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:.

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. Food energy The energy needs of athletes exceed those of the average person.

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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:.

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. A diet that is abundant in lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats provides the body with the fuel it needs to maintain its resilience against the strains of training and competition.

One of the key factors in injury prevention among athletes is maintaining strong and healthy muscles. Essential nutrients like protein, vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium are paramount for muscle development, repair, and function.

Nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, and magnesium are essential for bone health. Intense physical training can lead to increased inflammation and compromised immunity among athletes. You can learn more about the dangers of over-training here.

However, a diet rich in antioxidants, found abundantly in fruits and vegetables, can help mitigate inflammation and boost the immune system. Sustaining energy levels is essential for optimal athletic performance and injury prevention.

Nutrient-dense carbohydrates provide the necessary fuel for workouts and competitions. A well-balanced diet is not limited to solid foods alone; proper hydration and electrolyte balance are also integral components. Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium play a crucial role in maintaining fluid balance and preventing muscle cramps.

For athletes seeking a complete approach to optimizing their performance, the National Sports Medicine Institute serves as a source of expert guidance and support.

Through our Nutritional Counseling services , athletes gain access to personalized advice from nutrition experts who tailor dietary plans to specific training regimens, ensuring a perfect balance of nutrients to fuel performance and prevent injuries. Interested in scheduling an assessment or want to learn more about our services?

The Nutrient Density Chart TM , revolutionizes the way coaches, athletic trainers, health educators, and science teachers understand the nutritional value of foods. This comprehensive tool categorizes foods based on their nutrient density, offering a clear visual representation of which foods provide the most vital nutrients per calorie.

Armed with this knowledge, educators, and professionals, like those in our Sports Science Lab, can guide athletes towards making informed food choices that optimize their performance. This innovative approach empowers anyone to build well-rounded diets to fortify their overall health.

In the pursuit of excellence, NSMI National Sports Medicine Institute athletes and patients deserve nothing less than comprehensive and science-based support.

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. Medically reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD. Listen Play Stop Volume mp3 Settings Close Player. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Eat Extra for Excellence The good news about eating for sports is that reaching your peak performance level doesn't take a special diet or supplements.

Athletes and Dieting Teen athletes need extra fuel, so it's usually a bad idea to diet. Eat a Variety of Foods When it comes to powering your game for the long haul, it's important to eat healthy, balanced meals and snacks to get the nutrients your body needs.

Vital Vitamins and Minerals Besides getting the right amount of calories, teen athletes need a variety of nutrients from the foods they eat to keep performing at their best. For these reasons, athletes have higher protein needs than the general population.

It is recommended that athletes consume 1. Higher intakes may also be needed for short periods of intense training or when reducing energy intake. It is important to consume adequate amounts of protein and to understand that the quality of the protein consumed affects the amount needed.

Vegetarian diets contain mostly incomplete protein sources, which have lower digestibility and amino acid patterns that do not match human needs as closely as most animal proteins. To compensate for this, vegetarian athletes need to consume more dietary protein than non-vegetarians and should target the upper end of the recommended protein intake.

In addition to the amount and quality of proteins consumed, timing of protein intake has been shown to impact muscle protein synthesis. Studies show that the synthesis of muscle protein is optimized with high quality protein consumption after exercise, ideally 15 to 25 grams of protein in the early recovery phase after a workout hours after exercise.

A similar amount of protein should be consumed every hours, spread out across the day over multiple meals within the 24 hours post-workout, so that amino acids are always available for optimal protein synthesis.

Although athletic training increases protein needs, athletes can meet their protein requirement through high quality food sources, and most do not need to consume protein supplements. Here are some examples of snacks or small meals that contain at least 15 to 25 grams of protein 4 :.

These whole food options have the benefit of coming packaged with other nutrients, including carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores, fiber, and micronutrients, and are often less costly than most protein supplements. Like all dietary supplements, protein shakes and other supplements are not well-regulated; some contain unnecessary additives such as sweeteners and herbs, and some have been found to contain unsafe levels of heavy metals like arsenic and mercury.

Protein supplements do have the benefit of being convenient and shelf-stable. If you choose to use a protein supplement, look for one certified by a third-party testing organization and with a simple ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are essential for energy metabolism, the delivery of oxygen, protection against oxidative damage, and the repair of body structures.

When exercise increases, the amounts of many vitamins and minerals needed are also increased. Currently, there are no special micronutrient recommendations for athletes, but most athletes will meet their needs by consuming a balanced diet that meets their energy needs.

Because the energy needs of athletes increase, they often meet their higher need for vitamins and minerals through the additional food they consume to meet energy needs.

However, athletes who limit energy intake or utilize extreme weight-loss practices may put themselves at risk for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Many athletes consider taking dietary supplements or ergogenic aids i. However, it is important to remember that supplements and ergogenic aids are not regulated, leading to frequent use of false advertising and unsubstantiated claims by the supplement industry.

Athletes must be careful not only in deciphering the claims of products, but also in researching their safety and efficacy, particularly in relation to any rules and regulations that govern the sport in which the athlete participates. Very few supplements that claim to have ergogenic benefits have sound evidence to back up those claims, and in some situations, consuming them could be dangerous.

Most athletes can meet their nutrition needs without added supplements. Athletes who have nutrition concerns should consult with a sports dietitian or other sport science professional to make sure their individual needs are met safely. During exercise, being appropriately hydrated contributes to performance.

Water is needed to cool the body, transport oxygen and nutrients, and remove waste products from the muscles. Water needs are increased during exercise due to the extra water losses through evaporation and sweat.

Dehydration can occur when there are inadequate water levels in the body and can be very hazardous to the health of an individual. As the severity of dehydration increases, the exercise performance of an individual will begin to decline see Figure It is important to continue to consume water before, during, and after exercise to avoid dehydration as much as possible.

Even with constant replenishing of water throughout a workout, it may not be possible to drink enough water to compensate for the losses. 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.

Hydration and meal timing are also vital for performing well throughout the day. Some athletes may choose to take dietary supplements. However, they should be mindful of safety and efficacy issues and ensure that their sporting association allows them. Both amateur and professional athletes may benefit from consulting with a sports nutritionist to help them plan the optimal diet for their individual needs and goals.

Many athletes look for safe and efficient ways to boost their performance.