The following five nutrition tips will help support immune function while in isolation. Training may be different at the moment but your body still need to fuel your body correctly.
Adequate Energy
Although training load may
have decreased, make sure you continue to fuel your body and immune system.
Under-fuelling or restricting
intake risks compromising immune function, especially if maintaining a regular
training schedule.
Carbohydrate
Adequate carbohydrate intake
is important for optimal immune function.
Focus on fuelling and recovery
nutrition pre and post training sessions, and during training for longer
sessions (e.g. Gatorade/jellybeans/fruit puree).
Adequate protein is also
important, though typically less chance of this being inadequate for most
athletes. Keep protein well distributed over the day to help maintain muscle
mass.
Hydration
Keep well-hydrated to help
keep mucous membranes moist and flushed.
Micronutrient Rich Foods (vitamins &
minerals)
Include a variety of brightly
coloured fruit & veg daily, especially those high in Vitamin C (e.g. citrus
fruit, strawberries, kiwi fruit, broccoli, sweet potato, capsicum, tomatoes).
Include antioxidant-rich foods
such as blueberries, beetroot, pomegranate, cherry juice, spinach, kale,
rocket, garlic and ginger.
Probiotics
A Probiotic supplement is
worth considering, especially if illness prone, as there is some good evidence
to support their benefit for lessening duration and severity of respiratory
illnesses
