Taking part in sport or getting physically active isn’t just enjoyable, it also gives you many health benefits. For a start, it will help you maintain your body weight. Most of us tend to eat more than we need and taking part in sport is a good way to burn off excess calories. 

Unless you're an elite athlete, eating a balanced diet will provide you with all the nutrients you need to take part in your favourite sport or activity. This means eating a balance of carbohydrates, fat, protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals and drinking plenty of fluids.
But don't forget, you can eat healthily and still enjoy your food.

What should I be eating? 

• Eat a variety of foods. This way you’ll get a wide range of nutrients.

• Eat plenty of starchy foods, such as bread, rice, noodles, cereals, potatoes and pasta. Starchy foods should make up a third of the food you eat. But try not to add too much fat (such as butter or oil) or creamy sauces. 

• Eat loads of fruit and veg! Fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced all count. Aim to eat five portions or more a day. A portion is 80g, which means, for example, one apple, two to three tablespoons of veg, one glass of fruit juice (but juice only counts as one portion however much you drink in a day), and remember, potatoes count as starchy foods not fruit and veg. Try keeping a tally of your daily portions to help you increase the number you eat.

• Limit the amount of fatty foods you eat. Try eating small amounts, choosing low fat alternatives and/or cooking without adding fat. Also remember to cut the fat off meat, remove the skin from poultry, eat fish without the batter and choose half fat cheese or semi-skimmed or skimmed milk.

• Only eat sugary foods in small quantities and preferably with a meal to limit dental decay.

• Try not to add salt to your food - we already eat too much.

• Make sure you eat enough food. If you eat too little and do high levels of physical activity then you won’t be able to keep up your exercise levels.
  
  What are good sources of energy? 
  
  Energy is stored in the muscles as glycogen. To maintain your levels of glycogen it's important to eat a diet rich in carbohydrates, which you should aim to get from starchy foods.
  Your body will use energy differently depending upon the type and duration of exercise you're doing, but usually glycogen will be the first energy stores to be used.
  
  The bigger the glycogen stores in your muscles, the longer you can perform. So this is particularly important for endurance sports.
  
  However, remember to maintain a balance and don't eat lots of carbohydrates instead of the other foods you should be eating. This is because your body also requires the other nutrients for it to work efficiently.
  
  What about protein? 
  
  Protein is important in the diet, especially if you’re trying to build muscle.
  These are all good sources of protein:
  
  1- Meat
  2- Chicken and turkey
  3- Fish
  4- Eggs
  5- Nuts and pulses
  
  But try not to eat more protein than you need because your body won’t use it to build muscle. Instead it converts excess protein to fat, which is then stored. It takes much more effort to burn off fat stores so try to make sure your protein intake is just right for your needs. If you feel you need more energy, choose extra starchy carbohydrates rather than extra protein.
  
  Do I need to take supplements? 
  
  In general, you should be able to get all the nutrients you need from a balanced diet.
  If you decide to take protein supplements, be careful that you're not increasing your energy intake so much that you aren't able to burn it off. If you do this, you'll put weight on – and it might not be put on as muscle but could be stored as fat!
  
  Most people don't need to take vitamin and mineral supplements, you should be able to get all you need from a balanced diet.
  
  What about sports drinks? 
  
  Sports drinks are designed to rehydrate the body after exercise. But if you drink and eat enough before and after sport, there is no particular reason to drink them.
  
  Sports drinks can help you rehydrate more quickly, but some contain other stimulants, such as caffeine, which can make you feel as though you have more energy, sooner after exercise.
  
  Where can I get more information? 
  
  You should seek the advice of your GP before starting a new exercise programme, particularly if you haven’t exercised for some time.