WHANGANUI, NEW ZEALAND, June 3, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — As a dietician and sports nutritionist, I see the sports nutrition industry constantly growing every year. Although several trends occur every time, there are some that you can benefit from significantly.

These are the top 5 trends seen in sports nutrition for 2022 and how they can benefit an athlete.

Top trend in sports nutrition
1. Plant-Based Diet
2. All-Natural Supplements
3. Immune Support
4. Optimal recovery
5. Digital Communities

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We are seeing more and more athletes switch from a meat-based diet to a plant-based diet. Most people assume that a plant-based diet focuses only on reducing (and sometimes eliminating) animal products. Instead, we work with athletes to use plant-based foods that provide them with all the macros and nutrient needs of the body.

Health issues are the most common reason people adopt this dietary pattern. Research shows that following a plant-based diet can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and weight management.

Research @ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30513704/

For athletes, following a plant-based approach offers many benefits. Increasing carbohydrate content means more glycogen stores (the energy found in muscles) and improved performance.

Plus, a plant-based diet also means you get more antioxidants, which help reduce free radical damage (reducing muscle fatigue and improving muscle recovery).

Although following a plant-based diet offers many benefits to athletes, they are more likely to suffer from nutritional deficiencies if not followed correctly, as they have higher nutritional requirements. Anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency seen in athletes following a plant-based diet. Make sure you get enough iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin B9 to prevent complications.

If you’re considering going on a plant-based diet, here are some tips to help.

• Focus on protein: An athlete may have a high protein requirement. According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an athlete might need 1.6 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, depending on goals and exercise. Without animal protein, it can sometimes be difficult. Focus on adding legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils, quinoa, and edamame), nuts, seeds, and soy to boost your protein intake.

• Taking a supplement is a great idea to increase intake: Take an omega-3 supplement. Omega-3s have anti-inflammatory benefits (sometimes diminished with a plant-based diet). You can also add food sources like chia seeds, hemp seeds, or flax seeds.

• Slow transition: If you are just a beginner, you can start the transition slowly. Eat one plant-based meal a day, then an all-vegetarian day until you reach all of your meals. It’s an easier way to start building habits.

All-Natural Supplements

Another trend seen in the sports nutrition environment is a natural approach. More and more people are not taking synthetic supplements but are focusing on natural foods or supplements from natural sources.

We worry more and more about what we put in our bodies. People are now looking to find supplements free of artificial ingredients, GMOs, and additives. Instead, they focus on products from grass-fed, organic, or non-GMO sources.

While it may be difficult for the supplement industry to create a natural product, these days you see more and more products offering grass-fed products with natural flavors and fewer additives. This leads to a higher quality product with no lint or fillers.

Immune Support

With the pandemic, there has been an increase in immune support. This is crucial for athletes because high intensity training can weaken the immune system due to increased stress.

Several nutrients play a vital role in boosting your immune function. Vitamin D, selenium, and vitamin C are all essential for immune health. Although you can get them from natural ingredients, nowadays people are expected to take blends with these nutrients to improve their health.

Probiotics are an essential part of sports nutrition today. Your gut health modulates over 70% of your immune system. This is why more and more athletes are focusing on improving their gut microbiota.

To have better immunity, here are some tips you can follow.

• Take probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that colonize your gut, while prebiotics are the foods that feed that bacteria. That’s why it’s always good to take both simultaneously. If you’re not too keen on taking a supplement, you can add probiotic-rich foods like kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha.

• Increase your vitamin C intake. Add foods like berries, cruciferous vegetables, and citric foods to increase your vitamin C intake.

• Increase your selenium. Add Brazil nuts, seafood, and brown rice to boost your selenium.

Optimal recovery

A common practice previously seen among athletes was to focus only on nutrition leading up to competition, not what happens afterwards. Today, we understand that recovery is just as important as what happens before a competition or a training session.

Several components can increase your recovery.

• Omega-3 fatty acids are known for their anti-inflammatory properties.
• Antioxidants help reduce free radicals in the body, which reduces inflammation.
• Electrolytes are essential for replenishing nutrients lost during a workout.

Foods like salmon (omega-3), berries (antioxidants), and coconut water (electrolytes) are essential foods that should be in any athlete’s fridge or pantry.

Digital communities

Finally, one of the big trends in sports nutrition is the social environment. Without an adequate support system, people often don’t find the motivation to pursue training or even the benefit of hearing the stories and recommendations of others.

During the pandemic, we have learned to use technology to communicate with people. Now we see groups for runners, gyms or any other sports activity where people often need a community.

It has helped a lot for the mental health of several people who have struggled to cope with the effects of the pandemic. Athletes see this as an advantage since they can request support for their training in preparation for their competitions.

Brenda Peralta
FREZZOR New Zealand: Producer of high quality nutrition from New Zealand.

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FREZZOR Inc.
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