MAKE no mistake: this is no ordinary diet book but one for the serious sportsperson.
Louise Burke - the head of the Australian Institute of Sport's sports nutrition department - and Cox, who works in the same department, are two of Australia's leading dietitians and nutritionists.
- The Complete Guide to Food for Sports Performance, by Louise Burke and Greg Cox. Allen & Unwin, rrp $35
Together they have penned a 500-page tome that underscores the importance of food in winning, for both the "elite competitor or weekend warrior".
They say that Australia achieved its best results ever at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney: "we like to think that the increasing role of sports dietitians in the preparation of teams played a role".
Dietary strategies, say Cox and Burke, help athletes train hard, recover quickly, stay healthy and perform at their best.
So if you're wondering how the champs do it, the secret is to enjoy a variety of food, eat the right types and amounts of fats and oils, as well as carbs, always replace fluid loss and for those sweating hard, replace electrolytes.
Beyond these basics, the authors then dedicate part one to the specific food groups, vitamins, minerals, competition nutrition, pills and potions and much more.
The second part of the book focuses on specific sports, from triathlons to judo, rowing to tennis.
"No longer is it sufficient to promote a 'one size fits all' approach to sports nutrition," they write.
"We now recognise that each sport has specific physiological, cultural and practical issues and that these create a backdrop of special nutritional needs for that sport."
The guide is written in a straight-forward style with bullet points and breakouts.
This third edition is an updated version of the original 1992 book.
