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Sports Nutrition Basics
This is a comprehensive list of information/tips regarding sports nutrition. In a nutshell, your body needs fuel to work. The cleaner that fuel is, the better you’re going to feel. The first section on “timing” will probably be your greatest source of help when it comes to developing a nutrition plan. Check out the other sections on specific nutrients to learn more.
Timing: Pre-and Post-Workout Meals
If you’re feeling jello legs/butterflies prior to a workout, your blood sugar is low. Eat some carbs!
Prior to a workout, you want to refrain from eating a large meal. Within an hour prior to your workout, eat a light snack that is filled with carbs and healthy fats (fruit and nut-butter, trail mix, bagel/toast, veggies and hummus, etc.)
Avoid dairy 2-3 hours before workout (this triggers your mucous response and can cause nausea). Avoid spicy foods. Avoid heavy foods that take a long time to digest, as they will sit in your stomach and cause upset
Ultimately, you can eat whatever you want, so long as it doesn’t make your stomach upset.
See the following article for some ideas of the best things that you can eat for post-workout meals:
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ideal-recovery-meals-for-different-workouts/
Carbohydrates
45-65% of daily calorie consumption
Gives your body energy the quickest of any food you could eat
prime for recovery, prime for storing up your battery to use at a later time
Limit processed sugars, especially post-workout. When your body is trying to recover, simple sugars can be a hinderance to that process. It is actually better to have them before a workout, as the simple carbs can be used quickly after consumption and translate into your energy usage
Processed sugars can also increase the amount of inflammation in the body. This means that they can slow the process of recovery.
You don’t need to completely cut sugar out of your life, as that would be a miserable existence. Our advice would be to pull back – make some swaps for other enjoyable foods/drinks when you can. A great rule to follow is 80-20: 80% of the time, your diet is clean and nutritious. The other 20% is where you allow yourself some indulgence.
Within first 60 min of post-workout, eat complex carbs!
Eat complex carbs following an intense workout in prep for competition – fruits, veggies, whole grains (wheat bread, brown rice, wheat pasta, whole grain cereal, etc.)
For more information on carbs, see the following article:
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-dietitian-can-you-survive-without-carbs/
Proteins
10-35% of daily calorie consumption
Within first 30 min of post-workout, eat protein!
Protein can be found in meats, dairy, nuts, beans, lentils, quinoa, tofu, and bone broths
Not all powders/bars are created equal – find one that includes essential amino acids that cannot be created by the body (they will usually be listed on the nutrition label). Many also contain added sugars, so keep that in mind as well.
To learn more about how much protein you should be getting per day, how to get more protein into your diet, and when you consume your protein, see the following article:
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/eating-enough-protein/
Fats
20-35% of daily calorie consumption
Healthy fats help with a variety of essential body processes, including fueling the body when carbs run out. So especially for endurance athletes, you need to incorporate healthy fats into your diet.
Emphasize fats that are liquid at room temperature, such as olive oil, nuts, fish, avocado, etc. (mono- and poly-unsaturated fats), and limit fats that are solid at room temperature (butter, grease/fat from meats, margarine, hydrogenated oils, etc.)
To learn more about what types of fat to consume, see the following article:
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/logging-macros-getting-the-right-kind-of-fat/Linksto an external site
Hydration
On MINIMUM you should be consuming ½ your body weight in ounces per day, then throw in an additional 8-16oz based on your activity level
Dehydration symptoms – headache, exhaustion, dark urine, muscle cramps, nausea, dry mouth/lips, thirsty, impaired cognition, irritable
When to drink up:
2-3 hours before workout: 16 oz
15 min before workout: 8 oz
During workout: 4 oz every 15-20 min
After workout: 16-20 oz for every pound lost through sweat
Keep a water bottle on hand throughout the day. Slowly work your way through it by taking a sip every 15-20 minutes or so
Electrolytes
Electrolytes tell your cells to retain any water that they have absorbed, keeping you hydrated for longer. These include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc.
Electrolyte drinks are fine within 30 min post-workout, but avoid beyond that (limit excess sugars).
Electrolytes can be replenished through a variety of fruits and vegetables (bananas, spinach, apricots, etc.), sports drinks, coconut water, milk, and salty snacks.
Use on hard workout days, but not on recovery/light days. Plain water will hydrate you enough.
For more information regarding hydration needs around workouts, see the following article: https://www.nata.org/sites/default/files/hydration-guidelines_handout.pdf
Supplements
For where you are at in life right now, workout supplements are not necessary. Your body is still growing and developing, and supplements can negatively influence that.
While there have been studies that show the positive effects of caffeine and creatine on athletic performance, they are done in a very controlled environment and used in a very precise way that is tailored to meet the individual needs of each athlete. We have had athletes in the past use these supplements at competition, and we saw some unfortunate negative consequences to their health as a result. We recommend that for your time In high school athletics, you refrain from using such supplements. The best way to prepare your body for competition is to eat a clean, energy-filled diet, stay hydrated, and get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
Caffeine can negatively affect your heart, brain function, sleep cycle, and energy processing. It should be avoided, especially during competition. Having a Dr. Pepper every now and then is not a bad thing, but habitually consuming high volumes of soda, energy drinks, coffee, etc. can negatively affect your performance.
Creatine is a substance that is produced by the body, and is used in a process called anaerobic glycolysis to produce ATP (the body’s energy source). It is not very helpful to aerobic athletes, as the body creates ATP differently during those activities (does not use creatine in that process). Even for anaerobic athletes, excessive consumption of creatine can be dangerous; and quite frankly, unnecessarily expensive.
There is a lot of arguments that push for one direction or the other when it comes to supplement use. If you would like to learn more, see the following articles for some more information on the pros and cons of supplement usage:
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/the-downsides-of-caffeine-for-athletes/
https://www.sportsrd.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Caffeine_and_Athletic_Performance_WEB.pdf
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/how-athletes-use-caffeine-to-boost-performance/
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/creatine
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