Sports Fitness > Training For Sports > Bodybuilding

Jogging

Next thing they know, they have torn a calf muscle or sprained an ankle and they're visiting a therapist like Gelfand, supervisor of the Nicholas Institute for Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "The biggest mistakes are going too fast, too far, Or too soon," Gelfand says.

The right combination of fuel (calories) from carbohydrates, proteins and fats gives you energy for top performance. The most important fuel source, carbohydrates come in fruits, vegetables, pastas, breads, cereals, rice and other foods, and should provide about 60 to 70 percent of daily calories.

It is a warm Saturday afternoon and you've been chasing a soccer ball around the field for what seems like weeks. You are tired, thirsty, and sweaty. As practice wraps up, you have just enough time to duck into the rest room, change your shirt, and slather on a fresh layer of deodorant before heading off to meet your friends for a 4:00 PM movie.

When you start with enough muscle glycogen, protein supplies about 5 percent of energy. Otherwise it may supply up to 10 percent. Saturated fats come in foods from animals (i.e., meats, eggs, milk, cheese, etc.) and unsaturated fats in some vegetable products (i.e., corn oil).

Food For Thought

Creatine is the most studied of all of the nutritional supplements, and the only one to have scientific research support some of its claims.

Dangers of Dehydration

The same system reduces production when optimal levels are reached. Proponents argue that the body directly converts andro to testosterone. An elevated level of the male hormone allows athletes to train harder and recover more quickly.