Nutrition for Athletic Performance
What to Eat for Athletic Performance.
A 9 minute read
Whether you’re a competitive athlete or a recreational “weekend warrior,” you can use foods and fluids to optimize your athletic performance. Fueling the demands of vigorous athletic performance and exercise is important to ensure you have the energy to power through and meet your athletic performance goals.
The generalized nutrition recommendations I’m sharing in this article apply to both dedicated, competitive athletes looking for an edge over the competition, as well as people who exercise to improve and maintain their health
If you want individualized help planning and preparing convenient, flexible meals and snacks that provide balance, variety and meet your nutrition needs for athletic performance book a free call here.
Read on to learn many of the foods that are filled with the energy and nutrients necessary for training and adequate recovery—and the ideal timing so you know when to consume them.
Nutrition for Athletic Performance
There are several nutrients to pay attention to when you’re being physically active or training. They are fluids, calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Micronutrients are important as well, but beyond the scope of this post.
Fluids
Water is, by far, the most important nutrient for athletic performance because it keeps the body hydrated and at the right temperature. During one hour of vigorous exercise, your body can lose several liters of sweat. As little as a two percent drop in hydration can negatively impact your performance. Use filtered water and AVOID water from plastic bottles (which contain nasty chemicals).
How do you know how much fluid to drink? In general, clear urine is a sign of adequate hydration, so keep this in mind and be sure to drink plenty of fluids even if you won’t be exercising right away. And when you are exercising, drink the recommended amounts at the recommended times outlined in the section below, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
Calories
You need fuel (calories) to provide your body the strength and energy it needs for optimal athletic performance.
But be careful. Weekend warriors tend to overestimate the number of calories burned during their workouts, so be sure not to take in too many extra calories. Exercise is not an excuse to overeat or make poor nutrition choices. It has been said before…You can’t outrun a bad diet.
Elite athletes must ensure they eat enough calories. For example, a competitive male athlete may need an additional 2,400-3,000 calories per day (or more), and a competitive female athlete may need an extra 2,200-2,700 calories per day (or more) depending on how long they are training. If you’re not competitive, you most likely don’t need this many calories. Remember that calorie needs are very individual, and your actual needs may vary depending on your metabolism, body weight, age and training schedule.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the fuel your muscles burn when they are working.
There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex.
Simple carbohydrates are sugars (sucrose, honey, maple syrup, agave syrup etc.) found in sodas and sweetened foods and often provide a lot of energy, but rarely provide many vitamins or minerals. Simple carbohydrates are also found in white pastas, breads, and cereals. They are easily digested and ready to be used by your body as fuel in about 30 minutes. AVOID high fructose corn syrup. Always.
When it comes to vigorous exercise, simple carbohydrates can be used before, during, and after an intense workout. This is because more intense exercise needs more carbohydrates to immediately burn as fuel. Having simple carbohydrates helps you feel more energized before a workout, work harder, and recover faster, but they’re not recommended as your primary source of carbohydrates.
Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are starches and contain more nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Choose a variety of foods from this group regularly.
Examples of foods with complex carbohydrates include fruits, starchy vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Try this recipe for Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats. It has a nice balance of simple and complex carbohydrates. You can round it out with a hard boiled egg for protein. Top if off with nuts or seeds of choice and you are ready to go. You can make a batch and store in individual servings for a quick on the go breakfast or snack.
Easy, overnight oats are a great complex carbohydrate snack
Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
4 servings
Ingredients
· 1 cup oats gluten-free if needed
· 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
· 1 Tbs maple syrup
· 2 tsp chia seeds
· 1/2 apple, shredded skin on
· 1/2 cup apple, chopped
· ½ tsp. cinnamon (or to taste).
Prep
Shred and chop apples.
Make
Place all ingredients in a glass jar (or use 4 small glass jars) and shake well.
Refrigerate overnight.
