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The Best Foods for Athletes

More fat? More carbs? How should we eat for peak athletic performance?

By Gretchen Reynolds

More fat? More carbs? What kind? How much? When?

Questions about what constitutes an ideal and practical diet for competitive athletes consume and confuse many athletes, as well as their coaches and families. But a new, comprehensive review about the science of sports nutrition published recently in Science provides a lucid overview of what currently is known — and not known — about how athletes should eat.

To find out more about these and other topics, I spoke with Louise Burke, a sports dietitian and professor at Australian Catholic University who has worked with many elite Australian sports teams. She wrote the new review with her husband John Hawley, the director of the Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research at Australian Catholic University. What follows are edited and summarized excerpts from our conversation.

Q. In your review, you write that “carbohydrates are the predominant and critical substrate for working muscles” and that “the availability of carbohydrates, rather than fat, wins gold medals.” So athletes should be eating and drinking carbs?

A. Broadly speaking, if you had to stretch a big umbrella over the whole sports world and say, what dietary approach will bring the most performance benefits to the most types of athletes, then, yes, a high-carb diet would usually be the answer.

Q. In practical terms, how much carbohydrate are we talking about, especially during competition?

A. Based on what we know now, it looks like 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour during endurance events lasting several hours would be the sweet spot for most athletes. [For reference, a typical packet of a sports gel contains around 30 grams of carbohydrates, as does a banana or most single-serving bottles of sports drinks.]

Q. Some people, including me, might find it difficult to stomach so much food or drink during a race. Any advice?

A. Train your gut, just like you train your muscles. In the buildup to an event, practice with the foods or drinks you plan to have during the event, adding more, slowly. Some people find that combining multiple kinds of carbs, like glucose with fructose, are more tolerable than either one alone, probably because they are metabolized along slightly different pathways in the body. It’s also clear that you can swish sports drinks around in your mouth and spit without swallowing and your brain will interpret this as meaning you have more energy available. I think that’s fascinating and it can be useful, if you can’t stomach more carbs just then.

Q. The big controversy in sports nutrition right now seems to involve high-fat diets, which some people claim are better for performance than high-carb diets. Do we know whether one approach is really better for athletes?

A. [Dr. Burke noted that “the issue is so much more complicated than the Twitterverse would have people believe.” Carbohydrates remain muscles’ preferred fuel choice during exercise, she explained, because they can be metabolized so quickly. But our bodies contain much larger stores of fat than carbohydrates, so it makes intuitive sense that we might want to become better able to use that substantial fuel source, perhaps by eating a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet.]

Q. But in the real world, do high-fat diets improve performance?

A. It depends on what kind of event someone competes in. In long, relatively low-intensity events like ultramarathons, fat might provide enough fuel. But even then, if someone wants to sprint at the end, they are going to need carbohydrates for that burst of exertion. For more intense events, there is evidence that high-fat diets impair performance. In our research with elite race walkers, we found that after they went on a high-fat diet, they could not train as hard and their competitive results suffered.

Q. So athletes shouldn’t try high-fat diets?

A. I wouldn’t say that at all. Some athletes love them. And we know that high-fat diets stimulate different molecular changes in the muscles than high-carb diets, some of which could be beneficial for performance.

[A practical compromise approach that allows competitors’ bodies to adjust to using both carbohydrates and fats efficiently, Dr. Burke continued, involves a technique called “train-high, sleep-low,” during which an athlete works out strenuously in the afternoon to deplete his or her body of carbohydrate stores, eats a high-fat, low-carbohydrate dinner, completes a long, slow workout in the morning, and then consumes a gloriously large, high-carbohydrate breakfast before training vigorously again. Dr. Burke threads this technique occasionally into her own training for marathons and other events, she says. ]

Q. What about protein?

A. That’s an interesting topic. We know that most athletes need more protein than the standard dietary allowances call for, to help in muscle repair. But we also are learning, by studying athletes, how important sufficient protein is likely to be for nonathletes, especially older people, if they want to maintain muscle mass.

Q. With all the emerging science about nutrition and sports, what overall advice would you give a recreational athlete about how to eat?

A. Talk to a sports dietitian. I think many recreational athletes get caught up in trends and forget the basics. If you are an Olympic athlete, then, yes, the minutiae of your diet’s composition and timing are very consequential. The rest of us should concentrate on simple, healthy eating.

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Sporting performance and food

Actions for this page.

• Good nutrition can enhance sporting performance.
• A well-planned, nutritious diet should meet most of an athlete’s vitamin and mineral needs, and provide enough protein to promote muscle growth and repair.
• Foods rich in unrefined carbohydrates, like wholegrain breads and cereals, should form the basis of the diet.
• Sports nutrition plans should be tailored to the individual athlete, and consider their specific sport, goals, food preferences and practical challenges.

On this page

Nutrition and exercise, daily training diet requirements, the athlete’s diet, carbohydrates and exercise, carbohydrates are essential for fuel and recovery, training with low carbohydrate availability, sporting performance and glycaemic index, pre-event meal, eating during exercise, eating after exercise, protein and sporting performance, using nutritional supplements to improve sporting performance, water, alcohol and sporting performance, where to get help.

The link between good health and good nutrition is well established. Interest in nutrition and its impact on sporting performance is now a science in itself.

Whether you are a competing athlete, a weekend sports player or a dedicated daily exerciser, the foundation to improved performance is a nutritionally adequate diet.

The basic training diet should be sufficient to:

• provide enough energy and nutrients to meet the demands of training and exercise
• enhance adaptation and recovery between training sessions
• include a wide variety of foods like wholegrain breads and cereals , vegetables (particularly leafy green varieties), fruit , lean meat and low-fat dairy products to enhance long term nutrition habits and behaviours
• enable the athlete to achieve optimal body weight and body fat levels for performance
• provide adequate fluids to ensure maximum hydration before, during and after exercise
• promote the short and long-term health of athletes.

An athlete’s diet should be similar to that recommended for the general public, with energy intake divided into:

• 45 to 65% from carbohydrates
• 15 to 25% from protein
• 20 to 35% from fat .

Athletes who exercise strenuously for more than 60 to 90 minutes every day may need to increase the amount of energy they consume, particularly from carbohydrate sources. Guidelines for carbohydrate and protein based on grams intake per kilogram (g/kg) of body weight are also available.

The current recommendations for fat intake are for most athletes to follow similar recommendations to those given for the general community, with the preference for fats coming from olive oils, avocado, nuts and seeds .

Athletes should also aim to minimise intake of high-fat foods such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, chips and fried foods.

During digestion, all carbohydrates are broken down into sugars (primarily glucose), which are the body’s primary energy source.

After absorption, glucose can be converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscle tissue. It can then be used as a key energy source during exercise to fuel exercising muscle tissue and other body systems.

Athletes can increase their stores of glycogen by regularly eating high-carbohydrate foods. If carbohydrate in the diet is restricted, a person’s ability to exercise may be compromised because there is not enough glycogen kept in storage to fuel the body.

If dietary protein intake is insufficient, this can result in a loss of protein (muscle) tissue, because the body will start to break down muscle tissue to meet its energy needs, and may increase the risk of infections and illness.

Current recommendations for carbohydrate requirements vary depending on the duration, frequency and intensity of exercise.

Foods rich in unrefined carbohydrates, like wholegrain breads and cereals, should form the basis of the athlete’s diet. More refined carbohydrate foods (such as white bread, jams and lollies) are useful to boost the total intake of carbohydrate, particularly for very active people. Athletes are advised to adjust the amount of carbohydrate they consume for fuelling and recovery to suit their exercise level. For example:

• light intensity exercise (30 mins/day) : 3 to 5 g/kg/day
• moderate intensity exercise (60 mins/day) : 5 to 7 g/kg/day
• endurance exercise (1 to 3 hrs/day) : 6 to 10 g/kg/day
• extreme endurance exercise (more than 4 hrs/day) : 8 to 12 g/kg/day.

There may be some situations in an athlete’s training program that warrants a period of restricted carbohydrate intake. A more recent strategy adopted by some athletes is to train with low body carbohydrate levels and intakes (train low).

There is accumulating evidence that carefully planned periods of training with low carbohydrate availability may enhance some of the adaptations in muscle to the training program. However, currently the benefits of this approach to athletic performance are unclear.

The glycaemic index (GI) ranks food and fluids by how ‘carbohydrate-rich’ they are and how quickly they affect the body’s blood sugar levels. The GI has become of increasing interest to athletes in the area of sports nutrition.

Evidence does not generally support a significant impact of manipulation of GI in the diet on exercise performance, assuming total carbohydrate and energy intake are sufficient in an athlete’s diet. However, the particular timing of ingestion of carbohydrate foods with different GIs around exercise might be important. There is a suggestion that low GI foods may be useful before exercise to provide a more sustained energy release, although evidence is not convincing in terms of any resulting performance benefit. Moderate to high GI foods and fluids may be the most beneficial during exercise and in the early recovery period. However, it is important to remember the type and timing of food eaten should be tailored to personal preferences and to maximise the performance of the particular sport in which the person is involved.

The pre-event meal is an important part of the athlete’s pre-exercise preparation.

A high-carbohydrate meal 3 to 4 hours before exercise is thought to have a positive effect on performance. A small snack one to 2 hours before exercise may also benefit performance.

It is important to ensure good hydration prior to an event. Consuming approximately 500 ml of fluid in the 2 to 4 hours prior to an event may be a good general strategy to take. Some people may experience a negative response to eating close to exercise. A meal high in fat, protein or fibre is likely to increase the risk of digestive discomfort. It is recommended that meals just before exercise should be high in carbohydrates as they do not cause gastrointestinal upset. Examples of appropriate pre-exercise meals and snacks include cereal and low-fat milk, toast/muffins/crumpets, fruit salad and yoghurt, pasta with tomato-based sauce, a low-fat breakfast or muesli bar, or low-fat creamed rice. Liquid meal supplements may also be appropriate, particularly for athletes who suffer from pre-event nerves.

For athletes involved in events lasting less than 60 minutes in duration, a mouth rinse with a carbohydrate beverage may be sufficient to help improve performance. Benefits of this strategy appear to relate to effects on the brain and central nervous system.

During exercise lasting more than 60 minutes, an intake of carbohydrate is required to top up blood glucose levels and delay fatigue.

Current recommendations suggest 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate is sufficient, and can be in the form of lollies, sports gels, sports drinks, low-fat muesli and sports bars or sandwiches with white bread. It is important to start your intake early in exercise and to consume regular amounts throughout the exercise period.

It is also important to consume regular fluid during prolonged exercise to avoid dehydration. Sports drinks, diluted fruit juice and water are suitable choices. For people exercising for more than 4 hours, up to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour is recommended.

Rapid replacement of glycogen is important following exercise.

Carbohydrate foods and fluids should be consumed after exercise, particularly in the first one to 2 hours after exercise.

