Building a Solid Foundation: A Sports Dietitian’s Tips to Fuel Your Day Well

 

• Eat something within an hour of waking up

• Eat 5-6 snacks/meals per day spread out every 2-4 hours

• Combine multiple food groups at each meal and snack: snacks should be at least 2 different foods while meals should be at least 3-5 that represent all three macros: carbs, protein, and fat

• Have a meal that includes a carbohydrate source 3-4 hours prior to exercise and if possible, a small carb-based snack ~30-60 minutes before (even a handful of pretzels/crackers with a glass of water would work)

• Consume a 20g+ protein source (whether protein shake, protein bar, yogurt parfait, or dinner, etc.) within 30-60 minutes after finishing workout if possible

• Aim for at least 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables daily, unless you are struggling to meet your calorie needs during periods of heavy training

• Pre-hydrate workouts with roughly 16-24 ounces fluid in the 2-3 hours prior to starting. Incorporate electrolytes either from a salty carb-based snack or sports drink to maximize fluid absorption

• If doing multiple workouts in a row or workouts longer than an hour, make sure you drink fluids consistently throughout and re-fuel as able with a small snack. The recommendations are to take in at least 5-10 ounces of fluid every 15-30 minutes and if sweating heavily, around 300-1000mg of sodium per hour, especially when workouts are over an hour. Athletes can lose up to 2000mg sodium per hour and thus sweat testing is the best way to dial in electrolyte needs. Carbohydrate recommendations during a prolonged workout are 45-90g per hour of activity.

• Have at least 4 separate servings of 25-40g protein spaced evenly throughout the day

• If hungry in the evening (especially after a hard workout that day), a dairy-based protein such as cheese, yogurt, or whey protein powder taken in ~60 minutes prior to bedtime is an effective way to boost muscle recovery while sleeping.

• Aim for roughly 90-100 ounces (female) or 120-130 ounces (male) of fluid daily split as evenly as possible throughout the day