10 Foods That Are Bad For Athletes

Top athletes know that nutrition is important to their well being and overall performance.
However, no matter what your goal is, the gateway to success lies on your plate.

Below are 10 foods you should stay away from

1 Alcohol

In order to maintain  a good level of fitness, is better to consuming everything in moderation especially alcohol. Alcohol inhibits your physical fitness in a number of ways. Too much booze slows muscle recovery, impairs motor skills, and decreases strength and sprint performance. It’s also a diuretic, so it dehydrates you.

 

2 Diet Soda

Athletes see each meal as an opportunity to refuel: How much protein can I fit into this meal? How can I add more good fats? It’s what drives performance. Nutritionally void foods like artificial sweeteners have no place in their diet. Not only do they offer no health benefits, but consuming artificially sweetened foods like a can of diet soda per day could significantly increase your risk for health problems and weight gain, according to a Purdue University study. Artificial sweeteners trick the body into thinking you’re consuming real food, and because they’re over 100 times sweeter than the real thing, your body starts producing insulin (the fat storage hormone). You’re better off consuming the real stuff in moderation.

 

3 Flavored Yogurt

Flavored yogurt cups are portable and tasty, but they host an avalanche of sugar—especially ones with fruit at the bottom or granola add-ins. This will prevent you from achieving a lean, shredded physique and spike your blood sugar, upping your odds of binging on food and experiencing an energy crash. Greek yogurt is a far better breakfast for serious fitness and health enthusiasts because it’s protein-packed and, if you go with plain, relatively low in sugar.

4 Fruit Juice

Fruit juice is deceiving. It’s got fruit, and you know that has essential vitamins and minerals, but it also has a boatload of sugar. What’s more, it lacks the component in fruit—the skin and fibrous flesh—that holds majority of its nutrition. And since you’re not chewing, the sugar (most of which is fructose) is sent to the liver very quickly—which can be lodged and stored there as fat. Unsweetend cherry or grape juice, can help you recover after a difficult workout by keeping your blood flowing properly, boosting your cardiovascular health, and filling your body with antioxidants. But they’re still high in sugar, so be mindful.

5 Flavored Oatmeal Packets

Though convenient, flavored instant oatmeal doesn’t do your morning or health any justice. Instant oats are steamed, flattened, cut into tiny pieces, and dehydrated, whereas whole, rolled oats are just steamed and flattened, and nutritionally speaking they’re similar in calories, protein, carbs, and sugar. it’s the flavored packets that really get you. They’re hiding a lot of salt and sugar, so opt for plain instant oatmeal and flavor it with cinnamon and fruits like cherries, strawberries, or blueberries, or prepare steel-cut oats the night before with almond milk and store in the fridge overnight.

6 Pasta

Carbs aren’t the enemy all the time, but you really want to stock up on the best sources like quinoa, black rice, even whole-wheat pasta, because white pasta is stripped of its fiber and bran. You want unrefined foods, because more of its nutrients are preserved. And for an athlete, you want calories from foods that deliver the biggest nutritional bang for their buck.

7 Bottled Dressed Salad

You wouldn’t douse important vegetables with cream, fat, and sugar, but that’s what you’re doing when you use most salad dressings. Instead of sabotaging your health with processed oils, chemicals, and preservatives opt for olive oil- or vinegar-based dressings, which you can add your own spices to for one-of-a-kind flavor.

8 Sports Drinks

except you’re doing a really long, rigorous workout, taking sports drinks isn’t necessary. Electrolyte-enhanced beverages usually contain up to up to 34 grams of sugar, so an athlete is better off drinking water and refueling with other foods and beverages.Coconut water is a perfect choice, is called the miracle elixirs for workout.

9 Meal Without Protein

 Protein is important for repairing and strengthening muscle tissue. I would advise to add protein to every meal to maintain adequacy, balance, and variety, while also helping lower blood sugar levels and increasing satiety, says White. Oatmeal may be the breakfast of champions but not without a side of egg whites or a scoop of nut butter.

10 Sugary Cereal

Artificial sugar is definite bad , but chowing down on too much of the real thing is just as bad. Athlete gets to the top of his game, and stays there, by starting his day off with a big bowl of oat cereal and marshmallows. excess sugar also causes increase in insulin, making your body to store more fat.