mass
(Rogozkin 1978). The requirement for carbohy-
drate will be closely related to the power output
required in training and competition, and a daily
624 sport-specific nutrition
carbohydrate intake of 8–10 g · kg–1would be
considered normal. Depending on the type
of sport, fat intake should be about 1.7–
2.4 g · kg–1· day–1. These recommendations are
made in absolute amounts related to body
weight rather than as a fraction of total energy
intake, but if the guidelines are followed, this
will give a diet with the following composition:
15–16% of total energy intake from protein,
25–26% from fat and 58–60% from carbohydrate.
The fundamental principles of nutritional
support which have been developed in the
Russian Federation for athletes competing in
strength and power events have been described
in detail by Rogozkin (1993). These are summa-
rized in the following recommendations.
1 The body must be provided with sufficient
energy to meet its needs. For athletes, the energy
requirement will be largely determined by the
total training load. If the energy demand is not
met, it will not be possible to continue with the
same intensity and duration of training.
2 An appropriate nutritional balance among the
various essential nutrients must be maintained.
The proportions of the different macronutrients
and micronutrients necessary to achieve this
balance will depend on the total energy intake
and on the period of preparation relative to com-
petition. Protein intake must provide an appro-
priate balance of all the essential amino acids,
and the dietary fat must supply all of the essen-
tial fatty acids. In addition, the intake of vita-
mins, minerals and fibre must be adequate for
the athlete’s needs.
3 The choice of foods and nutritional products
that will meet the nutrient requirements will be
different during periods of intensive training,
during the period of preparation for competition,
during competition itself, and during the recov-
ery phase after competition.
4 Several nutrients, mostly vitamins and miner-
als, play a key role in the activation and regula-
tion of intracellular metabolic processes, and a
deficiency of any of these in the diet will impair
performance during training and competition.
5 Biosynthetic processes involved in tissue
repair and recovery after exercise will be influ-