While consuming sufficient total carbohydrate post-exercise is important, the type of carbohydrate source might also be important, particularly if a second training session or event will occur less than 8 hours later. In these situations, athletes should choose carbohydrate sources with a high GI (for example white bread, white rice, white potatoes) in the first half hour or so after exercise. This should be continued until the normal meal pattern resumes. Suitable choices to start refuelling include sports drinks, juices, cereal and low-fat milk, low-fat flavoured milk, sandwiches, pasta, muffins/crumpets, fruit and yoghurt.

Since most athletes develop a fluid deficit during exercise, replenishment of fluids post-exercise is also a very important consideration for optimal recovery. It is recommended that athletes consume 1.25 to 1.5 L of (non-alcoholic) fluid for every kilogram of body weight lost during exercise.

Protein is an important part of a training diet and plays a key role in supporting exercise adaptations and in post-exercise recovery and repair. Protein needs are generally met (and often exceeded) by most athletes who consume sufficient energy in their diet. The amount of protein recommended for sporting people is only slightly higher than that recommended for the general public. For example:

• General public and active people – the daily recommended amount of protein is 0.8 to 1.0 g/kg of body weight (a 60 kg person should eat around 45 to 60 g of protein daily).
• Sports people involved in non-endurance events – people who exercise daily for 45 to 60 minutes should consume between 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg of body weight per day.
• Sports people involved in endurance events and strength events – people who exercise for longer periods (more than one hour) or who are involved in strength exercise, such as weight lifting, should consume between 1.2 to 2.0 g protein/kg of body weight per day.
• Athletes trying to lose weight on a reduced energy diet – increased protein intakes up to 2.0 g/kg of body weight per day can be beneficial in reducing loss of muscle mass.

High-quality dietary proteins including lean meats, milk, and eggs, can aid in the maintenance, repair, and synthesis of proteins in muscle. For athletes interested in increasing lean mass or muscle protein synthesis, consumption of a high-quality protein source such as whey protein or milk containing around 20 to 25 g protein in close proximity to exercise (for example, within the period immediately to 2 hours after exercise) may be beneficial.

As a general approach to achieving optimal protein intakes, it is suggested to space out protein intake fairly evenly over the course of a day, for instance around 25 to 30 g protein every 3 to 5 hours, including as part of regular meals.

There is currently a lack of evidence to show that protein supplements directly improve athletic performance. Therefore, for most athletes, additional protein supplements are unlikely to improve sport performance.

While more research is required, other concerns associated with very high-protein diets include:

• increased cost
• potential negative impacts on bones and kidney function
• increased body weight if protein choices are also high in fat
• increased cancer risk (particularly with high red or processed meat intakes)
• displacement of other nutritious foods in the diet, such as bread, cereal, fruit and vegetables.

A well-planned diet will meet your vitamin and mineral needs. Vitamin and mineral supplements will only be of any benefit if your diet is inadequate or you have a diagnosed deficiency, such as an iron or vitamin D deficiency. There is no evidence that extra doses of vitamins improve sporting performance. Nutritional supplements can be found in pill, tablet, capsule, powder or liquid form, and cover a broad range of products including:

• meal supplements
• sports nutrition products
• natural food supplements.

Before using supplements, you should consider what else you can do to improve your sporting performance – diet, training and lifestyle changes are all more proven and cost effective ways to improve your performance. It’s best if dietary imbalances are adjusted after analysing and altering your diet, instead of by using a supplement or pill. Relatively few supplements that claim performance benefits are supported by sound scientific evidence. Use of supplements is also potentially dangerous. Supplements should not be taken without the advice and guidance of a medical practitioner or Accredited Sports Dietician. The ethical use of sports supplements is a personal choice by athletes, and it remains controversial. It’s important to remember that if you take supplements, you are responsible for the ingestion of these and any subsequent health, legal or safety consequences that may occur. If taking supplements, you are also at risk of committing an anti-doping rule violation no matter what level of sport you play.

Dehydration can impair athletic performance and, in extreme cases, may lead to collapse and even death.

Drinking plenty of non-alcoholic fluids before, during and after exercise is very important. Don’t wait until you are thirsty. Fluid intake is particularly important for events lasting more than 60 minutes, of high intensity or in warm conditions. Water is a suitable drink, but sports drinks may be required, especially in endurance events or warm climates. Sports drinks contain some sodium, which helps absorption. A sodium content of 30 mmol/L (millimoles per litre) appears suitable in sports nutrition.

While insufficient hydration is a problem for many athletes, excess hydration may also be potentially dangerous. In rare cases, athletes might consume excessive amounts of fluids that dilute the blood too much, causing a low blood concentration of sodium. This condition is called hyponatraemia, which can potentially lead to seizures, collapse, coma or even death if not treated appropriately.

Consuming fluids at a level of 400 to 800 ml per hour of exercise might be a suitable starting point to avoid dehydration and hyponatraemia, although intake should ideally be customised to individual athletes, considering variable factors such as climate, sweat rates and tolerance.

While alcohol can be a part of a well-organized diet and in social occasions, excessive consumption can interfere with athletic performance and in the recovery from exercise. It is also energy dense and nutrient poor and can have adverse effects on health. Athletes should therefore consider the current Alcohol Guidelines External Link and minimise or avoid consumption, particularly during the post-exercise period when optimal recovery and repair are very important.

• Your GP (doctor)
• Dietitians Australia External Link Tel. 1800 812 942
• Sports Dietitians Australia External Link Tel. (03) 9699 8634
• Burke L, Deakin V, Mineham M 2021, Clinical sports nutrition External Link , McGraw-Hill, Sydney.
• Gejl KD, Nybo L 2021, ‘Performance effects of periodized carbohydrate restriction in endurance trained athletes – a systematic review and meta-analysis’ External Link , Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 18, no. 37, pp. 1-12.
• Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. 2017 ‘International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise’ External Link , Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 14, no. 20, pp. 1-25.
• Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al. 2018 ‘ IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete External Link ’, British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 52, no. 7, pp. 439-455.
• Nutrition External Link , Australian Institute of Sport, Australian Government.
• Thomas DT, Erdman KA , Burke LM 2016, ‘American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement: Nutrition and athletic performance’ External Link , Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 543-568.
• Nutrition and healthy eating resources External Link , Nutrition Australia.

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Athletes Nutrition Essay

Carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, dehydration, works cited.

The choice of foods determines one’s nutrition. An individual’s nutritional habits significantly influence his or her bodily functions because different foods have varying nutritional levels. The knowledge of foods, which provide various nutrients, facilitates the planning of meals and preparation of safe and nutritious foods. Excellent nutritional habits enhance people’s performance in their day-to-day activities because the body has a sufficient supply of the relevant nutrients.

On the other hand, improper nutritional habits have detrimental effects on body functions and increase people’s susceptibility to diseases. Nutrition plays a primary role in the performance of athletes. The active lifestyle of athletes demands that they eat a variety of nutrients to enable their bodies to function optimally.

Athletes require a sufficient supply of carbohydrates, proteins, fluids, vitamins, and minerals such as iron, calcium, and magnesium. Although health professionals recommend the same kind of foods for a healthy lifestyle, the appropriate nutrient intake for athletes varies depending on factors such as the type of sport and intensity and length of training.

Carbohydrates offer a reliable source of energy, which enables athletes to exercise efficiently. An athlete should ingest carbohydrates before exercising, during exercise, and after exercise. Carbohydrates provide about half of the calories used in an exercise and are vital for athletes who exercise for long durations. Carbohydrates have a significantly high output of energy. An athlete’s ability to exercise for a prolonged period will depend on the initial level of glucose stored in his or her muscles.

Nutritionists recommend the intake of foods such as rice and pasta, which contain complex carbohydrates, before exercise (Campbell 75). Simple sugars such as soft drinks, which contain high levels of calories, are appropriate during exercise. An athlete should eat carbohydrates after exercise to restore the body’s energy. Athletes who exercise for prolonged periods should consume high amounts of carbohydrates to prevent the body from breaking down proteins.

Proteins enable the formation and growth of muscles, bones, tendons, and skin. Proteins facilitate the repair of tissues, which wear out during vigorous exercises. Proteins help to sustain the required energy levels in the body when the level of carbohydrates and fats declines. The number of proteins that an athlete consumes should depend on the type of sport. For example, endurance athletes should take fewer proteins compared to the athletes involved in strength training (Bagchi et al. 109).

Athletes who want to enhance their muscle growth should increase their overall intake of proteins and step up their strength training and exercise. Supplements such as protein powders and shakes are not necessary for athletes who eat a balanced diet. The amount of proteins in a standard diet is enough to facilitate muscle growth and recovery from exercise. Excess intake of proteins accelerates the rate of dehydration during exercise and influences the loss of minerals such as calcium.

Vitamins and minerals play a vital role in the synthesis of hemoglobin, maintenance of healthy bones, and protection of the body against oxidative damage. The consumption of sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals helps to boost the immune system. The intake of proper nutrients accelerates the synthesis and repair of muscle tissues. Athletes who train intensively are likely to encounter frequent muscle injuries and disruption of the supply of essential minerals in the body.

The change in the body’s biochemical adaptations due to exercises can influence the rate of loss of vitamins and nutrients. Vitamins D, B, C, and E and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium are vital to the repair of various body tissues (Bagchi et al. 314). Athletes should eat sufficient amounts of vitamin B to facilitate the production of sufficient energy and repair of muscle tissues.

The intake of plenty of amounts of vitamin D facilitates the efficient absorption of calcium and phosphorous in the body. The high rate of oxygen consumption during intensive exercises leads to oxidative damage to the body cells. Nutritionists encourage athletes to eat sufficient antioxidant nutrients such as vitamins C and E.

The body requires enough fluids during exercise to function optimally. Dehydration exposes athletes to injuries and illnesses. Nutritionists encourage athletes to minimize the risks of thermal exhaustion by drinking about 200 milliliters of water about 3 hours before they begin to exercise. A high intake of fluids in the first two hours after an intensive exercise contributes significantly to an athlete’s recovery from dehydration.

Rehydration helps to increase the plasma volume and entails the intake of fluids such as soft drinks to restore the glycogen levels in the body (Campbell 267). Sports drinks, which contain carbohydrates and electrolytes, are the most suitable fluids to rehydrate the body. Trainers should take the relevant measures to ensure that athletes maintain appropriate levels of fluid balance. An athlete can suffer from excessive loss of electrolytes through sweat during a prolonged exercise.

The intake of amounts of fluids such as pure water, which cannot replace lost electrolytes, can lead to a decline in the sodium level in the blood. Rehydration fluids should contain essential electrolytes to avoid electrolyte imbalance, which can adversely affect the performance and health of an athlete.

The loss of body fluids, more than 2 percent of the body weight, leads to dehydration. A dehydrated athlete is likely to suffer from psychological strain due to impaired heat regulation and reduced body functions.

