Nutritional considerations include pre, during, and post performance needs. Nutrition is vital to bodily functions and should always be in balance. Athletes should always eat enough: vegetables, fruit, dairy, protein, fats, and grains. As athletes place more stress on their bodies and use their bodies more than others, they require greater amounts of these nutrients than non-athletes.
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating indicates the amount of each food group that is recommended for all Australians. An athlete will require, roughly the same percentage of each food group, but will consume greater amounts of them. In addition to this, an athlete may benefit from other nutritional considerations before, during and after a performance.
These include carbohydrate loading before endurance events, the consumption of glucose and electrolytes during events lasting longer than 60 minutes, and replacing glycogen and fluid lost after performance.
Students learn about:
- Nutritional considerations
Students learn to:
- Compare the dietary requirements of athletes in different sports considering pre-, during and post-performance needs
Past HSC PDHPE exam questions (2012-2022)
2011 Question 25
2014 Question 25
Outline the post-performance dietary considerations of an endurance athlete. 3 Marks
2017 Question 24
Using examples, explain how specific vitamins and/or minerals affect athletic performance. 5 marks
2019 Question 22
Justify whether carbohydrate loading could improve performance for an athlete competing in a 100-metre running race. 4 marks