If you play a lot of sports or spend plenty of time in the gym, you may appreciate having healthy meals delivered to you that provide all the ingredients you need to build muscle, avoid adding fat or sugar, and enjoy the energy burst you need before bouts of vigorous activity.
However, as we move into summer, your diet may need to subtly change on active days, as the warmer and longer mean it is the season for extended periods of outdoor activity.
For instance, if you play team sports you may be swapping shorter duration activities like rugby or football that last 90 minutes for sports like cricket or golf, which are slower but last for longer. That means you need less fast-release energy and more slow-release food.
Another instance where this is the case is when you go for long hikes. Summer is the ideal time for long and challenging treks such as climbing Britain’s highest mountains, all of which takes energy and stamina as well as taking into account the fact that you may need to eat the equivalent of multiple meals during a long day’s hiking.
Foods that can gradually release energy include grains, legumes and whole foods. These slowly put energy into your system, which is vital when you have just come off a mountain and have miles to walk home, or it is the last hour of the day’s cricket and the captain needs you to make one last big effort to get a wicket.
However, there is still a place for some quick-release energy. These include foods such as bananas and oranges, which offer natural fructose rather than refined sucrose, healthier sugars that can convert to energy fast without bringing the downsides of unhealthy, fat-laden items like chocolate bars.
Indeed, you can see elite sports stars tucking into many of these things to give themselves an extra bit of energy. When Wimbledon fortnight starts, you will see many a player grab a bite of a banana between games.
The key thing to note, however, is that these extra little boosters will be of little use unless they are adding to a broader base of energy and fitness built up by eating the right foods beforehand. You can be sure that the tennis stars at SW19 will have been very careful about what they have for breakfast as well as what they nibble courtside.
Similarly, you can get an extra kick of energy on a long hike with a bit of fast-energy food, with flapjacks or energy bars, sandwiches with lots of protein and even things like olives among the things recommended.
As ever, you also need the right foods to recover after hours of exercise. Lots of carbs and protein will help, as well as plenty of foods. It is also vital to stay hydrated, especially in summer when it gets hot and sweaty. The good news is that after a lot of very tiring exercise, your body’s metabolism will be very well geared up to absorb your food.
As ever, you should avoid processed stuff, or things with lots of fat, especially if you plan to be very active again the next day. By staying on top of your diet when super-active in summer, you can back up one busy day with another.