The athlete faces the risks of developing illnesses such as heat cramps or heat stroke when the dehydration level exceeds 3 percent of the body weight. Excessive dehydration has detrimental effects on the musculoskeletal system. The decline in glycogen levels and an increase in muscle temperature considerably affect the performance of a dehydrated athlete.

Signs of dehydration

The detection of the signs and symptoms of dehydration is crucial to the prevention of injuries and illness to the athlete. The signs of a dehydrated athlete include fatigue, headache, weakness, dizziness, chills, and heat sensations. The decrease in blood volume and heat dissipation and increase in glycogen use and core temperature lead to the decline in an athlete’s performance.

Supplements

Athletes who do not eat a balanced diet or have lost weight can consume supplements. An athlete whose diet lacks any key food group or contains low amounts of micronutrients can benefit from multivitamin supplements and mineral supplements. Athletes who eat a balanced diet do not need supplements.

Athletes should develop nutritional habits, which enable them to eat appropriate amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Athletes should drink enough fluids. Each nutrient plays a vital role in the optimization of an athlete’s performance. An unbalanced diet and low intake of fluids cause a decline in performance due to insufficient energy, muscle damage, and dehydration.

Bagchi, Debasis, Sreejayan Nair, and Chandan Sen. Nutrition and Enhanced Sports Performance Muscle Building, Endurance, and Strength . Amsterdam: Academic, 2013. Print.

Campbell, Bill. Sports Nutrition: Enhancing Athletic Performance . London: CRC, 2013. Print.

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Practical Nutrition Strategies to Support Basketball Performance during International Short-Term Tournaments: A Narrative Review

1 Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK

Kazimierz Rozwadowski

2 Academic Sports Center, Gdansk University of Technology, 80000 Gdansk, Poland

Ladislav Cepicka

3 Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Education, University of West Bohemia, 30100 Pilsen, Czech Republic

Tomasz Gabrys

Raci karayigit.

4 Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ankara University, Gölbaşı, Ankara 06830, Turkey

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Not Applicable.

A short-term (e.g., 6 days) basketball tournament is a shorter version of international tournaments, and qualification in it enables participation in international tournaments such as the Olympics and World championships or preparation before major tournaments. Time for recovery between matches is shorter compared with major tournaments, resulting in an accentuated load on players, which can be repeated up to four times within the 6-day competition period. Therefore, nutritional strategies need to focus on faster and adequate recovery after each match as well as optimum fuelling and hydration before and during matches. Travelling can also create additional challenges when preparing and/or applying those nutritional strategies. There are some particular evidence-based sport foods and ergogenic aids that can improve intermittent activity and/or the execution of motor skills, which may facilitate basketball players’ recovery and performance. The present review provides practical nutritional strategies to support short-term basketball tournaments based on players’ physiological needs and current sport nutrition guidelines.

1. Introduction

Basketball is a worldwide popular sport that consists of high-intensity intermittent activity patterns. A six-day basketball tournament is a shorter version of international tournaments, and qualification enables participation in international tournaments such as the Olympics and World championships or preparation before major tournaments. Each match consists of four quarters of 10 min (FIBA) or 12 (NBA) min. These times demonstrate actual playing times, but also, the time clock is frequently stopped when the ball is out of play, which increases the total time of the game. The combination of speed, power, agility, skill, endurance, and tactical sense also makes basketball a highly intense sport. Each game consists of repeated sprints, rapid accelerations, and decelerations [ 1 , 2 ], explosive change in directions, jumps, and jostling for position in rebounds [ 1 ]. Typical activity patterns of a basketball game have been reported that approximately 1000 discrete movements (e.g., running, jumping, and jostling) are made by changing them every 2 s during the game. Each player does approximately a total of 100 sprints and jostling activities, one every 20 s in actual playing time. In addition, players do more jumps every minute during a match compared with other team sports [ 3 ]. Time for recovery between games is shorter (less than 24 h) in 6-day tournaments compared with major tournaments as players need to play four games within 6-day, which results in an increased load on players. This reveals the importance of faster recovery after a match in this type of basketball tournament. Therefore, nutrition strategies are crucial for recovery after a game and preparation for the next one.

The physiological and metabolic demands during a basketball game are very high as high-intensity intermittent bouts are performed for relatively long durations. Recently, it has been reported that a 5–6 km distance is covered with 3.2–6.8 mmol/L (above the threshold) and an average of 85% of maximal heart rate during a 40 min game [ 3 ]. Elevated blood lactate concentration during a game indicates that the main fuel source is supplied by glycolysis, whereas heart rate responses indirectly indicate the utilisation of aerobic energy sources [ 4 ] Further, a study by Janeira and Maia [ 1 ] reported that the covered distances in a single game consisted of 21% of moderate and 20% high speed running and 12% of the number of jumps. Taken together, these findings indicate that players’ energy requirements rely on both aerobic and anaerobic metabolic pathways [ 2 ] and that carbohydrate is the primary fuel source for basketball players [ 5 , 6 ]. Considering a number of repeated eccentric muscle contractions are performed during a game [ 3 , 7 ], protein is another crucial nutrient for post-game recovery as it plays a key role in muscle repair and remodelling [ 8 ]. It is also important to manage optimal fluid intake pre- during and post-game as there is evidence that basketball players lose a large amount of sweat during a game [ 9 , 10 ].

Several papers in different team sports have reported marked residual fatigue, and reductions in explosive power, and intermittent sprint running during the 3-day tournament [ 11 , 12 ]. These findings can be expected to occur during a short-term basketball tournament. Therefore, players should be fit enough to limit the impact of muscular and physiological fatigue and recover efficiently to play from one game to the next. Traveling (e.g., road trips and air travel) can create an additional challenge when preparing and/or applying nutritional strategies, as it would limit food and drink options and time for their consumption, in addition to causing a negative effect on health and performance [ 13 ]. There are some evidence-based functional foods and ergogenic aids that may facilitate players’ recovery, thereby improving performance [ 14 ] (e.g., caffeine, nitrate, sodium bicarbonate) given that their potential benefits on muscle contractility, exercise efficiency, muscle pain, and damage. Several reviews have reported nutrition strategies in other team sports, such as soccer [ 15 ] and rugby [ 16 ], or in-season for basketball [ 17 ], but there is no review or report yet about nutrition strategies for a short-term basketball tournament. Therefore, the aim of this review is to examine nutrition strategies and provide a practical application that can be managed during a short-term international tournament.

2. Practical Nutritional Strategies Pre-, during, and Post-Games during Tournament

Several studies have investigated the daily dietary intake of basketball players. Whilst daily calorie intake was reported to be relatively high (between 3500 and 5500 kcal/day) [ 18 ], daily carbohydrate intake was reported between 4 and 6 g/kg BM in collegiate and/or adolescent basketball players [ 19 , 20 ]. Likewise, it was reported that daily carbohydrate intake was ~5 g/kg a day in elite basketball players [ 21 ]. Although this amount just meets the lower range of the current carbohydrate recommendations (5–12 g/kg of body mass) for team sport athletes per day for recovery from moderate to very high-intensity exercise [ 5 , 6 ], a higher range is likely required for game days, especially during a short-term tournament, as performance occurs at very high-intensity. With regard to protein consumption, daily protein intake was reported as 1.5–2 g/kg BM [ 15 , 22 ]. Although this amount is at the recommended level for team sport athletes [ 8 , 23 ], it is important to highlight that the distribution of this amount around the game and throughout the day in addition to the timing of consumption would be crucial to facilitate the repair of the skeletal muscle, bone, and connective tissues during a short-term tournament.

The accumulated energy cost over a day in which four matches are played within 6 days is likely to be considerable. Therefore, managing carbohydrate intake, establishing consistent hydration habits, and providing faster recovery are all key nutritional strategies to maximise game-time performance and tournament-long durability for six-day tournaments. These strategies are described in Table 1 . An outline of the key nutrition guidelines around a typical tournament schedule is presented in Figure 1 .

Time guide for optimum nutrition during a typical tournament schedule. Adapted from [ 16 ].

Practical nutrition strategies for optimum performance during international short-term basketball tournaments. Adapted from [ 23 ].

2.1. Fuelling Pre-Games

On match days, energy expenditure and carbohydrate requirements are expected to be higher than on training days [ 24 ]. Players can have enough time to recover when they play once a week, however, playing for a few days in a row would decrease their performance due to progressive fluid and glycogen depletion [ 25 ]. In these cases, aggressive nutritional strategies should be applied to provide an adequate amount of fluid and carbohydrate [ 26 ]. Although there are no specific studies on glycogen depletion on match days in basketball, Bangsbo et al. [ 27 ] have reported that marked glycogen depletion occurred after one match in team sport athletes. Therefore, consumption of a large amount of carbohydrate, such as “Carbohydrate-loading”, a day before may benefit basketball players [ 28 ]. Given it has been demonstrated that even 36–48 h of taper and high carbohydrate intake increased glycogen storage from ~90 mmol to ~180 mmol/kg wet weight, and thereafter remained stable despite another 2 days of the same conditions [ 29 ], “Carbohydrate-loading” a couple of days prior to the tournament may be an effective strategy to maintain performance and facilitate recovery during the tournament.

Matches can be played at different times of day depending on the schedule of the tournament. Therefore, the pre-event mealtime may be taken in the form of breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a substantial snack. Usually, consumption of an easily digestible meal supplying carbohydrate sources 1–4 h before the match is recommended [ 23 ]. Players are generally recommended to consume carbohydrate-rich foods to provide a total of 1–4 g/kg body weight of carbohydrate 3–4 h before, and 1–2 g/kg body weight of carbohydrate 45–60 min before the match [ 23 ]. Additionally, the recommendation is to eat a moderate amount of protein and to avoid high-fibre and high-fat foods because they can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and delay digestion, respectively [ 23 ]. Supporting this, it was reported that elite basketball players receiving nutritional consultation from certified sports nutritionists have an appropriate diet during match days [ 30 ]. The diet consisted of large amounts of whole grains, vegetables, and sodium, but less saturated fat. Whereas increased whole grain and total vegetable intake decreased energy and protein consumption, the range of energy and macronutrient intake (6.8 ± 0.9 g/kg of carbohydrates and 2.2 ± 0.2 g/kg of protein) was still within the recommended range for elite athletes [ 23 ].

Being well-hydrated is crucial for performance during a game. Sufficient fluid intake with meals (at least 8–12 before the match) provides a good hydration status on the match day [ 31 ]. However, if players have not had enough time or fluid volume to re-establish hydration, aggressive hydration strategies may be applied before the game. Approximately 500 mL of fluid, such as water or sport drinks, is suggested at least 4 h before the game. If players do not produce urine, or urine is dark, approximately 300–500 mL of fluid intake is suggested approximately 2 h before the match [ 32 ], which provides sufficient time for urine output of excess fluid prior to the match. Fluid intake with sodium (20–50 mEq.L-1) or small amount of salted snacks may stimulate thirst and, therefore, encourage players to consume fluid [ 33 , 34 ].

