There are a few golden rules when it comes to eating on game day:. It happens the days, weeks, and months leading up to the competition. Peak performance during competition means eating nutritious food while traveling. Relying on the concession stand for food during competition is an almost certain failure.

Players and parents should prepare by packing a variety of food and beverages. Choose energy-packed foods such as whole grain crackers with low-fat cheese, tortilla wraps with veggies and lean meat, hard-boiled eggs, vegetable or bean soups, small boxes of non-sugary cereal, fresh fruit, mini-whole wheat bagels with peanut butter, pita bread with hummus or pasta with grilled chicken.

Fibrous carbohydrates can be beneficial as these tend to cause GI disturbances. UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Refer a Patient. Clinical Trials.

Find a Doctor. Search Submit. Pay a bill. Refill a prescription. Price transparency. Obtain medical records. Order flowers and gifts. Send a greeting card. Make a donation. Find a class or support group. Priority OrthoCare. Here are 9 weight loss tips specifically aimed at athletes.

These science-based recommendations help you lose fat while maintaining performance. Discover which diet is best for managing your diabetes. Getting enough fiber is crucial to overall gut health.

Let's look at some easy ways to get more into your diet:. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Nutrition Evidence Based 8 of the Best Diet Plans and Programs for Athletes.

Medically reviewed by Nutrition Medical Reviewers — By Rachael Ajmera, MS, RD on March 9, Our picks How to choose Bottom line. How we vet brands and products Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we: Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?

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Read more about our vetting process. Was this helpful? A quick look at the best diets for athletes. How to choose the best diet for athletics. The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: History. Mar 9, Written By Rachael Ajmera, MS, RD.

Medically Reviewed By Nutrition Medical Reviewers. Share this article. Read this next. Eating the Right Foods for Exercise. Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M. Pre-Workout Nutrition: What to Eat Before a Workout.

CrossFit Diet Plan: Nutrition, Sample Menu and Benefits. By Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD. Some supplements contain hormones related to testosterone, such as DHEA dehydroepiandrosterone.

These can have similar side effects to anabolic steroids. Other sports supplements like creatine have not been tested in people younger than So the risks of taking them are not yet known. Salt tablets are another supplement to watch out for.

People take them to avoid dehydration, but salt tablets can actually lead to dehydration and must be taken with plenty of water. Too much salt can cause nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea and may damage the stomach lining.

In general, you are better off drinking fluids to stay hydrated. Usually, you can make up for any salt lost in sweat with sports drinks or foods you eat before, during, and after exercise.

Speaking of dehydration , water is as important to unlocking your game power as food. When you sweat during exercise, it's easy to become overheated, headachy, and worn out — especially in hot or humid weather.

Even mild dehydration can affect an athlete's physical and mental performance. There's no one set guide for how much water to drink. How much fluid each person needs depends on their age, size, level of physical activity, and environmental temperature. Athletes should drink before, during, and after exercise.

Don't wait until you feel thirsty, because thirst is a sign that your body has needed liquids for a while. Sports drinks are no better for you than water to keep you hydrated during sports.

But if you exercise for more than 60 to 90 minutes or in very hot weather, sports drinks may be a good option. The extra carbs and electrolytes may improve performance in these conditions.

Otherwise your body will do just as well with water. Avoid drinking carbonated drinks or juice because they could give you a stomachache while you're training or competing.

Don't use energy drinks and other caffeine -containing drinks, like soda, tea, and coffee, for rehydration. You could end up drinking large amounts of caffeine, which can increase heart rate and blood pressure.

Too much caffeine can leave an athlete feeling anxious or jittery. Caffeine also can cause headaches and make it hard to sleep at night.

These all can drag down your sports performance. Your performance on game day will depend on the foods you've eaten over the past several days and weeks. You can boost your performance even more by paying attention to the food you eat on game day.

Focus on a diet rich in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and low in fat. Everyone is different, so get to know what works best for you. You may want to experiment with meal timing and how much to eat on practice days so that you're better prepared for game day.

KidsHealth For Teens A Guide to Eating for Sports. en español: Guía de alimentación para deportistas.

Eat plenty at meals, but avoid overeating. You may load up more in the morning and lighten up as practice or game time approaches:. Vegetarian and especially vegan athletes — who don't eat any animal products whatsoever — are at risk of nutritional deficiencies if they don't carefully plan their meals.

They may be short in omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce inflammation, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, iodine and vitamin D, explains research published in a issue of the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

A possible vegan nutrition plan for a day would entail:. Athletes, especially during the competitive season, can benefit from a little dietary support in the form of supplements.

