Even with months of focused, world class training, however, athletes cannot achieve their maximum potential without properly fueling their bodies. Strategically planning what to eat and when creates a leaner, stronger, faster athlete with better endurance. What exactly that looks like and how to implement it, however, is often a source of confusion for many. So where does one begin? In this post, we will outline the general guidelines to serve as a starting point for prepping for your most glorious season yet.
Keep it Simple
Don’t overcomplicate things. Focus on eating real food:
- An abundance of non-starchy organic vegetables (green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, brussel sprouts, carrots, summer squashes, peppers, celery, cucumbers, onions, etc). Non-starchy veggies should take up about 50% of your plate.
- A small to moderate amount of organic fresh fruit and starchy vegetables.
- Plenty of high-quality protein and healthy fats.
As much as possible, choose items that are organic, local and fresh.
*Refined grains and dairy should be saved for special treats to be consumed about 1 – 4 times per month, depending on tolerance.
Protein
When planning your next meal or snack, always first consider your protein source. Consuming adequate amounts of high-quality protein is essential for creating explosive power, ideal body composition and the ability for the body to properly recover. Athletes typically require approximately .55 – .7 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, divided between 3 – 6 meals or snacks. So, for example, a 180lb athlete requires approximately 99 – 126 grams of protein each day.
Choose high-quality poultry, fish, beef, pork, eggs or supplements such as collagen hydrolysate from grass-fed cows.
Carbohydrates
As we now know, carb-loading is not the prescription for delivering our peak performance, but rather leaves us feeling tired, stiff and bloated. When consumed in the proper amounts at the proper times, however, carbohydrates can significantly boost performance and recovery. The key to unlocking carb’s superpowers is to actually train our bodies to rely on using our own fat as fuel by mostly eating a lower carbohydrate diet and then strategically increasing carbohydrate consumption (adding starchy vegetables, rice or fruit) just prior to, during and immediately after intense training sessions or playing days. The increased amount of carbs that should be consumed during these times will vary depending on body composition, training intensity and volume.
Low to Low-ish Carb Days (when not heavily training or playing)
- Veggies: lots of green leafy and colorful vegetables (minimal to no starchy vegetables)
- Protein: adequate amount of high-quality protein (see above)
- Fat: ample amount of healthy fats (see below)
- Fruit: limited amount of fruit (0 – 2 pieces per day of lower sugar fruit – berries, apples, grapefruit, etc)
Targeted Carbs Days (when training heavily or playing)
- Starch: choose one starch option to consume just prior to, during and/or immediately after intense training sessions or playing days.
- Sweet potato (.5 – 2 sweet potatoes), yam (.5 – 2 yams), white rice (.5 – 1.5 cups), taro (.5 – 1.5 cups)
- Note: depending on the training intensity and volume, you may only need to consume starch prior to and/or while performing your sport. Listen to your body to determine your refueling needs.
- Fruit: 1 – 3 pieces per day (ok to include higher sugar fruits on these days – bananas, mangos, pineapple, etc)
- Electrolytes + Sugars: 4 – 16 oz / day of coconut water
- Veggies: lots of green leafy and colorful vegetables
- Protein: adequate amount of high-quality protein (see above)
- Fat: ample amount of healthy fats (see below)
- Sweet potato (.5 – 2 sweet potatoes), yam (.5 – 2 yams), white rice (.5 – 1.5 cups), taro (.5 – 1.5 cups)
Fat
To sustain optimal hormonal production and increased levels of energy, high-quality fats must be an integral part of every athlete’s diet. On your lighter training and rest days (low to low-ish carb days), add in more fats to compensate for the decreased levels of carbohydrate. Conversely, slightly decrease your fat consumption on your heavy training or playing days to compensate for the increased levels of carbohydrate.
Some of the most beneficial fats include grass-fed butter, ghee, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, and fatty fish. Nuts are also a decent source of fat, but should be consumed moderately as most nuts are relatively high in inflammatory Omega-6 fatty acids and low in anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids.
Putting It All Together
As with training, every athlete needs to find the diet that works best for their individual biochemistry, physiology, and specific goals. What makes your teammate a lean, powerhouse, may leave you feeling too heavy, depleted and lethargic. As we are all unique, you must experiment to find the nutrition plan that gives you the greatest results. To uncover your optimal fueling protocol, take the information outlined in this post and, overtime, gradually begin tweaking it as needed until you discover which foods and in what quantities help you deliver your best performance yet.