2.2. Fuel and Fluid during Games

Inadequate fuel and fluid intake may cause fatigue during a match. The glycogen depletion and fluid deficit incurred across a single game could be small, but that may cause players to start the next game with low stored glycogen and be dehydrated in a 6-day style tournament [ 24 , 35 ]. The aim of fluid intake during the match is to prevent excessive dehydration (>2% body weight loss from water deficit). However, the amount and rate of fluid replacement vary according to the individual sweat rate, and match duration, which makes specific fluid and electrolyte replacement recommendations difficult. Therefore, body weight changes during training/competition sessions should be monitored to estimate individual sweat lost during exercise tasks, which provides to make individual fluid replacement programs for each player [ 31 ].

While it has been reported that moderate levels of dehydration (~2%) can negatively affect skills and movement patterns, sprint and shooting performance in basketball players [ 36 , 37 ], There is evidence that carbohydrate and/or carbohydrate-electrolyte solution intake during basketball specific exercise improves sprint speed, time to fatigue and cognitive functions and mood state [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ], particularly at the last quarter. The current recommendation for carbohydrate intake during a game is 30–60 g/h [ 5 , 6 , 23 ]. Due to the intermittent and explosive (predominantly anaerobic) nature of basketball, players would benefit from small and frequent amounts of carbohydrate and fluid intake during a match. Indeed, time-outs, between quarters and half-times, and substitutions, provide refuelling and rehydration opportunities that should not be overlooked. Therefore, individual patterns to consume 30–60 g of carbohydrate should be found for players (e.g., 1-2-1 approach: 15 g at the first quarter break-30 g at the half-time break-15 g at the third quarter break).

Sodium should also be added to the fluid to replace salt losses [ 23 ]. Despite this being an issue of debate, some players might be more prone to muscle cramps due to salt losses [ 41 ]. Therefore, a subjective salt could be added to food and drinks; and a higher sodium version of sports drinks could be used to decrease the risk of cramping for these players [ 23 ]. With regard to muscle cramps, another proposed theory is named the altered neuromuscular control theory, which suggests that fatigue and muscle overload result in an imbalance between inhibitory and excitatory impulses to the muscle and subsequently cause muscle cramps [ 42 , 43 , 44 ]. Based on the altered neuromuscular control theory, pickle juice ingestion has emerged as a growing nutrition intervention to minimise muscle cramps. The acetic acid content of pickle juice, which provides the sour taste, is thought to stimulate oropharyngeal receptors, in turn possibly activating certain neurological sensory inputs, which may mitigate muscle cramps [ 43 , 44 ]. Although further research is required to draw a solid conclusion whether pickle juice reduces muscle cramps, the current recommended dose of pickle juice is between 70 and 100 mL (0.35–0.66 g of acetic acid) for the possible mitigation and management of muscle cramps in practice, training, or competition [ 43 , 45 ]. All these strategies above should be practiced in the training initially. This will provide players to develop and learn their individual fluid intake strategies and tolerance.

While elite-level basketball is usually played indoors where the temperature can be controlled, hot weather and humidity may be still important factors to consider regarding hydration, when there are congested schedules and travel, particularly in warmer areas. In these kinds of situations, since players would produce near-maximal sweat rates, this can cause players to start the game with the risk of hypohydration. Therefore, it would be important (I) to know local environmental conditions beforehand to determine the risk of high sweat rates; (II) to start games well-hydrated; and (III) to increase fluid intake during games in hot and humid environments.

2.3. Refuelling–Recovery–Rehydration Post-Game

Recovery nutrition is indispensable for tournaments that have two to three games on successive days since matches are played less than 24 h apart and since sometimes teams will need to change locations between games. These changes provide numerous nutritional challenges due to there being less recovery time in addition to road trip fatigue and substantial depletion of fuel and fluid levels, which must be replenished prior to the next match. Additionally, some muscle damage or injuries may happen due to high-intensity play, which also requires recovery and repair. A well-controlled, real-life tournament study demonstrated that 3 consecutive days of basketball play creates cumulative fatigue [ 7 ]. In addition, the process of muscle glycogen restoration can extend until 72 h after a single match in team sports, despite dietary strategies that promote carbohydrate (and protein) replacement [ 46 ]. Therefore, firstly, players should aim to restore their depleted muscle and liver glycogen stores immediately post-match as glycogen-synthesising enzymes are most active during the first 30 min and provide muscle glycogen concentrations by 45% higher compared to 2 h after the match [ 47 ]. When there is less than a 24 h recovery period between matches, players should target to consume 1–1.2 g/kg of carbohydrate per hour in the first 4 h post-exercise to provide greater glycogen re-synthesis [ 48 ]. As an alternative to consuming carbohydrate, the addition of adding protein (0.3–0.4 g/kg) to carbohydrate (0.8–1 g/kg) during recovery can provide a similar glycogen synthesis relative to 1–1.2 g/kg of carbohydrate intake alone [ 49 ]. Besides its effect on glycogen synthesis, the post-match carbohydrate-protein mixture would promote muscle protein synthesis [ 50 ], which is another fundamental element of recovery.

Basketball players repeat many eccentric muscle contractions during the match as is the nature of intermittent sports, which can trigger muscle damage, and impaired muscle function [ 51 ]. The post-match nutrition strategy should target muscle protein synthesis (MPS), because it is key for the muscle repair and remodelling process. Whereas consumption of 0.25 g/kg of protein can optimise the stimulation of MPS, it has recently been reported that higher doses (0.4 g/kg) provide greater MPS [ 52 ]. Players should ensure that they consume protein within 30 min post-game and continue to consume every 3–4 h can benefit to maximise MPS, since stimulation of MPS is maximised by 3 h [ 53 ]. Animal-based protein (e.g., whey) has a higher leucine content, which is the main trigger for MPS and provides fast digestion and absorption [ 54 ]. Given that the diets of some players might be only plant-based, soy protein could be an option for them. Existing evidence shows that consumption of casein protein, which is slowly digested and absorbed, before evening sleep can increase MPS and enhance net protein balance [ 55 , 56 ]. Another key aspect to optimise protein ingestion to benefit recovery is the ingestion of protein before sleep. Since given evening period of sleep (~7–9 h) is the longest period of time wherein individuals do not consume protein. Based on current recommendations [ 55 , 56 ], players can benefit from the consumption of 30–40 g of casein protein prior to sleep to support their recovery.

Rehydration is another important consideration of the recovery process. Aggressive re-hydration strategies could be necessary when players need to play subsequent matches within a short timeframe [ 34 , 57 ]. This is because, inadequate rehydration can impair glycogen restoration and protein synthesis rates [ 58 ], sprint capacity [ 59 ], and skills [ 60 ]. It is reported that athletes need to consume 150% fluid for every 1 kg weight loss during matches [ 61 ], which should be consumed within 6 h after the match. Plain water reduces plasma sodium concentration by increasing urine output due to its free electrolyte content [ 62 ]. Sodium is a key electrolyte that enhances palatability and stimulates physiological thirst. Therefore, recovery beverages should be high in electrolytes, particularly sodium (50 to 80 mmol/L), for optimum rehydration.

3. Nutrition Strategies for Travelling

Travel is a part of the 6-day tournament-style basketball competition and causes additional challenges that impact the nutritional routines of players, as teams may have frequent trips to different areas or cities between games. The issues that are likely to be met during the trip are hydration during the flight, the food available at the destination, catering plans, hygiene standards, and special nutritional needs arising from match goals or from the new environment. Given fluid loss increases during plane, bus, or train travel due to air conditions, airlines, bus, and train companies may be initially contacted about whether to provide additional fluid service. carbohydrate-rich snacks and drinks can be prepared, which will prevent dehydration and keep players fuelled. Hygiene should also be considered in some international destinations. In case of an unsafe local water supply, sealed bottles of water must be prepared. Players need to ensure that bottles are opened in their presence. If there is a buffet, players should choose well-cooked food and avoid salad and raw vegetables when they do not know whether vegetables have been washed in bottled or boiled water.

4. Sport Foods and Supplements

Numerous sport foods with special formulations and supplements have been developed to provide energy and nutrients in a form that is easy to consume [ 62 ]. Basketball players are often interested in using dietary supplements to meet nutritional targets and reach optimal performance [ 63 ] as other athletes in different sports. Players may prefer them for nutritional support before, during, and after a match or as a portable supply of energy and nutrients when real food is unavailable or impractical to consume. Sport nutrition products, such as sports drinks, gels and bars, and liquid meals can be beneficial especially for road trips and during tournaments. The use of supplements, particularly ergogenic aids, is widespread in basketball, but only some supplements may benefit [ 64 ], such as caffeine, creatine, nitrate, sodium bicarbonate, and beta-alanine. In the present study, brief information on some particular supplements ( Table 2 ) that could be effective in short-term basketball tournaments following their acute and/or short-term administration is presented according to the field experience of the author, and the reader is directed to the comprehensive review by Maughan et al. [ 14 ]. It is also important to note that there are limited previous studies that directly investigated the effects of the different dietary supplements on basketball performance, and thus further studies are required. Additionally, recommendations for the use of dietary supplements are currently generalised for “team sports”.

Evidence-based [ 14 ] use of dietary supplements to benefit match outcomes.

4.1. Caffeine

Supplementation of caffeine (3 mg/kg body mass [BM]) 60 min before exercise was shown to enhance jump height during basketball-specific jumps, the number of body impacts, and overall performance during the basketball game [ 65 ]. Similarly, the consumption of caffeinated beverages (including 3 mg/kg BM of caffeine) was reported to improve jump height and total leg muscle power output compared with a placebo [ 66 ]. Together, a moderate amount of caffeine (~3–6 mg/kg BM) can provide ergogenic aid for basketball performance. Such doses can be ingested by everyday amounts of coffee, cola drinks, and some sports products (e.g., gels, sports drinks) [ 64 , 67 , 68 ]. Despite the potential benefits of caffeine ingestion, basketball players must consider their use before games when the game will be played in evening times, as caffeine may result in negative effects on sleep patterns [ 62 ].

4.2. Bicarbonate

Bicarbonate can buffer excess stomach acidity and have a negative effect on lactic acid. A study by Ansdell and Dekerle [ 69 ] reported that supplementation of 0.2 g/kg of sodium bicarbonate 90 and 60 min prior to a basketball game simulation decreased fatigue by protecting contractile elements of the muscle fibres. However, players may have a problem tolerating large doses, which may result in gastrointestinal (GI) problems before matches. Administration of 0.4 g/kg of body mass of sodium bicarbonate for 3 days (split into 3 equal daily doses), enhanced repeated sprint and jump performance without any GI side effects during a simulated basketball exercise [ 70 ].

