title: Food selection and guidance for physically active people.
abstract: The everyday nutritional goals of athletes and physically active people reflect the special, and often increased, nutrient requirements arising from the commitment to regular exercise, as well as the practical challenges of achieving these goals in a busy lifestyle. Issues include achieving and maintaining a body weight and body fat level that is appropriate for optimal sports performance and health, as well as meeting increased requirements for protein and some micronutrients such as iron and calcium. While inadequate intakes of vitamins will impair exercise importance, the current view is that additional vitamin supplementation will not improve exercise performance. Attention to fluid and carbohydrate intake will be an important factor in exercise performance and recovery from exercise, particularly high intensity exercise which is carried out in hot conditions for prolonged periods. Guidelines to promote optimal fuel and fluid status include strategies before, during and after exercise. The dietary guidelines of many developed countries which emphasise dietary variety, based on high-carbohydrate, reduced-fat eating, provide an appropriate blue-print for the athletes diet'. Since sportspeople are well recognised and often hero-worshipped within the community, they provide a worthy example of the potential benefits of a well-chosen diet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Medicine, Australian Institute of Sport, ACT, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burke