Human nutrition can be regarded from many perspectives. Sports nutrition is specifically attributed to the exercise load (e.g. training or competition). The training load varies in duration, intensity, volume, and frequency. Nutrition in relation to exercise load takes the form of interaction, manipulation, and planning in an effort to optimize the component of health-regeneration-adaptation and performance. The application of these approaches, their combination, preference may vary across sports but is primarily an individual choice of each athlete motivated by a specific goal (support for regeneration, adaptation, performance, health), and the body's response may vary.The textbook focuses on the performance of adult athletes or trainers. The textbook is divided into five chapters. The introductory part explains the general characteristics of sports nutrition, procedures identifying the requirements of athletes with regard to variable sports load. The next part is devoted to the nutritional requirements of sports training (energy need, representation of macronutrients and hydration) and principles of sports nutrition periodization. The final chapter summarizes nutritional recommendations in support of sports performance, including the characteristics of nutritional supplements.