4.3. Nitrate/Beetroot Juice

This increases nitric oxide production via an oxygen-independent pathway, which can enhance exercise efficiency/economy and exercise capacity [ 71 ]. Existing literature shows that nitrate supplementation may enhance muscle contractility, particularly peak power and time to peak power [ 72 ]. There is also evidence that nitrate supplementation enhanced intermittent exercise performance [ 73 , 74 ], sprint performance, and cognitive performance (i.e., reaction time) [ 75 ] in recreationally active individuals and trained team-sport athletes. There are a couple of important points to consider when applying nitrate supplementation. Given the effect of nitrate appears less in trained individuals [ 71 ], a relatively high amount of nitrate needs to be ingested (~6–12 mmol a day). The ergogenic effect of nitrate supplementation has been reported following both acute and chronic supplementation, multiple-day (3–7 days) supplementation might be appropriate for trained athletes [ 71 , 72 ]. In addition to that, since nitrate supplementation could be ergogenic for both pre-exercise and recovery [ 71 ], it can be considered to supplement it more often at intervals during the day (every ~6–8 h). It is well-known that using mouthwash causes blunting the effect of nitrate, and thus, it is suggested athletes avoid using mouthwash when applying nitrate supplementation.

4.4. Omega 3

Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are important cell membrane components in the brain and muscles and enhance membrane functions and therefore brain health and muscular performance [ 76 ]. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids may promote faster recovery. While Jouris et al. [ 77 ] reported a reduction in eccentric-exercise-induced delayed-onset muscular soreness (DOMS), Gray et al. [ 78 ] did not find the same outcomes. Therefore, more research is required for omega-3 and sport recovery.

4.5. Anti-Inflammatory (Tart Cherry Juice)

It has been reported that muscle damage and inflammatory markers can be reduced with tart cherry juice consumption after resistance, high-force eccentric, and running exercise [ 79 , 80 ]. In addition, it has been found that faster recovery is more important when there are multiple competitions in a short period [ 79 ].

Aforesaid earlier above, this review focused on some particular supplements that can provide benefits for basketball performance with their acute and/or short-term use. However, it is important to knowledge that there are also others that could also benefit basketball performance during short-term tournaments in case of using those in the long term. For example, creatine monohydrate supplementation may improve short-term, high-intensity exercise capacity and multiple-sprint performance via increasing muscle creatine stores and augmenting the rate of phosphocreatine resynthesis [ 81 ]. This ergogenic creatine supplementation was reported following a loading protocol, but this can cause 1–2 kg weight gain, as creatine increases muscle water content [ 81 ], which may be considered a disadvantage for some team-sport players that involve considerable running and jumps [ 82 ]. Therefore, a low-dose protocol that avoids the “loading phase” can be suggested for players to avoid weight gain, which may compromise their power-to-weight ratio before a tournament [ 83 ].

In summary, supplement use is widespread in basketball and may enhance performance. Players should prefer evidence-based products and consider the risks because some may even be harmful. Further and more importantly, players should be aware that supplements can cause the antidoping rule violation given that there are reports showing that supplements contain prohibited substances as an undeclared ingredient or contaminant [ 84 , 85 , 86 ]. Therefore, firstly, players and coaches should be educated to make evidence-based decisions about whether and how to use a specific product. Players should also consult with sport nutritionist, their team doctor, or sport pharmacist before using any dietary supplement. Moreover, players and/or coaches should check if supplements that they consider using have been tested for prohibited substances by third-party auditing.

5. Conclusions

Nutrition for basketball players, especially in special tournaments, requires specific knowledge of the physiological demands of the game as well as the associated characteristics of players. However, although basketball is a popular worldwide sport, there are no specific nutrition guidelines. This present review has adapted current guidelines from other team sports with similar physiological stresses. Future studies need to investigate the relationships between the physiological demands of basketball and nutritional strategies to optimise basketball performance. Furthermore, players’ current nutrition should be researched in order to provide the targeted individual approach for optimal fuelling, hydration, and recovery during training and games. The present review provides practical nutritional strategies to support short-term basketball tournaments based on its physiological demands and current sport nutrition guidelines.

Funding Statement

Published with the financial support of the European Union, as part of the project entitled Development of capacities and environment for boosting the international, intersectoral, and interdisciplinary cooperation At UWB, project reg. no.CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/18_054/0014627.

Author Contributions

Conceptualisation, O.E., R.K. and K.R.; methodology, O.E. and R.K.; formal analysis, O.E. and R.K.; investigation, O.E., L.C., T.G. and K.R., data curation, O.E. and R.K.; writing—original draft preparation, O.E., R.K., K.R., L.C. and T.G.; writing—review and editing, L.C. and T.G.; visualisation, O.E. and R.K.; supervision, L.C. and T.G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

• Essay On Importance Of Sports

Essay on Sports

500+ word essay on the importance of sports.

Sports keep us healthy and active. We can have a healthy mind only when we have a healthy body. We can achieve anything in our lives if we have a healthy body and a peaceful mind. Physical and mental well-being comes naturally when we involve ourselves in sports activities. Sports help in improving our overall personality and make us more active and attentive. Here, students can find a 500+ Words Essay on the Importance of Sports where we will be discussing how important a role sports plays in our life.

Essay on the Importance of Sports

The topic of sports is very broad. It can serve as a form of therapy and a tool in different aspects of life, which can help change the world. Through sports, children develop physical skills, exercise, be team players, and improve their self-esteem. Sports play a significant role in advancing education and in enhancing knowledge.

Playing sports means regular exercising, jogging, going to the fitness centres or playing any game. There are different types of games involved in sports activities. Each game has its own specific rules. These sports activities are done either by individuals or teams for leisure, and entertainment as well as to compete against one another. Playing sports improves the physiological functions of the body organs and improves the functionality of the entire body system. Through sports, we learn different skills like leadership, patience, coordination, motivation, and team effort.

Sport has great importance in building personality, too. For some people, it is not only the body movement or playing strategy, but it’s a life philosophy. In the modern world, a positive attitude to sports is becoming a trend and style. Young people try to look sporty, fit and full of energy. A sports career in India was considered less lucrative in the past. However, now it has become one of the gainful professional options for students. Sometimes students take an interest in sports merely for adventure and a tension-free life. Now, sports games are gaining popularity. Various sports competitions are played at the international level, such as the Olympics. Apart from it, multiple matches and inter-city competitions are organised to promote the field of sports.

Benefits of Sports and Games

Nowadays, we can see problems related to unhealthy lifestyles. We sit more and more on the couch, surrounded by modern technologies. We don’t realise the importance and benefits of sports and physical activities. The lack of physical activity in our body leads to obesity and many other health problems such as heart disease and so. It has become a necessity of today’s world that all of us do daily physical activities or play any sports for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Regular physical activity benefits health in many ways. It helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints, controls weight, reduces fat, and prevents high blood pressure. Children who participate in physical activities such as sports, experience positive health benefits. These health benefits include a decreased risk of high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Also, these children are less likely to smoke or use drugs and alcohol than children who don’t participate in sports.

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Frequently asked Questions on the Importance of Sports Essay

Why is playing sports important for us.

Playing sports not only helps in the active functioning of our body but also helps in flexibility and reduces the chances of falling sick.

Which was the first sport to be played in the world?

Wrestling is said to have been the first sport played in the world, depictions of the same can be found in the caves of France.

Which is the most famous sport in the world?

Football is ranked as the top sport with 3.5 billion followers, seconded by Cricket.

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361 Nutrition Essay Topics: Nutrition Science, Clinical Nutrition, & More

• 🌶️ Top 15 Nutrition Topics
• 🪄 Nutrition Essay Tips
• 🥗 Latest Nutrition Topics – 2024
• 🥔 Argumentative Topics
• 🧂 Controversial Topics

🍗 Sports Nutrition Topics

🔬 nutrition science topics.

• 🩺 Clinical Nutrition Topics

🌡️ Diet and Climate Change Topics

• 🎓 Nutrition Topics for College

🌶️ TOP 15 Latest Research Topics in Nutrition

• The problem of stress eating among college students.
• How do eating habits influence people’s mental health?
• The issue of food safety in modern agriculture.
• Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day?
• The phenomenon of superfoods and their benefits.
• Food science: overconsumption effects on climate.
• What are the causes of the most common eating disorders?
• Where did the trend in organic food markets come from?
• How do parents’ eating habits influence children’s food choices?
• How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed our diets?
• How can going vegan impact the environment?
• How does caffeine impact academic performance?
• Symptoms of malnutrition among children.
• How are the immune system and diet connected?
• How have people’s eating habits changed throughout the centuries?

🪄 Nutrition Essay: Writing Tips

Nutrition topics cover various issues: eating disorders, diets, nutrition for sportspersons, etc. At the same time, nutritional science is interconnected with medicine, psychology, and environmental studies. Consider our tips for writing like a pro about any nutrition topic you like!

Nutrition Essay Structure

• Introduction The introduction of a nutrition essay aims at providing the necessary background information on the topic. In this part, you should explain the complex terms you use to ensure that readers are on the same page. Another thing to include is a hook , an engaging phrase. An unexpected scientific fact is an excellent example of a hook for a nutrition essay. Finally, the introduction should also include a thesis statement , the focus of your writing.
• Body Each body paragraph of your nutrition essay should start with a topic sentence and contain relevant arguments. To build strong arguments , apply to previous research on nutrition, numerical data, and other scientific evidence. Remember that body paragraphs need to support the thesis statement .
• Conclusion The conclusion aims to restate the thesis statement and summarize the key arguments . Note that you shouldn’t include any new information in this part. As for the concluding sentences, remind the readers of the importance of nutrition to inspire them to learn more.

Nutrition-Related Research Topics

Below we’ve peeped into some areas of nutrition science. Discover each of them and choose the most interesting for you.

Tips for Nutrition Research Topics

• When choosing the topic for your nutritional essay, consider the one you are interested in. If you struggle with topic ideas, check out our online topic generator !
• In the introduction, you should offer the readers the scientific foundation to better understand the importance of health and nutrition.
• Make sure you only use trustworthy scientific resources for your arguments. Avoid unverified claims of rapidly improved health or suspicious rates of weight loss.
• Take regular breaks to stay productive . Fact-checking on health and nutrition can be stressful, so take some time off when you need to.
• Always proofread your essay . You may ask a friend who is into nutrition topics to read your writing with fresh eyes.