Always check with your doctor before adding supplements to your endurance athlete diet and make sure that the brand you choose is of the highest quality. Certain supplements can assist in glycogen restoration, boosting immunity and muscle regeneration.

Whey protein is one of the more well-known supplements that can be added to water, milk, juice or smoothies as a quick post-workout meal to help with muscle growth. Sports Medicine reported in a review published in that whey is rich in an amino acid known as leucine and can thus help boost muscle protein synthesis, fostering repair and growth.

Curcumin and bromelain may be other beneficial supplements to aid in recovery, but more research is needed. Nutrition Diets Special Dietary Considerations. Daily Meal Plans for Athletes By Andrea Boldt Reviewed by Jill Corleone, RDN, LD.

Athletic activity requires optimal fueling with healthy meals. Video of the Day. Nutrient Basics. The Right Carbohydrates. Protein Pointers. Fats Are Necessary Too. Breakfast Foods for Athletes.

Lunch Foods for Athletes. Dinner Foods for Athletes. Pre-Workout, Post-Workout and General Snacks. Meal Plans. Early Morning Workout. Lunchtime Practice. Breakfast: Whole-grain pancakes, nut butter and sliced banana Lunch before the workout: Half of a roast beef sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes Lunch after workout: Other half of the sandwich, clear soup such as vegetable or chicken noodle , fruit salad and glass of milk Dinner: Grilled chicken, baked potato and green beans with dried fruit raisins, dried mango, dried cherries for dessert.

Late Afternoon Practice or Game. Vegetarian and Vegan Athletes. Breakfast: Smoothie made with pea or hemp protein, fruit and almond milk Lunch: Large vegetable salad with chick peas, nut-based dressing and avocado Snacks: Pita bread with nut butter and fresh fruit Dinner: Stir-fried vegetables with tofu and brown rice.

The Role of Supplements. Warning Always check with your doctor before adding supplements to your endurance athlete diet and make sure that the brand you choose is of the highest quality.

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Healthy Eating 10 Appetite-Suppressing Strategies to Keep You Sat Build a better-conditioned physique without starvation. What foods should I eat? How much should I eat? What does it all mean? If the same guy wants to trim fat, he would eat grams of carbs instead of to start with.

Is there an easier way to estimate calories and grams? What should I eat before a workout? What should I eat after a workout? Can I ever cheat on my diet? Sample Menu BREAKFAST 8 oz. black coffee 3 scrambled eggs 2 cups unsweetened, cooked oatmeal with cinnamon SEE ALSO: 5 BREAKFAST RECIPES TO POWER UP YOUR MORNING LUNCH 3 oz.

grilled salmon Large raw salad with 2 tbsp. olive oil and vinegar 2 cups sweet or baked potato SEE ALSO: 5 HEALTHY, FLAVORFUL SALMON RECIPES SNACK Meal-replacement shake with 50g protein, 25g carbs, 5g fat SEE ALSO: 11 BEST SNACKS TO CRUSH YOUR CRAVINGS POST-WORKOUT 25g whey protein 1 banana SEE ALSO: 6 WAYS TO PUMP UP YOUR POST-WORKOUT MEAL DINNER 6 oz.

baked chicken breast 3 cups cooked jasmine rice or potato 1 cup steamed broccoli SEE ALSO: 5 CREATIVE WAYS TO COOK WITH CHICKEN DESSERT 2 tbsp. almond butter with one scoop chocolate casein powder and water to make a pudding SEE ALSO: THE 7 BEST PROTEIN-RICH DESSERT RECIPES.

Topics: Bad fats Body Weight Build Muscle Bulk up Burn Fat carbs Cooking Diet dieting Fat Loss Health Healthy food Healthy Foods low carb Mass building Meal Plans Meals and snacks Nutrition plan Protein foods Vitamins and minerals Weight gain Weight loss.

Try to eat a pre-game meal 2 to 4 hours before your event. For a race, this could be dinner the night before. A good pre-game meal is high in complex carbs and low in protein and sugar. Avoid rich and greasy foods. These can be harder for you to digest and can cause an upset stomach.

You may find it helpful to avoid food the hour before a sporting event. This is because digestion uses up energy. Staying hydrated is the most important thing athletes can do. This is especially true on game day. During a workout, you quickly lose fluid when you sweat.

