Healthy fat sources include oily fish , olive oil , avocados , nuts, and seeds. Athletes should ensure they consume the essential vitamins and minerals they need to support their general health and sports performance.

People can usually achieve adequate intakes of essential vitamins and minerals by eating a varied, balanced diet. Some athletes may choose to take vitamin or mineral supplements or ergogenic aids, such as creatine. The ISSN recommends that consumers evaluate the validity and scientific merit of claims that manufacturers make about dietary supplements.

There is little evidence to support the efficacy or safety of many dietary supplements, including:. However, scientists have shown that other ergogenic aids, such as caffeine and creatine monohydrate, are safe and effective for athletes.

It is important to be aware that some athletic associations ban the use of certain nutritional supplements. Moreover, athletes should ensure they maintain adequate hydration.

Given that sweat losses are a combination of fluids and electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, athletes may choose to and benefit from using sports drinks, milk , or both to meet some of their hydration needs.

The ISSN suggests that athletes training intensely for 2—6 hours per day 5—6 days of the week may burn over — calories per hour while exercising.

As a result, athletes engaging in this level of activity may require 40—70 calories per 1 kg of body weight per day, compared with the average less active individual, who typically requires 25—35 calories per 1 kg of body weight daily. According to the ISSN, athletes weighing 50— kg may require 2,—7, calories per day.

It also notes that athletes weighing — kg may need to consume 6,—12, calories daily to meet training demands. The timing and content of meals can help support training goals, reduce fatigue, and help optimize body composition.

Guidelines for the timing and amount of nutrition will vary depending on the type of athlete. For example, the ISSN advises strength athletes consume carbohydrates and protein or protein on its own up to 4 hours before and up to 2 hours after exercise.

The American College of Sports Medicine ACSM also notes the importance of consuming protein both before and after exercise for strength athletes. By contrast, endurance athletes would need to consume mostly carbohydrates and a small amount of protein roughly 1—4 hours before exercise.

Both the ISSN and ACSM emphasize the role of meal timing in optimizing recovery and performance and recommend athletes space nutrient intake evenly throughout the day, every 3—4 hours. Some people may find that consuming meals too close to the beginning of exercise can cause digestive discomfort.

It is therefore important to eat an appropriate amount and not exercise too quickly after eating. People who are training or racing at peak levels may find it challenging to consume enough food for their energy requirements without causing gastrointestinal GI discomfort, especially immediately before an important workout or race.

For example, the ISSA highlights the importance of hydration and carbohydrate loading for competitive swimmers. At the same time, it emphasizes consuming easily digestible carbohydrates, such as bananas and pasta, prior to events to avoid GI discomfort. Athletes may need to work with a sports nutritionist, preferably a registered dietitian , to ensure they consume enough calories and nutrients to maintain their body weight, optimize performance and recovery, and plan a timing strategy that suits their body, sport, and schedule.

Athletes need to eat a healthy and varied diet that meets their nutrient requirements. Choosing whole grains and other fiber -rich carbohydrates as part of a daily diet generally promotes health. However, immediately prior to and during intense trainings and races, some athletes may prefer simpler, lower fiber carbohydrates to provide necessary fuel while minimizing GI distress.

The following is an example of what an athlete might eat in a day to meet their nutritional needs. Breakfast: eggs — either boiled, scrambled, or poached — with salmon , fresh spinach , and whole grain toast or bagel.

Lunch: stir-fry with chicken or tofu, brown rice , broccoli , green beans , and cherry tomatoes cooked in oil. Dinner: a baked sweet potato topped with turkey, bean chili, or both, served with a watercress , peppers, and avocado salad drizzled with olive oil and topped with hemp seeds.

Snacks are an important way for athletes to meet their calorie and nutrition needs and stay well fueled throughout the day. Options include:. Athletes need to plan their diet to optimize their health and performance.

They should consider their calorie and macronutrient needs and ensure they eat a varied diet that provides essential vitamins and minerals. Department of Defense , Uniformed Services University , Consortium for Health and Military Performance.

Learn about creatine supplements, their impact on athletic performance, and their safety. Fueling Your Adolescent Athlete. Taking Dietary Supplements? Eat Real Food Instead. Whey Protein: The Basics.

Discover the facts about whey protein supplements including what they do and when they are used. Nutrition for the Athlete.

Colorado State University Extension. WAVE Sport Nutrition Curriculum. Oregon State University Extension. Nutrition for Physical Activity and Athletics. Oklahoma State University Extension. Learn how food and fluid intake can impact athletic performance and weight management.