🥗 Latest Nutrition Research Topics – 2024

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified foods?
• How to treat food allergies?
• Can a healthy diet prevent getting Covid-19 ?
• Should Fast Food Companies Advertise Children ?
• The history of food delivery services.
• What are the toughened regulations on fast-food restaurants?
• How do social media impact students’ food choices?
• What is the mission of the Slow Food movement in the USA?
• Genetically Modified Food: Safety and Regulations .
• What are the primary food safety principles for packaging?
• The global issue of world hunger and food distribution.
• How has the fast-food industry changed the environment?
• Why is it important to use eco-friendly packaging for food and drinks?
• Eating Disorders: Psychological Effects .
• How does diet correlate with mood?
• The phenomenon of gummy vitamins and their efficiency.
• How does marketing make us buy more junk food?
• How does the body positivity movement affect young adults?
• Why is it essential to preserve farmlands?
• Why Are Diets so Popular in the United States ?
• Why is it crucial to avoid a vitamin D deficiency?
• Waste management in food production.
• What are the effects of dietary dilution on food intake?
• Nutrition and chronic diseases: heart disease and diabetes.
• What is the possible impact of climate change on agriculture ?
• Nutrition Education for Pregnant Women and Mothers .
• How does healthy food help deal with stress?
• What are the impacts of the biofuel industry on food systems?
• The rising popularity of the Mediterranean diet.
• How has technology changed the way we eat?
• Impact of Nutritional Deficiencies in Early Life .
• What is the food industry’s role in tourism?
• Influence of eating disordered mothers on their daughters’ eating behavior.
• How do a mother’s food choices impact the quality of breast milk ?
• The importance of Omega-3 fats for human development.
• Diet and Healthy Lifestyle vs. Bariatric Surgery .
• Supplements can never fully replace natural foods.
• American school food and children’s health.
• What are the effects of unprocessed food on general well-being?
• Do eating habits reflect national identity?
• Nutrition: Childhood Obesity and Sustainability Problem .
• What are the pros and cons of low-carb dieting?

🥔 Nutrition Argumentative Essay Topics

• Is overhydration more dangerous than dehydration?
• Can a healthy diet improve hair and skin conditions?
• Fad Diet as a Topic for Academic Studies .
• What is the best alternative to white sugar ?
• Fad diets dangers for overweight individuals .
• Is lactose intolerance a myth?
• White vs. red meat: what are the nutritional benefits?
• Why do more women suffer from anemia than men?
• Why is white bread bad for your health?
• What is the link between dairy product consumption and obesity ?
• Food Insecurity Assessment in Miami .
• What are healthier alternatives for coffee addicts?
• Is drinking a glass of wine daily beneficial?
• Hispanic Adolescents’ Obesity and Fast Food Consumption .
• Impacts of fast foods on the economy and people.
• Is the caffeine effect in coffee and tea the same?
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Low Carb Diets .
• What are the most energizing foods?
• Microbiology has a crucial role in food science.
• Why are women more likely to develop eating disorders?
• Psychiatric nursing: eating disorders in teens.
• What is the healthiest way to cook eggs?
• Do vegetarians get all the nutrients the organism needs?
• Factors Influencing Food Supply and Demand .
• What is the best food for healthy weight loss ?
• What are the advantages of only consuming organic products?
• Why do older people need a different diet?
• Why is counting the calories important?
• What is the primary cause of teenagers developing an unhealthy attitude toward food ?
• How do eating disorders affect our mental health?
• Are parents the ones responsible for children’s obesity?
• How does veganism help the environment?
• Fast Food’ Effects on Children .
• What are the harmful effects of factory farming?

🧂 Controversial Nutrition Topics

• Is sugar as bad for us as the media says?
• The rise in popularity of so-called “superfoods.”
• Food Poisoning in Saudi Arabia .
• What is the role of government in citizens’ sugar and salt intake?
• Why is breakfast not the most important meal a day?
• If junk food is so unhealthy, why is it addictive?
• Is it possible to incorporate alcohol into a healthy diet?
• Does vitamin water have unique health benefits?
• Genetically Modified Food: Good or Bad?
• How can one’s diet be a risk factor for certain diseases?
• The phenomenon of binge eating.
• Why has veganism gained so much popularity in recent years?
• Can plastic preserve the quality of food?
• Dietary Guidelines: Positive and Negative Consequences .
• Why is organic food so expensive?
• How to explain small plates in restaurants?
• How does a visual representation of food affect a customer’s choice?
• Is alternative milk better than organic?
• Is vegetarianism simply a trend?
• Why is it essential to eat a variety of foods?
• What are the myths about good and bad cholesterol?
• What are the issues with eco-friendly packaging?
• Why should people avoid mass-production sauces?
• Arguments for and Against the Fast Food Industry in the USA .
• What affects the taste of airplane meals?
• How do fast food restaurants hide calories?
• Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet in Diabetic Patients .
• What is the possible harm of a plant-based diet?
• What are the benefits of genetically modified food?
• Why are many people lactose intolerant?
• Is water the most significant nutrient for athletes?
• How to count the total daily calories for an athlete?
• Are steroids against the ethics of sports?
• What are the profits of vitamin D in sports nutrition?
• Why are carbohydrates essential for recovery?
• Steroid Use Effects on Professional Young Athletes .
• How to explain overdependence on particular diets?
• What nutritional supplements can improve sports performance?
• What is the connection between sports performance and glycemic index?
• What are the best meals for an athlete’s pre-exercise preparation?
• Sports-Related Problems and Conflicts .
• What is the amount of protein recommended for athletes?
• School athletes and drug tests.
• Which special diets help build stamina?
• How does proper nutrition contribute to building muscles?
• Muscle-strengthening activity practice to reduce obesity.
• Nutrition for Triathletes Overview .
• How do you combine a plant-based lifestyle with professional sports?
• What is the importance of nutrition in team sports?
• Health Care Site: Fitness, Sports and Nutrition .
• How to reduce the risks of eating disorders in female athletes?
• How can a low-carb diet hurt your training?
• How can athletes meet their need for iron?
• Does eating dairy before a workout help to avoid bone problems?
• A high dose of vitamin C can hurt athletic performance.
• What Are Genetically Modified Foods?
• Are whole grains the healthiest choice for teenagers?
• What vital minerals and vitamins are contained in fruits?
• What is the healthiest amount of fruit a day?
• Which vitamins are in vegetables, and what are their benefits?
• Vegetarians vs. meat-eaters: who are healthier?
• Food and Nutrition Intakes Analysis .
• Do whole fruits have more fiber than juice?
• Gut bacteria and metabolic disorders.
• What is the environmental impact of meat-based diets?
• How does meat consumption relate to global warming?
• Healthy Eating in Obese Adults .
• What are the consequences of eating raw meat?
• Is fish a crucial part of healthy nutrition?
• Reducing body mass index measures in school-aged children .
• Is milk the best source of calcium?
• What are the differences between pasteurized and homogenized milk?
• PCR-Based Diagnostics for Pathogens in Food .
• Should plant-based kinds of milk be labeled as milk?
• Healthy Eating. Genetically Modified Organisms .
• What are the energy requirements for adults and children?
• The importance of teaching the food groups at school.

🥖 Nutrition Topics on Food Groups

• How many food groups exist, and what do they consist of?
• What is a balanced plate for health?
• What are the primary nutrients in the grains category?
• Which vitamins and minerals are there in fruits and vegetables?
• More Sugar – More Health Problems ?
• Is it necessary to choose fruits and vegetables in rainbow colors?
• What are the positive effects of vitamins A and C in fruits?
• How does excessive meat consumption influence human health?
• Which role does a fish play in healthy nutrition?
• Health Effects of High Fructose Containing Sugars .
• Is milk the best source of calcium for strong bones ?
• Which alternative types of milk for lactose-intolerant people exist there?
• How do you calculate energy requirements for your healthy diet?
• How do you read food labels and choose the best options?
• Sugar the Silent Killer: Risks of Sugar Consumption .
• What are the high-protein vegetarian alternatives for people who don’t eat meat?
• What are the effects of white meat and red meat?

🥑 Topics on Current Nutrition Trends

• Explain the increasing popularity of the plant-based packaged-food category.
• Popular Diets, and Their Benefits and Concerns .
• What is the technology behind recycled ingredients?
• Why are alcohol-free spirits the top upcoming trend ?
• What is a flexitarian diet, and how does it work?
• The phenomenon of functional beverages and their benefits.
• Do sunflower seeds have heart-health benefits?
• Dietary Intake and Nutritional Assessment Methods .
• Explain the popularity of ready-made gourmet meals in 2024.
• How has COVID-19 influenced globally-inspired foods?
• How does the DASH diet benefit mental health?
• What are the best immunity boosters in 2024?
• How are climatarian brands changing the environment?
• Movements against the diet culture.
• Fad Diets: Solutions and Benefits .
• Are meal kits the best option for students?
• What are the most significant diet myths ?
• Describe an upcoming trend in personalized nutrition .

🐟 Mediterranean Diet Research Paper Topics

• Myths and facts about the Mediterranean diet.
• Does a Mediterranean diet prevent heart disease ?
• What are the main components of the Mediterranean diet?
• What effects does a Mediterranean diet have on metabolism ?
• How to reduce diabetes incidences with a Mediterranean diet?
• The Effect of Mediterranean Diet on Type 2 Diabetes Treatment .
• Weight loss with a Mediterranean diet vs. a Low-fat diet.
• How can the Mediterranean diet reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s ?
• How can you ensure the long-term effects of the Mediterranean diet?
• Mediterranean Diet as a Risk Decreasing Factor for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Coronary Artery Disease .
• What are the risks of the Mediterranean diet?
• Is the Mediterranean diet the healthiest?

🥦 Vegan Diet Topics

• Why is veganism more than a diet?
• What are the beneficial and damaging effects of a vegan diet?
• What are the advantages of vegan organic farming?
• How does a vegan diet reduce cancer risk ?
• Supplements you need on a vegan diet.
• Case Report: Loving Organic Foods .
• Is veganism the best solution to environmental problems ?
• Why do Olympians have plant-based diets?
• Is a vegan diet an option for teenagers?
• Genetically Modified Organisms in Canadian Agriculture .
• How do I decide to become a vegan?
• The potential of vegan-organic agriculture.
• What are the benefits of a plant-based diet for health?
• What are the benefits of veganism for animal rights ?
• How to solve the problem of the lack of nutrients for vegans?
• Nutritional & Economic Importance of Chickpea .
• Is a vegan diet and lifestyle more expensive than a non-vegan?
• What psychological implications does a vegan diet have?

💊 Substance Abuse and Diet Research Topics

• What role does nutrition play while recovering from alcohol addiction ?
• What are the benefits of medical nutrition therapy?
• How are substance abuse and eating disorders connected?
• Does a healthy diet help to reduce harmful cravings?
• The evidence for food addiction.
• How does fast food addiction influence mental health?
• What are the effective strategies to stop overeating ?
• What eating habits do drug users have?
• Drug-to-Drug and Food-Drug Interactions .
• How do drugs affect nutrient absorption?
• Describe the connection between weight loss and substance abuse.
• What is the result of substance abuse in terms of vitamin and mineral deficiencies?
• What is the best way of meal planning for addiction recovery?
• How does smoking affect diet and nutrition?
• Does healthy nutrition help your body heal from addiction?
• Drug and Alcohol Effects on Emotional Intelligence .

