Iron, in blood, is responsible for carrying clean oxygen to healthy body cells and removing carbon dioxide from them. Taking iron supplements should be done with caution. There is such a thing as iron overdose. Consult your physician first before you take iron as part of your sports nutrition supplement. Their failure to recognize these may also cause malnourishment as they may take too much or less of their nutrients required. Some athletes also diet too much compromising their nutritional needs. Their lack of knowledge on nutritional facts also contributes to it. Their lack of time and opportunity to eat and the tendency to skip meals is also one reason. While it is true that dedication, good training techniques, and genetics are still the main element in an athlete s effectiveness, the lack of a proper nutrition coupled with the absence of nutritional supplement like sport nutrition product can inhibit an athlete s performance in any other forms of exercise. Worse, you might faint even before the race begins of hypoglycemia. Having enough stores of glucose in your body will keep you alert and going even for long hours of physical activity. So, don't forget to eat a light to moderate meal before you race. Sports nutrition experts recommend one to four hours before the assembly time and then nibble 50 grams of carbohydrate every hour before the game starts. And this is true with every single athlete. This is true about you. But if you want to be recognized as an athlete, you ve got to have the right nutrients in your regular food intake, specifically sports nutrition protein. While it is true that drinking enough water and eating a balanced diet is enough for the regular guy, sports people you included need additional nourishment, for the efficient production of energy and fuel. To determine the amount of protein needed by an athlete, the following factors should be considered: his fitness level, the type of exercise along with its duration and intensity, and his overall carb and calorie intake. The last fuel source that is important for natural sports nutrition is fats. There are two kinds: saturated and unsaturated.