Thirst is a sign of dehydration. A good rule of thumb is to take a drink at least every 15 to 20 minutes. Water is the best way to rehydrate. For short events under an hour , water can replace what you lose from sweating. For longer events, you may benefit from sports drinks. They provide electrolytes and carbohydrates.

Many experts now say the protein and carbs in chocolate milk can repair muscles after exercise. Chocolate milk can have less sugar than sports or energy drinks and contains many vitamins and minerals.

Avoid drinks that contain caffeine. They can dehydrate you more and cause you to feel anxious or jittery. Athletes require a lot of energy and nutrients to stay in shape. Because of this, strict diet plans can hurt your ability and be harmful to your health. Without the calories from carbs, fat, and protein, you may not have enough strength.

Not eating enough also can lead to malnutrition. Female athletes can have abnormal menstrual cycles. You increase your risk of osteoporosis, a fragile bone condition caused in part from a lack of calcium. These potential risks are worse in adolescence but still present for adults.

Get medical help if you need to lose weight. Be sure to talk to your doctor before making major nutrition changes. People often overestimate the number of calories they burn when training.

Avoid taking in more energy than you expend exercising. Also, avoid exercising on an empty stomach. Every athlete is different, so consider:. If you need to gain or lose weight to improve performance, it must be done safely.

If not, it may do more harm than good. Do not keep your body weight too low, lose weight too quickly, or prevent weight gain in unhealthy ways. It can have negative health effects.

This can lead to poor eating habits with inadequate or excessive intake of certain nutrients. Talk to your family doctor find a diet that is right for your sport, age, gender, and amount of training.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition, Nutrition Resources for Collegiate Athletes.

National Institutes of Health, MedlinePlus: Nutrition and athletic performance.

That's because restricting carbs can make you feel tired and worn out, which can hurt your performance. Good sources of carbs include fruits, vegetables, and grains. Choose whole grains such as brown rice, oatmeal, whole-wheat bread more often than processed options like white rice and white bread.

Whole grains provide the energy athletes need and the fiber and other nutrients to keep them healthy. Sugary carbs such as candy bars or sodas don't contain any of the other nutrients you need. And eating candy bars or other sugary snacks just before practice or competition can give athletes a quick burst of energy, but then leave them to "crash" or run out of energy before they've finished working out.

Everyone needs some fat each day, and this is extra true for athletes. That's because active muscles quickly burn through carbs and need fats for long-lasting energy. Like carbs, not all fats are created equal. Choose healthier fats, such as the unsaturated fat found in most vegetable oils, fish, and nuts and seeds.

Limit trans fat like partially hydrogenated oils and saturated fat, found in fatty meat and dairy products like whole milk, cheese, and butter. Choosing when to eat fats is also important for athletes.

Fatty foods can slow digestion, so it's a good idea to avoid eating them for a few hours before exercising. Sports supplements promise to improve sports performance.

But few have proved to help, and some may do harm. Anabolic steroids can seriously mess with a person's hormones , causing unwanted side effects like testicular shrinkage and baldness in guys and facial hair growth in girls. Steroids can cause mental health problems, including depression and serious mood swings.

Some supplements contain hormones related to testosterone, such as DHEA dehydroepiandrosterone. These can have similar side effects to anabolic steroids. Other sports supplements like creatine have not been tested in people younger than So the risks of taking them are not yet known.

Salt tablets are another supplement to watch out for. People take them to avoid dehydration, but salt tablets can actually lead to dehydration and must be taken with plenty of water. Too much salt can cause nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea and may damage the stomach lining. In general, you are better off drinking fluids to stay hydrated.

Usually, you can make up for any salt lost in sweat with sports drinks or foods you eat before, during, and after exercise. Speaking of dehydration , water is as important to unlocking your game power as food. When you sweat during exercise, it's easy to become overheated, headachy, and worn out — especially in hot or humid weather.

Even mild dehydration can affect an athlete's physical and mental performance. There's no one set guide for how much water to drink. How much fluid each person needs depends on their age, size, level of physical activity, and environmental temperature. Athletes should drink before, during, and after exercise.

Don't wait until you feel thirsty, because thirst is a sign that your body has needed liquids for a while. Sustainable Produce A brief intro to the farm, organic eating and sustainability. Tri-athlete Plans: Running, Cycling, Swimming. As a former Olympic athlete myself, my hectic daily schedule.

I have referred a lot of my clients to NutriFit® and they are all extremely happy with the service. I have also had the opportunity and pleasure to visit their kitchen, which is immaculately clean, as good as any Michelin star restaurant.