🏥 Nutrition Topics on Eating Disorders

• What is the correlation between time spent on social media and eating disorders?
• Why has anorexia always been a growing issue among teenage girls?
• Nutrition intervention for eating disorders.
• What are the biggest stereotypes about eating disorders ?
• Eating disorders, physical and mental health.
• What relationship with food do people with eating disorders have?
• Nutritional treatment in eating disorders.
• Acculturation and Eating Disorders in Western Countries .
• How does sports nutrition develop eating disorders?
• How to prevent eating disorders?
• What nutrients are missing in anorexia ?
• Which risk factors can lead to eating disorders?
• The Eating Disorders in Adolescent Girls .
• Why does malnutrition cause eating disorders?
• Does bulimia cause magnesium deficiency?
• What are the major causes of chronic hunger?
• Describe the importance of nutrition therapy for anorexia nervosa .
• Overcoming Eating Disorders During Identity Development .
• What are the most spread types of eating disorders among teenagers?

🍽️ Diet and Inflammation Topics for Research

• What are the main components of an anti-inflammatory diet?
• Describe the health risks of inflammatory foods.
• Case Study: Inflammatory Bowel Disease .
• How does nutrition impact inflammation?
• Do French fries increase the risk of inflammation ?
• What are the foods causing inflammation?
• Health benefits of anti-inflammatory foods.
• How can green leafy vegetables reduce inflammation?
• How prevalent is chronic inflammation among eating disorders?
• Is Omega-3 the critical regulator of the inflammatory process ?
• How do I reduce inflammation in my body?

🩺 Topics in Clinical Nutrition

• Does fish oil supplementation reduce the risks of dementia ?
• Which muscle-strengthening activities can reduce obesity risks?
• What are the trends in evidence-based dietetic practice?
• Describe the physical and mental health profile of patients with a coffee addiction.
• Improving Allergy Treatment .
• What are the possible clinical treatments for eating disorders?
• What are the obesity treatment strategies in preschool-age children?
• How to characterize the link between olive oil consumption and the risk of heart disease ?
• What are the scientific benefits and safety of soy foods?
• Eating Disorder in Psychiatric Nursing Practice .
• Food allergy prevention and treatment.
• Analyze the vitamin D deficiency in children and adolescents.
• Why are plant-based diets good for planetary health ?
• What are the possible ways to cut food-related greenhouse gas emissions?
• Which eating habits lead to a sustainable future?
• How can a vegan diet be beneficial both for health and the environment?
• How exactly does food contribute to global warming ?
• Climate Change and Public Health .
• Discuss modern ecological approaches to human nutrition.
• Which foods have the most significant environmental impact?
• Will reduced food supply help with climate change?
• What are the eco-friendly versions of the Keto and Atkins diets?
• Agriculture and Global Warming Effects .
• How do popular diets affect the environment?
• Why is a sustainable food supply important?
• Is agriculture the leading cause of global environmental change?
• What are the best foods you can eat for an eco-friendly diet?
• Climate Change Impact on Nature and Society .
• How does food production cause greenhouse gas emissions?
• What is the beneficial environmental impact of the Mediterranean diet?

🎤 Nutrition Topics for Presentation

• What is the difference between the functions of minerals and vitamins?
• How do carbohydrates transform into energy?
• What Is a Proper Nutrition for the Digestive System ?
• What are the benefits of glucose for health?
• Why are people lactose intolerant?
• Healthy food policies from a nursing perspective.
• The interrelations between vitamins.
• What are the negative consequences of zinc deficiency?
• Are gummy vitamins effective?
• Food Insecurity Amongst Children: Main Issues.
• What are the functions of the D vitamins ?
• Marketing trends in organic food.
• Nutritional challenges and their health effects.
• What are good protein sources for teenagers?
• Compare the nutrients in fresh and dried fruit.
• Genetically Modified Food: Main Issues .
• How does the process of pasteurization work?
• What is the healthiest type of oil for daily use?
• What’s the best way to plan a meal?
• Food & stress relationship, and gender differences.
• What are the origins of potatoes?
• The health benefits of avocados.
• How to avoid empty calories?
• How do infants benefit from breastfeeding?

🎓 Easy Nutrition Research Topics for College Students

• What is the role of nutrition in having a healthy life in college?
• How long can people stay without food and water?
• Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia .
• What role does blood have in carrying nutrients throughout the body?
• Picky eating and child’s weight status development.
• How do cells and organs absorb nutrients from food?
• How to stay full for a longer time?
• How do diets expose different people to cancer ?
• What is the impact of depression on nutrition?
• How do fats help to maintain brain health?
• What is the implication of being a vegan for a long?
• McDonald’s Entry into Africa .
• What is the role of the media in shaping people’s food choices?
• How does healthy nutrition improve skin condition?
• Food anthropology: the study of food in diverse cultures.
• How do food nutrients convert into minerals?
• What traces does taking alcohol during pregnancy leave?
• Childhood Obesity, Its Causes, and Consequences .
• How can governments deal with the global epidemic of obesity?
• Why is it important to have nutrition education in college?
• How can governments develop sustainable nutrition policies in the technological era?
• How to explain the popularity of cereals among college students?
• Nutrition Effects on College Students .
• What is the negative impact of nicotine on nutrition habits?
• How to increase the love of fruits among children?
• Fast Food and Culture .
• Describe the positive effects of homemade food.

🔗 Useful Links

• Nutrition Research Reviews | Cambridge Core
• American Society for Nutrition – Nutrition Research & Practice
• Food | United Nations
• Nutrition Problems and Their Solutions: Diet, Treatment
• Diet, Health, and the Environment | School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
• Plant-based diets are best…or are they? – Harvard Health
• Signs of Eating Disorders: Types and Symptoms
• Foods that fight inflammation – Harvard Health
• Mediterranean Diet 101: Meal Plan, Foods List, and Tips
• Back to Basics: All About MyPlate Food Groups

Lesson plan '' Food for sport" grade 7

My Favorite Food Essay

500 words essay on my favorite food.

In order to perform well in life, our body needs energy. We get this energy from the food we eat. Without food, there will be no life. In today’s world, there are so many dishes available worldwide. Food comes in a wide variety all around the world. Dosa, Paneer, Naan, Chapati, Biryani, and more Indian delicacies are available. We are also offered western cuisines such as noodles, pasta, burgers, fries, pizzas and more dominating the food industry. In my favourite food essay, I will tell you about the food I like eating the most.

My Favorite Food

As the world is advancing day by day, it is becoming easier to get access to many kinds of food at our doorstep. Every day, we all want to consume great and delicious cuisine. There are many different varieties of food accessible all throughout the world. We all like different foods, however, my personal favourite is burgers. I have eaten many cuisines but my favourite food is definitely a burger. I cannot resist myself when it comes to burgers.

Burgers are one of the most convenient and easiest foods to eat on the fly when we’re in a hurry. We can have a burger at any time of day, whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or supper, and maybe some fries and a Coke to go with it. Many restaurants are well-known for making their speciality burgers in a particular style. Preparation changes from one establishment to the next. But what exactly makes a burger taste so good? They will taste vary depending on where you go, but they are all built the same. It is made up of a bun, a ground meat patty, and various toppings like cheese, onion slices, lettuce, and other sauces.

They are so soft yet crunchy, fresh and juicy that I love eating them. Even though there are many kinds of burgers, my favourite one is a chicken burger. The chicken patty gives the burger a juicy taste and it tingles my taste buds every time I eat it. I can already smell and taste it in my mouth as soon as I walked inside McDonald’s or any other restaurant that serves chicken burgers. As soon as I take a huge mouthful of it, I forget about any problems or troubles that are going on in the outer world and concentrate my entire concentration just on my chicken burger.

I love eating a burger which is filled with cheese and vegetables . The more vegetables you add, the better it tastes. My personal favourite is lettuce. It gives the burger the right amount of freshness and crunchiness.

I always eat my burger with ketchup. Most importantly, the thing I love about eating burgers is that I get to eat French fries along with them. They work as a great side to the dish and also make my stomach full.

Even though I liked eating a burger from a famous fast food joint, nothing beats the chicken burger my mother makes at home. She prepares everything from scratch, even the burger. Thus, it is extremely fresh and healthy too.

I know and feel that burgers have the great flavour and taste that would make anyone’s stomach pleased after a long day of work. I can tell by the reactions on people’s faces when they order their preferred burger variant. Overall, I don’t believe any other fast food will taste as good as a chicken burger. It’s just difficult to think that something will triumph in the future. As a result, I consider my favourite dish to be the best ever created.

A Great Variety

Perhaps the great thing about burgers is the great variety they offer. It has options for all people, who prefer vegetarian, non-vegetarian and even vegans. Thus, you can select the patty of your burger and dive right in.

There are a large number of burger joints being started in every corner of the city, each serving a variety of their own specialised and self-curated recipes. Burgers that are health-friendly and a go-to with a diet are also being introduced by these newly upcoming burger places. There are a lot many burger cafes that give their customers the choice to create their own burgers by providing them with a choice between patties, fillings, veggies, sauces as well as the number of burger layers they want.

Even though my personal favourite is a chicken burger, I also enjoy eating cheeseburgers and vegetable burgers. For me, all burgers taste delicious. Whenever we go out to eat with friends , I always order a burger.

My friends who do not eat non-vegetarian also eat burgers thanks to the great variety it offers. When we order food at home, we make sure to offer all kinds of burgers from cheeseburgers to chicken burgers, so that we get a taste of everything in our meal. Thus, I love burgers and their great variety makes it better.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of My Favorite Food Essay

Even though my favourite food is a burger, I enjoy other foods as well like Pizza and Pasta. However, I feel when it comes to eating daily, nothing beats homemade food. The food we eat daily is what helps us gain energy. We cannot eat our favourite food daily as it will become boring then, but our staple food is something we enjoy eating on an everyday basis.

FAQ of My Favorite Food Essay

Question 1: Why do we need food?

Answer 1: We need food because it provides nutrients, energy for activity, growth. Similarly, all functions of the body like breathing, digesting food, and keeping warm are made possible because of food. It also helps in keeping our immune system healthy.

Question 2: Should you eat your favourite food all the time?

Answer 2: No, never. Favourite foods are meant to be enjoyed when there is any special occasion, or when you are tired of your regular homemade food. Eating too much of your favourite food will make your taste buds adjust to it and eventually, it will not remain our favourite. Excess of anything is bad and the same goes for our favourite food. Thus, we must eat it occasionally so that it remains our favourite.

Question 3: Is fast food healthy? Should we not consume fast food at all?

Answer 3: Fast food is often high in calories, sodium, and harmful fat, with one meal frequently providing enough for a whole day. It is also deficient in nutrients and nearly devoid of fruit, vegetables, and fibre. That doesn’t mean you should completely avoid fast food. It is feasible to eat fast food without jeopardising your healthy diet. Take advantage of the nutritious side dishes available at many fast-food places. Look for meals that include lean proteins, vegetables, and fibre, and avoid anything that is supersized.

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I spent the day at the 2024 NFL draft: What I discovered

Hi, my name is Amy and I am a secret Detroit Lions fan. Until now, that is.

Sure feels good to say that. And Thursday, it sure felt good to be surrounded by 275,000 of my new friends at the 2024 NFL draft in downtown Detroit.

