Complex carbohydrates include whole grains, beans and sweet potatoes, for example. Your body slowly absorbs these carbs, providing you with consistent energy levels over a long period of time.

Fats are our backup energy source when carbohydrates are not readily available. Trans fats found in processed food, such as a Big Mac, are not good nutrition for golf. Consume a well-balanced meal containing complex carbohydrates and an adequate amount of protein about two hours before your tee time.

This will give you time to digest your food and reap the benefits before you play. A mix of complex and simple carbohydrates in your snacks throughout the round will maintain your energy levels from your breakfast.

After four to five hours of walking, you are burning an average of 1,, calories while only ingesting a quarter of that during the round. Replenishing the body of those essential nutrients is crucial, especially after such a workout. Water is crucial to all golf nutrition plans — really any nutrition plan.

Drinking this water consistently throughout your pre-round meal all the way till you walk off the golf course will keep your body hydrated and your mind focused. This simple equation can also be applied to your water intake on non-tournament days.

Prioritizing your health through a top golf nutrition program can have a huge impact on your game. According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition May , researchers at the University of Sydney discovered that a single serving of refined carbohydrates given to a lean, healthy young adult is enough to triple their inflammatory response to the surge in blood glucose.

have virtually no nutritional value. Even more surprising is the fact that athletes comprise one of the fastest growing segments of the malnourished population. Unfortunately, athletes tend to believe that exercise overrides dietary deficiencies and that the consumption of designer sports supplements replaces the need to eat high quality foods or take foundational supplements.

Long-term nutrient deficiency is literally silent starvation, resulting in suboptimal performance and shortened athletic careers. It's encouraging to see young athletes who are committed to finding a competitive advantage in their diet. At just 25 years old, Morgan Hoffmann is one of the best examples of an athlete going to great lengths to ensure proper nutrition.

While battling for the lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, Morgan was caught eating homemade bison steak and brocolli out of a Tupperware container that he'd brought with him to the course.

I just figure it's better than eating candy bars or protein bars. Hoffmann is trained and mentored by TPI Certified trainer Don Saladino of Drive in Manhattan, NY. Saladino helped Hoffmann realize the potential benefits of eating healthier, including the change in on-course eating.

We feel it's imperative to spare no expense in getting the highest quality foods into his system all day, every day," said Saladino. Hoffmann is far from the only healthy golfer on Tour.

After struggling with injury for the latter half of , Jason Dufner made changes in his diet and health , losing 20 pounds in the process. Rising star Jason Day is so strict that he told Grantland he only allows himself one or two drinks per year. Ben Crane, a 14 year veteran of the Tour and committed health nut, actually travels with his own juicer so he can make his favorite healthy snacks for he and his friends.

juice carrot, apple, beets, apple, lemon, apple for the housemates stewartcink CamTringalePGA pic. Nobody is going to be perfect we know nobody can resist that famous burger dog at Olympic Club, Webb , but we can be better.

A superfood smoothie is highly digestible, plant-based liquid nutrition with balanced amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, fats and the full spectrum of essential nutrients. This includes vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are efficiently delivered into the bloodstream to boost performance, energy, mental clarity and recovery.

It is a well known fact in athletics that digestion competes with performance, so consider having a superfood smoothie instead of a burger or deli sandwich at the turn. The Bottom Line Golfers now have the ability to gain that intangible, competitive edge both on the course and off by adding the power of nutrition to their game.

In addition to increased levels of energy, mental focus and endurance, staying healthy results in longer lasting careers as an athlete. To learn more, visit www. en Certification About Certification. Certification Courses. Event Schedule.

Either way I hope everyone enjoys what is going to be a fantastic competition starting on Friday. Skip to content. Login Top Bar. Nutrition in Golf Golf is a sport many people feel that nutrition does not play a big role in the success of players.

What should a golfers diet be like? A well balanced diet containing a variety of foods from every food group each day. There should be a focus on nutrient rich carbohydrates, including bread, cereals rice, pasta etc , fruit and vegetables.

The amount of fat should be kept low with the emphasis being on foods rich in mono and polyunsaturated fats such as avocado, nuts, plant based oils and fish. Saturated fats such as butter, oil, cream, cakes, biscuits, fried foods etc should be avoided. A moderate amount of protein should be consumed.

Vegan athletes I have worked with like to snack on bananas, apples, nuts, hummus, veggie sticks, peanut butter and other nut butters , oatmeal, and vegan smoothies. Professional golfers should consume 1. That is 80 — grams per day for a pound player.

The more intense the workout, the more protein you need. On a tournament day, aim for somewhere approximately around — grams. Eating a snack that combines protein and carbohydrate is ideal. Remember to stay hydrated because dehydration decreases energy level too. Try Greek yogurt with granola and fruit, a smoothie, oatmeal with nuts and dried fruit, whole grain protein waffles, peanut butter on a whole grain bagel, or avocado toast with smoked salmon.

Some tips I give the LPGA Tour players are to plan ahead for meals and snacks, bring your own food, go grocery shopping, and make use of your hotel fridge and coffee maker think boiled water for oatmeal and instant soup.

Make a fresh or frozen fruit topping for Greek yogurt, a smoothie of frozen berries blended with lowfat yogurt or almond milk, sparkling water with a dash of juice, lower sugar snacks like graham crackers and ginger snap.

Great tips that should help players prep for upcoming tournaments. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. How to Eat Like a Professional Golfer LPGA Nutritionist, Siobhan Donofrio took to instagram to answer YOUR most frequently asked questions about properly fueling your body for your best golf ever.

View Larger Image. What are your go-to, energy-boosting snack suggestions for vegan athletes? How much protein should golfers have in their diets?

For the FedEx Cup winner and Masters champion, the demands of the sport -- between travel and tournaments -- make traveling with his own chef a necessity. This year's delayed and abbreviated schedule took the usual PGA Tour schedule and ramped it up exponentially.

Players didn't have the luxury of being able to rest between big events. Two major championships and all three rounds of the FedEx Cup were played within a seven-week span. And a few weeks later, the Masters got under way at Augusta.

This year was about the survival of the fittest. And if sound nutrition wasn't part of your golf fitness plan, you were doomed. But, far from doomed, DJ thrived. Between the summer and the fall this year, Dustin won four times -- the Travelers Championship, the Northern Trust, the Tour Championship, and the Masters.

It was an impressive run that probably wouldn't have happened without a sound and strategic nutritional game plan. Chef Mike has DJ on a protein-heavy diet to deal with the amount of playing and working out he does. But don't picture DJ sitting down to a steak at every meal. Protein sources include everything from legumes and grains to fish and lean cuts of turkey.

Alongside those protein sources are sides that keep DJ's energy levels up and his anti-inflammatory responses strong. And that means lots of sweet potatoes and broccoli. If we're having sweet potatoes one day, I might do sweet potato wedges the next day and then maybe a cauliflower-sweet potato mash after that.

You have to be creative! Chef Mike also has to be creative with the timing and portion control of meals. An early tee time requires a different strategy than when DJ has an afternoon tee time.

With so little down time once the season relaunched in June and with an off-season that can seemingly be measured in minutes, injury prevention , recovery , and maintaining proper energy levels are the keys. Chef Mike also turns to a pair of fresh-pressed juices -- an anti-inflammatory juice to help with DJ's post-round and post-workout recovery and an energy-boosting formula to keep the number one player in the world stay sharp.

These fresh-pressed juices are vital to keeping Johnson firing on all cylinders between meals. They wanted some in the bag," says Parks. Overall, DJ's breakdown of protein, carbohydrates, and fats comes to about a ratio.