Jackie Keller and her entire staff are extremely knowledgeable and professional. A former Olympic swimmer, champion body builder and dedicated fitness professional. Jon Jon is the son of legendary body builder Reg Park, a three time Mr. Multiple resources on optimizing nutrition before and during competition.

Sport specific resources included for Olympic lifters, wrestlers, and football players. Email check-ins once a week by Dane Miller for 4 weeks to answer any questions and to keep you accountable to achieving your goals.

High Performance Nutrition Plan with email and phone consultations with Dane to keep you on track. Each meal plan comes with a number of resources specific to the sport that you play.

If you aren't yet ready to sign up for a High Performance Nutrition Plan, check out the individual resources to start improving your nutrition as fast as possible. Over the last 10 years we have trained athletes that have dominated in various, different sports: athletes that have competed at the world level in Is it even possible to gain strength and lose weight at the same time?

The question is asked by everybody. How can I have a healthy bulk? Garage Strength has a lot of husky athletes at the gym that are throwers, linemen and just people trying to be big and strong Fitness enthusiasts and sports performance athletes love to look for that next magical pill.

They scour the internet, fitness magazines and paper based publications for some secret to quick gainz, six pack abs and the strength to make Hercules, Atlas and Chronos look like small potatoes when squatting, deadlifting, cleaning or benching.

Having to make weight for sporting events is always accompanied by anxiety and a sprinkle of stress. Power based athletes that train for sports like powerlifting, wrestling and olympic weightlifting know the feeling.

The stories come across as part demonic possession mixed with zombie slithering. Wrestlers projectile vomiting prior to crawling across the floor to stand on the scale, eyes glazed as if in death throes, all to make weight for the match. As some may have noticed, I have lost over 60lbs over the last two years.

Read More. Sustainable Produce A brief intro to the farm, organic eating and sustainability. Tri-athlete Plans: Running, Cycling, Swimming. As a former Olympic athlete myself, my hectic daily schedule. I have referred a lot of my clients to NutriFit® and they are all extremely happy with the service.

I have also had the opportunity and pleasure to visit their kitchen, which is immaculately clean, as good as any Michelin star restaurant. Jackie Keller and her entire staff are extremely knowledgeable and professional.

A former Olympic swimmer, champion body builder and dedicated fitness professional. If not, it may do more harm than good. Do not keep your body weight too low, lose weight too quickly, or prevent weight gain in unhealthy ways.

It can have negative health effects. This can lead to poor eating habits with inadequate or excessive intake of certain nutrients. Talk to your family doctor find a diet that is right for your sport, age, gender, and amount of training. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition, Nutrition Resources for Collegiate Athletes.

National Institutes of Health, MedlinePlus: Nutrition and athletic performance. Last Updated: May 9, This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.

Getting these other than by mouth is called artificial…. Getting the right amount of water before, during, and after exercise helps your body to function properly.

A lack…. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that provides calories for your body to use as energy. There are two main…. Visit The Symptom Checker. Read More. Knee Bracing: What Works? Sore Muscles from Exercise.

Hydration for Athletes. Exercise and Seniors. The Exercise Habit. Why Exercise? Exercise: How To Get Started. Home Prevention and Wellness Exercise and Fitness Exercise Basics Nutrition for Athletes. Calories come in different forms.

The main types are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Simple carbs fruits, milk, and vegetables are easier for your body to break down.

They provide quick bursts of energy. Complex carbs take longer for your body to break down. They are a better source of energy over time.

Complex carbs in whole grain products are the most nutritious. Examples include whole-grain bread, potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, and kidney beans. Fat is another important source of calories.

In small amounts, fat is a key fuel source. It serves other functions, such as supporting good skin and hair. Do not replace carbs in your diet with fats.

This can slow you down, because your body has to work harder to burn fat for energy. When you can, choose unsaturated fats, like olive oil and nuts.

These are better for your health than saturated and trans fats. Too much fat or the wrong kinds can cause health problems. 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.

Plan a nutritious meal by choosing at least one food from each category. Healthy fat. Adequate hydration is a key element in sports performance. Most athletes benefit from developing a personal hydration plan.

A general rule for training is to consume a minimum:. Four to six ounces of fluid every 15 minutes of exercise. To properly assess, weigh yourself immediately prior to and after a workout.

For every pound of weight lost, replace with 16 ounces of fluid. Best hydration choices include water, low-fat milk or percent juice. Sports beverages are best reserved for competition, where quick hydration and electrolyte replacement are necessary. There are a few golden rules when it comes to eating on game day:.