Remove from refrigerator and stir. Garnish with chopped apple, nuts, more maple syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Protein
Protein is an essential component of muscles (in addition to its importance for other functions such as tissue repair, bones, immunity, enzymes, neurotransmitters, etc.) and that’s why your protein intake is particularly important if you’re focusing on muscle-building resistance exercises. Also, once carbohydrate stores are used up, your body can turn to protein as an alternative fuel source. That’s why some athletes need more protein than non-athletes. For example, many athletes need up to 2 grams protein/kg/day, or if doing intense training, then up to 2.2 grams protein/kg/day.
Recommended sources of protein include lean meats, fish, shell fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and legumes. Easy and portable ideas are hard boiled eggs, mixed nuts, tuna, grilled chicken strips, and hummus. The trail mix recipe below provides a nice mix of protein and carbohydrates and is easy to pack for an on the go snack.
Keep a jar of easy to prepare trail mix in your work out bag.
Easy Trail Mix:
· 1/3 cup pistachios
· 1/3 cup pecans, raw
· 1/3 cup walnuts, raw
· 1/3 cup almonds, raw
· 1/3 cup cashews, raw
· 1/3 cup dried tart cherries
· 1/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
· Mix, pack, enjoy.
Fat
Often maligned, fats are a significant and important source of calories and are best consumed away from athletic performance because they are more slowly digested and take longer to leave the digestive tract. Healthy fat aids in vitamin absorption, immune function, can decrease inflammation and is a vital component of our cell membranes. Fats are a dense source of calories and are essential for athletes trying to maintain or gain weight.
Wraps are your friend and allow you to get a balance (carbohydrate, fat, and protein) of quality nutrients into one easy to pack and eat meal. Here is a recipe that contains healthy fat as well as complex carbohydrate and protein and can be changed up suit your preferences. Adjust the ingredient amounts to fit on the wrap you have so it’s not too messy. Extra or unused ingredients can be stored for a snack later or added to the Quinoa Bowl at the end of this post.
Wraps allow you to eat your carbs, protein and healthy fat in one easy to pack meal
Chicken Breast Wraps
Makes 3 - 4 large wraps
Ingredients:
· 12 oz chicken breast (or protein of choice), cooked
· 4 Tbs hummus
· 1/4 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped
· 1 lime, juiced
· 1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled, chopped
· 1 small ripe avocado, peeled, mashed
· 4 medium size whole grain or grain free wraps
Prep:
Chop all ingredients into small bite size pieces.
Spread mashed avocado and hummus on wraps
Add the other ingredients, wrap, and roll.
Nutrition for Different Types of Exercise
By consistently eating a range of nutrient-dense foods and staying hydrated, you can continue to improve your performance (and health) over time. Here are a few key nutrition recommendations on how to fuel yourself for optimal athletic performance depending on the type of workout you’re doing and how long it's going to last.
Before any workout
To avoid dehydration, drink about 2 cups of water about 2 hours before your workout.
PRO TIP: If you want to measure the approximate amount of fluids you are losing by working out, weigh yourself immediately before and after your workout. The difference in weight will be mostly due to the amount of water lost so you can follow the guidelines below on what to consume after your workout to replace those fluids.
When it comes to food, if your goal is to improve your athletic performance, say for a big game, don’t exercise on an empty stomach. Have a small meal, ideally with fibrous carbohydrates and only small amounts of fat, about 60-90 minutes beforehand. Once again, this is highly individualized and what works for one person may not be good for another. Pay attention to how you perform and how you feel on various pre-game and pre-event eating regimens.
If you’re going to work out for less than one hour
Water is your fluid of choice. Drink up to 1 cup every 15-20 minutes throughout your workout.
If you’re going to work out for more than one hour
Before you get started, have some carbohydrates and limit the amount of fat you consume. That might look like a glass of juice, cup of yogurt, or an English muffin with jam.
If your 60+ minutes of activity is going to be an intense aerobic workout, you’re also going to want to have lots of fluids and some carbohydrates during that time. Drink up to 1 cup of water every 15-20 minutes for the first hour.