I am a web editor at the Free Press. The job title doesn't really sum up everything I do, but typically I'm the one you'll normally find sharing stories, photos and videos on Instagram , including making cards of our cool content. I spent the day at the draft after work with one very closest friends, Donald Wine II, but ending up shooting some video of the amazing outfits I saw worn by football fans. And there were a ton.

Donald, who was born in Michigan, graduated from Detroit Country Day School in 2000 and is one of the most loyal Detroit sports fans I know. A graduate of Duke University, he's now a lawyer in Washington D.C., but he comes back to Detroit for games any chance he gets.

Having spent the day at the draft , I have some tips/suggestions for anyone visiting today.

Getting through security

When we first headed to the NFL Draft Experience Entry 2 at Griswold and Jefferson, a huge crush of people was entering at the same time. There wasn't really a line, just a mass of people moving, and security was choosing who to pass through the metal detectors seemingly arbitrarily, but the pace was nice and steady.

By the time we reached the front, we were ushered into separate lines divided by metal barriers to go through another round of metal detectors. We had our phones out, with our NFL One Pass apps open (the only way to get into the cordoned-off draft area) open and QR code entry code on screen, but no one asked to see or scan our apps.

I wore a clear bag, one that I carry to soccer matches, but no one went through it or asked me to open it.

The fan experience

The NFL Draft Experience is no joke. So much to see and do. From the oversized helmets to the uniforms, there are many photo opportunities to be had. Some of the cooler things to see — Super Bowl rings and the Vince Lombardi trophy — have long lines to see so pack your patience.

Everyone seemed excited to be there. Fans from opposing teams were commenting on each other's cool outfits. We saw lots of regional teams represented — Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Cincinnati — and divisional rivals — Green Bay, Minnesota and Chicago.

Bathrooms, or lack thereof

There aren't enough bathrooms. Simple as that. I found it ironic that there were a long row of portable toilets outside the zone along Griswold on the way to enter the fan experience, inaccessible once you're inside the main draft area. A lot of good that will do.

And if you leave the draft area to use the restroom, you may risk not getting back in. The NFL had pushed a notice through OnePass that the draft was at maximum capacity around 6:30 p.m. — and there's no exception for folks who just stepped out for a call of nature or food.

Beverages abound, especially adult beverages

Within, however, drinks are free flowing. Everywhere you turn, there are so many options to purchase drinks, especially adult beverages. But drinks will cost you. Two peach Vodka seltzers (no jokes, please) cost me $40.70 with tip. And you can't bring in outside beverages, so don't try — staff will make you toss them out.

This way to the merch stand, please

Buying merchandise is not a problem. There are a ton of trucks around to sell you some pretty cool Detroit 2024 NFL draft gear or team merchandise.

The official NFL shop is inside the building at Woodward and Michigan. If you see the line for Eminem's Mom's Spaghetti, you are close. Look for signs for the store entrance on Michigan. The exit is on Woodward. And if you buy a baseball hat (they have all NFL teams available in several options), you can get one of four cool patches added. I am fond of the Detroit record one, FWIW. Very cool nod to Motown.

How do I get out of here?

When we were standing near the exit of the NFL store on Woodward, out-of-town folks kept asking me how to exit the zone. With my Lions gear on, they assumed I knew. Nope.

Even Lions fans kept wandering by, looking for a way out. Mystified, because if you parked north of Campus Martius, if would seem natural that if you needed to exit, this would be the place. But no, fans looking to leave were met with a barrier.

Someone told me they'd entered at that spot earlier, but I couldn’t confirm that.

Larger signs for the exits would have been extremely helpful. Even those with maps seemed extremely confused.

Food options do not abound

There are not enough food options within the zone. Sure, there's Mom's Spaghetti (still need to get there) and Little Caesars Pizza food trucks , but not nearly enough for the amount of people.

We got hungry around 5 p.m. Thursday and stepped out of the zone to get some food. Big mistake.

We went to Athens Souvlaki in the Penobscot Building at 645 Griswold St. Their normally extensive menu was limited to a few options, but we still had amazing Greek salads and gyros (big portions).

But as we sat to eat, the One Pass notifications told us there were delays at the entrance to the NFL experience. So we started thinking of a Plan B, but closed our tab and headed back to get in line.

But back in line at Entry 2, we got another notification that the NFL experience was closed and wouldn't reopen that night. We were skeptical, because we'd heard that before, so we stood in line for another 30 to 40 minutes with other fans — hundreds at this entry kept chanting "Let us in" — who also seemed confused over the process before abandoning the line. It wasn't until we headed away from the line that we heard in a public address overhead that the entries were, in fact, closed and wouldn't reopen until Friday. Poor communication, I say.

I witnessed folks sneaking into exits to get back in. We heard reports another entry was breached, but I am trying to confirm that rumor.

Other options to watch

Since we couldn't get back into the NFL draft experience, we walked up to Capitol Park, where there were huge TV screens and a DJ, and watched from that fan zone.

There were tons of seating options, but by the time we arrived, it was standing room only.

It was crowded, but turned out to be a lot of fun. The energy was just as incredible as the NFL Draft Experience.

Plus, lots of food and drink options, cool pop-up shops and an adequate number of bathrooms.

A good Plan B if our original plans fall through again, as Donald and I head downtown for Day 2.

But I will probably be wearing Minnesota Vikings gear for my husband, former Free Press Executive Editor Robert Huschka, since he'll be hopefully be joining us this time. And wearing it for J.J. McCarthy, too!

Follow the Detroit Free Press on Instagram ( @detroitfreepress ), TikTok ( @detroitfreepress ), YouTube ( @DetroitFreePress ), Twitter/X ( @freep ), and  LinkedIn , and like us on Facebook ( @detroitfreepress ). Submit a letter to the editor about the NFL draft or anything else at freep.com/letters , and we may publish it online and in print.

Contact Amy Huschka :  [email protected]  or follow her on Twitter ( @aetmanshuschka ).

Stay connected and stay informed. Become a subscriber .

Plans unveiled for sports entertainment district in Blaine

Blaine is unveiling plans for a new sports entertainment district that will include things like a hotel, food hall, and golf concept.

It would be located right next to the National Sports Center in an area near 105th Avenue, Nassau Street, and Radisson Road.

Blaine city officials say this is a generational project.

“Over the last 20 years the city has identified the need to redevelop an area next to the Sports Center,” said Erik Thorvig, Blaine community development director.

The National Sports Center is an international attraction that draws about 4.2 million people every year.

“About 40% or so are coming from outside the market, whether that’s another state or another country,” said Sara Soli, the National Sports Center’s chief marketing and communications officer.

Soli says there is one problem for all the guests who visit them.

“Having so many guests here on our campus, we’re always looking for more activities for them to enjoy nearby between games, and honestly there hasn’t been a huge offering here in Blaine,” Soli said.

That could soon change with a new sports entertainment district complete with hotels, a food hall, restaurants, housing, an event stadium, a golf concept and pickleball.

“It’s going to be a great mixed-use district where you can live, work, and play,” Thorvig said.

Thorvig says they’ve been acquiring land for the last decade and are thrilled to offer this to the people of Blaine, too.

“Residents want a downtown in Blaine or someplace they can go and do a lot of different activities,” Thorvig said.

He says the investment will exceed $500 million and will use public financing options other than general fund city tax dollars.

“This is for our residents, and this should be something they’re excited about,” Thorvig said.

“I think it’s a great compliment,” Soli said. “We’re really excited about some of the new projects coming.”

Whether you play here or live here, a vision 20 years in the making is one step closer to reality as Thorvig says the developer could break ground in late 2024.

The city of Blaine is hosting two open houses for the public to learn more about the project , one on May 1 and the other on May 22.

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An NPR editor who wrote a critical essay on the company has resigned after being suspended

FILE - The headquarters for National Public Radio (NPR) stands on North Capitol Street on April 15, 2013, in Washington. A National Public Radio editor who wrote an essay criticizing his employer for promoting liberal reviews resigned on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, a day after it was revealed that he had been suspended. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — A National Public Radio editor who wrote an essay criticizing his employer for promoting liberal views resigned on Wednesday, attacking NPR’s new CEO on the way out.

Uri Berliner, a senior editor on NPR’s business desk, posted his resignation letter on X, formerly Twitter, a day after it was revealed that he had been suspended for five days for violating company rules about outside work done without permission.

“I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems” written about in his essay, Berliner said in his resignation letter.

Katherine Maher, a former tech executive appointed in January as NPR’s chief executive, has been criticized by conservative activists for social media messages that disparaged former President Donald Trump. The messages predated her hiring at NPR.

NPR’s public relations chief said the organization does not comment on individual personnel matters.

The suspension and subsequent resignation highlight the delicate balance that many U.S. news organizations and their editorial employees face. On one hand, as journalists striving to produce unbiased news, they’re not supposed to comment on contentious public issues; on the other, many journalists consider it their duty to critique their own organizations’ approaches to journalism when needed.

In his essay , written for the online Free Press site, Berliner said NPR is dominated by liberals and no longer has an open-minded spirit. He traced the change to coverage of Trump’s presidency.

“There’s an unspoken consensus about the stories we should pursue and how they should be framed,” he wrote. “It’s frictionless — one story after another about instances of supposed racism, transphobia, signs of the climate apocalypse, Israel doing something bad and the dire threat of Republican policies. It’s almost like an assembly line.”

He said he’d brought up his concerns internally and no changes had been made, making him “a visible wrong-thinker at a place I love.”

In the essay’s wake, NPR top editorial executive, Edith Chapin, said leadership strongly disagreed with Berliner’s assessment of the outlet’s journalism and the way it went about its work.

It’s not clear what Berliner was referring to when he talked about disparagement by Maher. In a lengthy memo to staff members last week, she wrote: “Asking a question about whether we’re living up to our mission should always be fair game: after all, journalism is nothing if not hard questions. Questioning whether our people are serving their mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity, is profoundly disrespectful, hurtful and demeaning.”

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo revealed some of Maher’s past tweets after the essay was published. In one tweet, dated January 2018, Maher wrote that “Donald Trump is a racist.” A post just before the 2020 election pictured her in a Biden campaign hat.

In response, an NPR spokeswoman said Maher, years before she joined the radio network, was exercising her right to express herself. She is not involved in editorial decisions at NPR, the network said.

The issue is an example of what can happen when business executives, instead of journalists, are appointed to roles overseeing news organizations: they find themselves scrutinized for signs of bias in ways they hadn’t been before. Recently, NBC Universal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde has been criticized for service on paid corporate boards.

Maher is the former head of the Wikimedia Foundation. NPR’s own story about the 40-year-old executive’s appointment in January noted that she “has never worked directly in journalism or at a news organization.”

In his resignation letter, Berliner said that he did not support any efforts to strip NPR of public funding. “I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism,” he wrote.

David Bauder writes about media for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder

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