We recommend working alongside a nutritionist and personal trainer to determine your overall caloric needs for training and competitions.

This has been backed up by research that points out some athletes with intense training schedules may require 80 calories per kilogram of body weight per day. To put that in perspective, a kilogram athlete roughly pounds could potentially have to eat up to 7, calories every day. During his prime, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps consumed nearly 12, calories per day.

Again, this is a conversation you should have with qualified professionals who will measure your body weight, examine your metabolism, and determine what split will work best for your personal needs.

Beyond that, protein also helps reduce muscle soreness and keeps your bones strong. Without it, your body is more likely to break down and become frail after years of intense athleticism. So, how much protein should you eat? However, no professional nutritionist organization has any real standpoint on when you should eat protein.

Instead, spread your protein intake evenly throughout the day — about grams per meal. This can range anywhere from five grams per kilogram of body weight to 12 grams for endurance athletes. 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.

One study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine states athletes seem to benefit from eating to grams of carbs about three to four hours before an athletic event. This gives the body enough time to digest the carbs and turn them into energy.

The same study also said athletes should aim for 30 to 60 grams of carbs during exercise to maintain blood sugar levels. After the event, aim for about 1. This advice is in line with the recommendations laid out by the International Society of Sports Nutrition, which also stresses these food sources should be of high quality.

Focus on complex carbohydrates like brown rice, vegetables, and whole grains over simple sugars and junk food. Here are some carbohydrates that all athletes should incorporate into their diets, as suggested by the Mayo Clinic. Fats are no stranger to controversy, especially since they live up to their name by being more fattening — they pack nine calories per gram, compared to four per gram from protein and carbs.

Similarly, hormones like testosterone need fat. Multiple studies have found that lower-fat diets are linked with decreased testosterone in athletes, leading to reduced muscle mass and frail bones.

But what are the not-so-obvious duties? While it's important to stay within your scope, having training in counseling, understanding psychology, and even being familiar with medical conditions or injuries is important to becoming a sports nutritionist. Disordered eating patterns, food phobias, and distorted body images are very common in the world of sports — understanding how to counsel clients with these behaviors is pivotal to their performance.

With active individuals comes injuries — knowing how to aid and enhance healing processes is important. Sports nutrition is far more encompassing than understanding the basics of nutrition. It is using the science of food in combination with physiology to manipulate certain systems within our bodies to achieve the desired performance result.

While the umbrella of sports nutrition might seem small, you will quickly learn that many other fields are involved in its making.

Working within athletics is very challenging, and understanding the culture, the psychology, and even clinical aspects of sports and fitness is required to be successful in the field. For more information on this topic, check out our NASM-CNC page.

Her first introduction to working with professional athletes was back in when she worked at the UFC performance institute in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since then, Jackie has worked with various professional fighters and other clientele and now operates under her company she started back in March, The Fight Nutritionist LLC.

The Fight Nutritionist is dedicated to providing the most effective nutrition plans to ensure her athletes are performance at their absolute best. All of her plans are individualized to the athlete and are backed by the latest research to ensure complete safety and efficacy.

Jackie is also a member of the international society of sports nutrition, where she often participates in different research projects and data collection with other ISSN members from Nova University.

You can find her on LinkedIn here. org Fitness CPT Nutrition CES Sports Performance Workout Plans Wellness. Sports Performance Nutrition spotlight Nutrition for Athletes: Gaining an Understanding of Sports Nutrition.

The Keys to Fueling Athletes Combining your understanding of metabolism, energy systems, and diet is going to be the first step in creating programs that can enhance someone's athletic performance. What About Hydration? Every Body is Different Understanding body composition as it relates to various athletics is a vital component of the field.

The Author. Related Posts. Sports Performance Nutrition spotlight The Kinetic Chain and How to Apply It. Sports Performance Nutrition spotlight Considering Medication for Obesity?

Here's What You Need to Know. Sign up to receive content, exclusive offers, and much more from NASM! Popular Recent. Protein and Weight Loss: How Much Protein Do You Need to Eat Per Day?

By Brad Dieter. Resting Metabolic Rate: How to Calculate and Improve Yours By Fabio Comana. For endurance training lasting 4 to 5 hours, endurance athletes should consume 10 grams per kilogram of body weight. For example, an endurance runner who weighs 70 kg and competes in an endurance event lasting 4 hours or more should consume a minimum of grams of carbohydrate daily.