For your second and subsequent hours you are going to need to replace lost electrolytes and carbohydrates. It is at this point where you can switch your fluid to a sports drink if you want to. Aim for 5-10 ounces every 15-20 minutes. If you choose to stick with water (instead of a sports drink) for your second hour and beyond, add in some food sources of electrolytes and carbohydrates such as 2-3 handfuls of pretzels or a half of a cup of low-fat granola.
After any workout
Exercise depletes the stores of fluids and energy in your body. Depending on how hard you worked out, you may need to top it up. In general, replace the weight you lost during your training session with fluids. This means that for every pound you lose exercising, drink about 3 cups of fluid within the next 6 hours.
If you were active for less than 60 minutes, you can replace your lost fluid weight with water. If you trained for more than 90 minutes, you’re going to want to have more carbohydrates with a bit of protein two hours later. This can be a sports bar, trail mix with nuts, or yogurt with granola.
When you get back home enjoy this tasty Quinoa Bowl, you have earned it. Hint: It can be made ahead and is great leftover for lunch the next day. Add your own protein of choice (I would add grilled or poached salmon) to top it off.
End your day with a nutrient packed Quinoa Bowl. Its very versatile, use whatever ingredients you have on hand.
Quinoa Bowl
4 servings
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
3 cup broccoli, heads only
1 Tbs olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
4 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, raw
Directions
To cook quinoa: Place quinoa and water in a small saucepot in a ratio of 2:1, quinoa: water. For 1 cup quinoa, add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer for about 8 minutes. You may need to crack the lid a bit to prevent overflow. Once the water has been absorbed. remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and return the lid. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare cherry tomatoes, carrots, and cucumber according to directions.
Make
Toss squash and broccoli florets with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until squash has just softened, about 15-20 minutes.
Add cooked quinoa, roasted vegetables, and other vegetables to a large bowl and toss to combine.
Drizzle with enough dressing to coat (I use a simple lemon vinaigrette) and toss again. Season with salt and pepper.
Top with pumpkin seeds and serve.
Final Thoughts on Nutrition for Athletic Performance…
Whether you’re a seasoned competitive athlete or a recreational “weekend warrior,” fueling your body properly can improve your athletic performance. The first nutrient to consider is water, so be sure to hydrate before, during, and after your workout as recommended above. It’s also important to take in enough calories, carbohydrates, and proteins because these will help power your workout, replenish lost nutrients, and give your body the substances it needs to repair itself afterwards.
Need a personalized nutrition plan with meal and snack ideas to ensure you’re meeting your nutritional needs for your own athletic performance goals? Click here to book a free Discovery Call.
References
Bernardot, D. (2018, December 4). American College of Sports Medicine. Ten things you need to know about sports nutrition. https://www.acsm.org/home/featured-blogs---homepage/acsm-blog/2018/12/04/ten-sports-nutrition-facts
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, October 7). How much physical activity do adults need? https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm
Clark, N. (2019, June 18). American College of Sports Medicine. The athlete's kitchen: Sports nutrition myths busted! https://www.acsm.org/all-blog-posts/acsm-blog/acsm-blog/2019/06/18/sports-nutrition-myths-busted
Clifford, J. and Maloney, K. (n.d.) Colorado State University Extension. Nutrition for the Athlete - 9.362 https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/nutrition-for-the-athlete-9-362/
MedlinePlus. (2019, May 13). Nutrition and athletic performance. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002458.htm
Murray, B. (2019, March 14). American College of Sports Medicine. Everyday nutrition vs. performance nutrition: Clarifying the carbohydrate confusion. https://www.acsm.org/all-blog-posts/certification-blog/acsm-certified-blog/2019/03/14/nutrition-vs.-performance-nutrition-carbohydrate-confusion
Richards, L. (2021, April 20). Medical News Today. Nutrition and athletic performance: What to consider. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/nutrition-for-athletes
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. (2019, March 4). Eating for peak athletic performance. https://www.uwhealth.org/news/eating-for-peak-athletic-performance
