LO3: Evaluate the appropriateness of nutritional strategies that aim to improve sport and exercise participant’s performance.

The Montana State University said in 1998 that Vitamins and minerals are needed by the body for internal functions by non athletes just as much as athletes. However compared to a normal RDA of 2000-2500 Kcal a day, an athlete's diet will contain more. Meaning more vitamins and minerals should be consumed in balance with the rest of the diet. An average male gymnast should consume a balanced diet of up to 3500 Kcal a day, to allow the muscles to build and replenish. A runner is recommended to consume a balanced diet of up to 3000 kcal. This is to maintain equilibrium of energy stores and to replenish muscles.

These diets should contain 55% carbohydrates, 15% protein and 30% fats (10% polyunsaturated 10% monounsaturated & 10% saturated)

Carbohydrates and proteins contain 4 kcal of energy per gram. Fat contains up to 8 kcal per grams.

•             NHS 2011 stated that a healthy balanced diet for an average adult should include:
•             Foods high in starch (complex carbs)
•             Fresh fruit and veg (vitamins and minerals)
•             Moderate amounts of meat fish or alternatives (protein and fats)
•             Milk and dairy (protein)
•             Small quantities of foods that contain sugar and fat
•             Maintaining alcohol intake to a sensible intake male 3-4 units female 2-3
•             55% carbs
•             15% protein
•             30% fat 

'Fad diets' is a term used for diets that have claimed to of benefitted some people in the way it says it will, however also have negative effects and do not always work effectively. Examples of these diets could be the 'Atkins' diet and the '5:2' diet. The Atkins diet is a low to no carb diet. Aiming to lose excess body fat and maintain steady sugar levels. The 5:2 diet requires that the person to consume less than 500 calories for 5 days a week, and for the other 2 days, to consume whatever the person may desire. The 5:2 diet is also designed to assist with weight loss, to live a longer life, and to reduce the risk of heart conditions and strokes.

 Athletes such as the runner and the gymnast would not fully benefit from the Atkins diet. The runner especially depends on carbohydrates for energy stores. Minimising complex carbohydrate intake and replacing it with simple carbohydrates will give the athlete fast releasing energy, not ideal when the runner will be exercising for up to or over 2 hours at a competition. Fatigue will set in extremely quick. If the gymnast were to uptake this diet leading up to competition, it would not have much of a drastic effect like it would with the runner, however, the simple carbohydrates consumed will play a good part in the short time that the athlete is performing for, but without a balanced diet, muscle atrophy will set in, decreasing the strength, therefore quality of performance from the gymnast. 

Dr. Cate Shanahan talks about how even non-athletes can feel fatigue due to low carb diets here.

If the runner were to uptake the 5:2 diet a week leading up to the event, it would possibly play a good part to their performance. A week before the event, endurance athletes tend to fast in order to 'start fresh' with what they put into their bodies. As a trained athletes metabolic rate (‘the rate at which we burn and use food for energy’. K. Marshall, 1999) is higher than the average adults, minimising intake of complex carbohydrates, their bodies will burn that excess energy as a last source. Carb loading 1-2 days before the event may provide the runner with new fresh complex energy that will be released slowly during the event. on the other hand, again the gymnast will not necessarily benefit from this. The fasting period will again bring on atrophy of the muscles, and loading up with carbohydrates and fats before an event will limit mobility and flexibility, overall decreasing quality of performance.