Inclusion is not guaranteed
No one can live with either feeling hungry, or uncomfortable fullness, or with unsatisfactory taste for a long time. Diets that do not satiate, ones that you must force yourself to complete and ones that make you uneasy are bound to make you wish that the regimen would come to an end. Body physiology does not respond well to frequent changes in calorific content of intake, or its nutritional balance, and it is therefore most important that a diet must be pleasant, enjoyable and satisfying, so that athletes can live with them as part of a permanent lifestyle. They say that variety is the spice of life, so the best diets are ones with plenty of alternatives, from which athletes can make exchanges.
Supplements are part of life for professional athletes. They provide additional ingredients for increased strength, better endurance and fast replacement of essential body resources. Not all supplements are legal because some of them can have serious side-effects. Doctors and nutrition experts know which supplements can be used, and have lists of ones which are banned as well. Even legal supplements are dose sensitive and need to be taken at specific times exactly as prescribed by a qualified person. Athletes and fitness enthusiasts can also choose to stick to balanced and nutritious diets based on natural foods, rather than use supplements.
Diets can be adjusted for short periods in order to gain or to lose weight, to recover quickly from illness or injury, for expectant and nursing mothers and to account for extremes of young and old age. However, it is best to achieve an appropriate body weight for height, age and sex as steadily as possible, and thereafter to match intake with energy consumption.
