News

Athletic Nutrition for Peak Performance

Everyone knows that proper nutrition maximizes athletic performance. Fad diets confuse us with their apparent ability to work miracles. The old saying – If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is - holds true with nutrition fads.

Athletes should eat 2,000 or more calories a day with 60% or more of those calories (6 to 11 servings) coming from complex carbohydrates. Because athletes eat more carbohydrates than the average person, the typical serving size is smaller than the athlete’s portion. This makes the number of servings in an athlete’s portion larger.

Grain Food	Serving Size	Athlete’s Portion	Number of servings
Cereal	1 ounce	2 - 4 ounces (big bowl)	2 - 4
Bread	1 avg slice	2 slices per sandwich	2
Bagel	½ small	One big	4 - 6
Pasta	½ cup cooked	2 - 3 cups	4 - 6
Rice	½ cup cooked	1 - 2 cups	2 - 4

To learn more about good carbs and when to eat them to maximize performance, read How To Max Your Energy With Carbs.

Never try to eliminate fats from your diet, just control which fats you eat. Studies show that athletes perform best when about 30% of their calories come from fats. These should always be healthy, unsaturated fats.

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and usually come from vegetables. Sources of unsaturated fats include: sunflower oil, olive oil, rice oil, nuts, rapeseed oil, and ocean fish (ex. tuna, salmon, and sardines).

Although not an unsaturated fat, low-fat dairy products contain riboflavin (A B vitamin that increases energy), and calcium, an extremely important dietary mineral for student athletes and female athletes. It helps maintain strong bones (who wants to break a bone playing sports?), decreases the risk of osteoporosis, and protects against high blood pressure. Stick with low-fat dairy products to avoid saturated fats.

Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature and tend to come from animals. Sources of saturated fats include: bacon, beef, cheese, butter, cookies, fast food, and potato chips. Avoid these foods to ensure peak performance.

Many people believe the myth that athletes and body builders need more protein in their diet, but long distance runners need to increase their dietary protein more. Read about protein and how to use it to increase energy during competition, read Max Your Muscles With Protein.

Most people want more muscle and less fat. They think that if their weight stays the same, they’re exercising hard, and they’re eating what they want, their athletic skills will reach the next level. Unfortunately, that is not always ture.... read Body Composition – Optimize Your Power.

Learn more about nutrition for peak performance in a specific sport. Click on one of the links below:

Basketball - NEW
Lacrosse - Coming Soon
Soccer - Coming Soon
Field Hockey - Coming Soon
Volleyball - Coming Soon

Written By Terri Pilcher

Back to Top
News & Events Home