In comparison, a power athlete would consume fewer carbs around 4 to 5 grams per kilogram of body weight. A power athlete's focus would be more so to increase protein intake.

Many people focus only on carbs for endurance exercise. However, protein intake for endurance athletes is equally important. The purpose of protein is to build and replenish lean muscle tissue.

Protein also acts as a source of energy in times of caloric deficits. Animal-based protein, as the name implies, is protein that comes from animals. This type of protein is considered a complete protein. It is complete because it contains all nine essential amino acids. Animal-based protein sources include:.

Plant-based protein is protein that comes from plants. Plant-based protein is considered an incomplete protein. This isn't to say it is bad, it just doesn't have all essential amino acids.

Plant-based protein sources include:. Protein has 4 calories per gram. How much protein do you need to eat? Protein intake for a normal healthy adult is around 0. Endurance athletes should eat protein at 1. Athletes taking part in longer endurance events need more protein than those running shorter distances.

For example, endurance athletes weighing 70 kg would need to consume 98 grams of protein daily to support their endurance exercise.

Athletes who take part in strength or power sports will consume up to 2. Endurance athletes on a plant-based diet will have an increased protein requirement. This is due to a plant-based diet consisting of incomplete proteins. Endurance athletes need healthy fats in their diet.

Supply two fatty acids the body can't manufacture linoleic acid and linolenic acid. There are many types of fat, some good and some not. The most significant types are triglycerides, fatty acids, phospholipids, and cholesterol.

Of these, triglycerides are most commonly found in food. Fatty acids break down further into saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. Endurance athletes need to minimize the amount of saturated fat consumed. Most fat calories should be in the form of monounsaturated fatty acids. When adding fat to your diet to keep up with the demands of endurance training, focus your fat intake on healthy fats 1.

This includes:. In addition to the three macros, endurance athletes also benefit from some specific micronutrients. Two to consider are vitamins C and D. Vitamin C is perhaps best known for boosting immunity.

But it also serves other important purposes. One is that it is an antioxidant, protecting the cells against free radical damage. Another is that it supports wound healing. According to a study , vitamin C also helps athletes recover during the competitive season 2.

Citrus fruits and potatoes are high in vitamin C. So are peppers, broccoli, strawberries, and kiwi. Vitamin D is important for bone health. Weak bones mean more fractures and breaks. A study also ties adequate vitamin D levels with improved athletic performance 3.

Taking a cod liver oil supplement is one way to get more of this nutrient. Orange juice and dairy are also high in vitamin D. We lose water throughout the day.

It escapes our body through normal respiration, sweating, and urinary output. When we exercise, we lose more. Staying hydrated is more than about satisfying thirst. The top reasons for proper hydration, which are especially important for clients taking on endurance events, include:. Healthy carbohydrate food sources include fruits, vegetables, whole-grain cereals, breads and pastas.

Dietary fat also plays a key role in helping individuals meet their energy needs as well as supporting healthy hormone levels. Healthy sources of fat include nuts, nut butters, avocados, olive and coconut oils. Limit use of vegetable oils such as corn, cottonseed or soybean oil.

Dietary protein plays a key role in muscle repair and growth. Preferred sources of protein include lean meats, eggs, dairy yogurt, milk, cottage cheese and legumes.

Make a plan to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. The goal is to eat at least five servings per day, and include varieties of fruit and vegetable color. One serving is approximately the size of a baseball.

Fruits and vegetables are filled with the energy and nutrients necessary for training and recovery. Plus, these antioxidant-rich foods will help you combat illness like a cold or the flu.

Choose whole grain carbohydrates sources such as whole-wheat bread or pasta, and fiber-rich cereals as power-packed energy sources. Limit the refined grains and sugars such as sugary cereals, white breads and bagels.

You'll benefit more from whole-grain products. Choose healthy sources of protein such as chicken, turkey, fish, peanut butter, eggs, nuts and legumes. Stay hydrated with beverages, as a two percent drop in hydration levels can negatively impact performance.

Options include milk, water, percent fruit juice and sport drinks. However, realize that sport drinks and percent fruit juice tend to be higher in overall sugar content and, in the case of fruit juice, lack many of the health benefits present in its whole food counterpart.

Also, be sure not to confuse sports drinks such as Gatorade with "energy" drinks such as Red Bull and similar beverages. Stick with whole food options as much as possible as opposed to highly processed foods.

Without adequate calories from the healthiest food sources, you will struggle to achieve your performance goals.