Nutrition for the Athlete

True athletes know that in order to excel at their sport, hard work and dedication are requirements. When it comes to nutrition, attention to the smallest detail is necessary to optimize training and take our bodies to the next level. All individuals should avoid processed foods, sugar, soy, and other chemical laden foods found throughout our American diet. The athlete, though, has to answer the question of what to eat before and after a workout. What foods give the most energy for each given sport? And what is the most efficient way to meet an athlete’s nutritional needs in a time crunched day?

Foundational Principles:

Every athlete needs to eat as clean as possible. The toils of training create loads of cellular waste and continually break down the body. This requires the athlete to constantly replenish, with the building blocks of strong muscle and bone, while decreasing inflammation. Fast processed foods, sugar, and soy-derived proteins have no place in an athlete’s diet. If these foods are consumed, the resulting increase in inflammation and scar tissue will soon sideline the athlete with either injury or decreased performance. It would be more beneficial for the athlete to use every opportunity to ingest nutritive foods that help repair the body and increase strength and speed. Foods that are high in antioxidants, like dark fruits and vegetables, give the body the best chance to repair void of scar tissue or other long-term injury.

Before And After Workouts:

What should the athlete eat before and after workouts? The answer to this question is variable based upon the type of workout, but the following are general chiropractic guidelines: First, think of food types like components to build a large fire. Carbohydrates, are your starters (leaves, pine straw, paper), they burn easily and quickly. They can give you a short burst of energy for a short explosive workout. Bagels, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and even pasta can be consumed prior to a short workout of less than 30min. For longer workouts, think of a longer lasting and warmer fire that requires bigger sticks and hardwood logs. This type of fuel is equivalent to protein and fats in your diet. Foods like almond butter, eggs, protein shakes, and avocados make for great fuel sources for workouts of longer than 30 minutes. Of course, a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fats can be taken prior to your workout but you can skew the makeup of the meal in accordance to the duration and intensity of the workout. The post workout meal also depends upon the athlete’s goals. During muscle building phases a post-workout meal that is both high carb and high protein is ideal and should be consumed within 30 minutes of the training. Whey protein shakes are the easiest and most efficient ways to get a high calorie post-workout meal ingested in a short amount of time and are convenient for travel.

Try this recipe from our