For optimum performance on the field or the court, you need to follow smart nutrition guidelines. UMass.edu has a few suggestions, including:

• Tomato juice has more potassium than orange juice or a banana, and the salt in tomato juice can help keep an athlete with heavy sweat losses to stay better hydrated.

• Drinking tea and caffeinated coffee or soda within 2 hours of a meal will decrease the amount of iron the body is able to absorb from that meal.

• The first 15 minutes after strenuous activity are the most critical for replacing carbohydrates and building glycogen stores. Fruit juices rather than sports drinks pack more carbohydrate per ounce (with the exception of Gatorlode, which was developed specifically for carbohydrate replacement).

• Chromium supplementation greater than 200 micrograms per day may cause iron deficiency.

Read more sports nutrition tips here.

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