If you are doing quite a bit of exercising or training for sports then you obviously will use more energy every day that you would if you did little to none; if you do not want to lose any body fat you will need to consume more food on a daily basis and in order to maintain good health your diet needs to be well balanced. This means that you need to consume more of the foods that are rich in carbohydrates such as rice, breakfast cereal, sweet potatoes and wholegrain pasta.

There has been a question about whether people that play sports or are in training should have a diet that is higher in protein or the higher starch carbohydrates. While carbohydrates act as fuel for the body you also need a moderate amount of protein in your body to maintain your health by helping with growing and repairing your muscles. Food that is high in carbohydrates is also good because carbs actually fuel your muscles and are and energy source for your central nervous system and brain. This is needed is sports where you use dexterity, coordination and rely on fast decision making.

Most experts agree that after you have eaten you should let anywhere from one to four hours to elapse before exercising or playing sports depending upon the amount of food that you have consumed. If it was an average size meal then waiting two hours before exercising or playing should be an adequate amount of time. If it was a larger portion then you will want to wait longer in order not to jeopardize your health.

It is also important to remember to keep yourself hydrated during sports; allowing your water content to fall below the normal level can have a detrimental effect on your health. It is always a good idea to make sure that your body is well hydrated before starting any type of exercise session which you can do by drinking juice or water prior to exercise and several times throughout the day. A good rule of thumb is that for every thirty minutes of activity you should take in some fluid; obviously the more that the body sweats due to the exercise then the more you will need to increase your fluid intake.