In general, you need to replace the number of calories you burn each day with athletic activity. For athletes, this number can increase by 500 to 1,000 more calories. Batch cooking proteins, grains, and vegetables, using pre-portioned ingredients, and preparing overnight oats or smoothie packs can save time while ensuring balanced nutrition. Slow cooker and sheet pan meals also make meal prep more efficient. Chicken provides high-quality protein for muscle maintenance, while brown rice ensures steady energy release. Stir-fried vegetables supply antioxidants that reduce inflammation and promote recovery.
Discover More About What Propels Physical Performance in a Nutrition Program
Additionally, caloric intake is not just about quantity but quality as well because the foods you eat affect your body in different ways (Osilla, 2022). Athletes have different nutritional needs compared to the general public. Maintain optimal hydration by drinking water regularly throughout the day. Adequate hydration is essential for temperature regulation, muscle function, and to prevent cramps. Include sports drinks if necessary, especially during longer training sessions or athletic events, to replenish lost electrolytes. For most, these diets restrict crucial energy sources like carbohydrates, which can impair high-intensity performance.
Even the most disciplined training routine can fall short of its potential without proper fueling. As an athlete, knowing the basics of athletic nutrition is key to better performance. It’s about fueling your body with the right mix of carbs, proteins, and fats.
Meeting Protein Intake Requirements for Muscle Repair
“We want to adjust food intake, so you don’t have big peaks and valleys in your nutrition and energy,” she adds. When you’re just starting out, optimal sports nutrition can often feel overwhelming. To help ensure you get all the micronutrients you need for optimal health and performance, we gave colorful, nutrient-dense vegetables their own category. A portion of fat—for instance, nuts, peanut butter, olive oil—is the size of your entire thumb and provides about 10 grams of fat. But you don’t need to rigidly eat chicken breasts at every meal.
If a coach, gym teacher, or teammate says that you need to go on a diet, talk to your doctor first or visit a dietitian who specializes in teen athletes. If a health professional you trust agrees that it’s safe to diet, they can work with you to create a healthy eating plan. Their bodies are less likely to achieve peak performance and may even break down muscles rather than build them.
Meal Planning for Young Athletes
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, echoing research from nutrition experts, recommends athletes drink about four to eight ounces of water at minute intervals. This, of course, will also depend on the intensity and how the temperature of wherever you’re working out. The best strategy for these types of situations is to begin your training session completely hydrated — again, a nutritionist can determine how to achieve that. Even more importantly, an athlete should never rely on thirst as an indicator to drink more water — if you’re running and feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.
Time Your Nutrient Intake
Because the diet permits many foods that are rich in carbohydrates, it can provide plenty of long-lasting energy for endurance athletes (16). It limits processed foods and encourages you to eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with heart-healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, and seeds. However, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) offers visual examples of meals for athletes, which may be a good starting point. The USOPC athlete nutrition guidelines include athlete plates for easy, moderate, and hard training days. “Macronutrient needs are different for athletes than for non-athletes. For athletes, often we’re increasing carbohydrates and protein,” says Morgan.
Meal timing, nutrient timing, and pre-workout nutrition
As with protein and carbs, you can use part of your hand to track your intake. Based on this, a 150-pound (68 kg) athlete would need about cupped handfuls of carbs each day. Based on this, a 150-pound (68 kg) athlete would need about 4-6 palms of protein each day. Anabolic steroids can seriously mess with a person’s hormones, causing unwanted side effects like testicular shrinkage and baldness in guys and https://www.uwhealth.org/news/eating-for-peak-athletic-performance facial hair growth in girls. Steroids can cause mental health problems, including depression and serious mood swings. Committed to providing useful, up-to-date information and research to help Canadians better manage digestive conditions and live healthier lives.
Also, talk to a healthcare professional before adding new supplements. By combining a healthy diet with the right supplements, you can reach new heights in your athletic performance and meet your goals. Your shopping list should have proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats. Complex carbs like brown rice and quinoa give you energy.
How Nutrition Can Support Gut Health and the Immune System
Unlike protein, the timing of your carbohydrate intake impacts your performance and will change based on what you’re doing. The following are some loose guidelines based on prior research but check with your nutritionist to hammer out a strategy that works best for your needs. At Johnson & Wales University, you have the opportunity to earn a Master of Science in Nutrition or your Sports Nutrition Graduate Micro-Certificate . For more information, complete the Request Info form, call 855-JWU-1881, or email [email protected]. Many of the foods you already eat on a daily basis could be tweaked just slightly to provide an even greater dietary boost. Such is the case with beef; go leaner, and you’ll see numerous benefits above and beyond the ground beef you probably already consume on a regular basis.
- Eating the proper meals at the right time is key in optimizing strength, endurance, and recovery.
- Most athletes fuel up with healthy carbohydrates 1-2 hours before a training session while avoiding fats and proteins because they are slower to digest.
- A single serving contains over half the recommended daily value of magnesium.
- You depend on strength, skill, and endurance, whether you’re going for the ball or making that final push across the finish line.
- A whole wheat bun adds fiber and sustained energy, while roasted vegetables offer a variety of vitamins and minerals.
- Include sports drinks if necessary, especially during longer training sessions or athletic events, to replenish lost electrolytes.
Almond Butter and Apple Slices
Examples include dairy, beans, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage), etc. These foods tend to remain in the stomach longer, diverting oxygen-rich blood from muscles to the stomach to aid in digestion. Not only can they cause abdominal bloating and gassiness, they can also make you feel sluggish and tired. Use nutritional supplements to fill any nutritional gaps, but prioritize getting nutrients from whole foods first. Amino acid supplements, protein powder, and other protein supplements can support specific needs but should complement a healthy diet rather than replace it. Always consult a nutrition counselor before starting any supplementation to ensure it aligns with your specific needs.
Consume a nutritious meal or snack before and after workouts. Pre-event meals should focus on a balance of unimeal reviews complaints macronutrients to fuel activity levels, while post-workout nutrition aids in muscle repair and recovery. Optimal meal timing can significantly impact energy levels and overall performance.
A Guide to Eating for Sports
If you need to gain or lose weight to improve performance, it must be done safely. Do not keep your body weight too low, lose weight too quickly, or prevent weight gain in unhealthy ways. Using a meal plan like this can really boost your health, energy, and athletic skills. Stick to it, and you’ll be on the path to success, both in sports and everyday life.
Grilled Shrimp with Sweet Potato Mash and Steamed Broccoli
Explore how customized, performance-driven meals can support your team’s goals. Black beans and sweet potatoes provide a nutrient-dense combination of fiber, protein, and complex carbohydrates. Whole wheat tortillas keep energy levels stable, while adding avocado or Greek yogurt boosts healthy fat content.