Daily Nutrition Guidance for Athletes

A whole food, nutrient-dense diet is what I recommend for my clients—and athletes are no exception. But, there are additional factors to consider when you want to excel at your chosen sport. As a collegiate lacrosse player, I knew very little about quality nutrition, but I could still feel the difference in my performance when my body wasn’t properly fueled. This post is full of information I wish I knew back then.

How many calories do athletes need for peak performance?

As an athlete, you need extra fuel to meet your energy needs. A good rule of thumb is to multiply your current weight in pounds by twelve to fourteen, then add 100 calories for every ten minutes of moderate/high-intensity activity.

For example, for a 150lb athlete who completed 60 minutes of moderate/high-intensity activity:

• 12 x 150 = 1800 -to- 14 x 150 = 2100

  • 1800 - 2100 calories

• 100 calories x (60 minutes/10 minutes) = 600 calories

• TOTAL ESTIMATED CALORIE NEED:

  • 1800 + 600 = 2400 calories -to- 2100 + 600 = 2700 calories

  • 2400 - 2700 calories

If you’re also looking to lose fat while you train, it’s important not to cut calories too drastically or your body will respond to this as a major stressor. This can lead to your body slowing its metabolism to store fat, creating hormone imbalances, or disrupting sleep. And those are just a few of the potential effects. Once you’ve calculated your general needs, never exceed a 20% caloric deficit.

For the example above, this would mean never decreasing daily calorie intake below:

• 0.80 (2400) to 0.80 (2700) = 1920 - 2160 calories

Is it healthy to exercise while in a fasted state?

Completing workouts in a fasted state has long been touted as a strategy to lose extra fat. While male athletes may benefit from this a few times per week, it can be detrimental for female athletes.

Exercising in a fasted state is a physically stressful event for the body and can result in chronically elevated cortisol. For female athletes, this can lead to hormonal imbalances, amenorrhea, increased risk for injury, fatigue, and even weight gain due to a decreased metabolic rate. So, women should consume at least 150 calories before an early morning workout. Men may experiment with exercise in a fasted state, but I don’t recommend it more than a few times per week.

How to get your macronutrients right.

Macronutrients are components of food that we need in large amounts, including protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

Protein

The most bioavailable sources of protein are red meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy products. As an athlete, your protein needs are higher than those of a less active person. To get a general idea of what you need, divide your body weight in pounds by two. This will give you your recommended grams of protein per day.

Protein consumption immediately after endurance exercise is important to support muscle recovery. Specifically, research has shown benefits to skeletal muscle recovery when young men consume 30 grams of protein following endurance exercise. Make sure to have it within an hour of completing your workout.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates include sweet potatoes, white potatoes, beets, plantains, white rice, and fruit. Your carbohydrate needs depend on your sport and the type of training you do. The higher the intensity of your training, the higher your carbohydrate needs are.

For high-intensity sports, up to half of your calories should come from carbs. For endurance-based sports, lower carb intake can be beneficial—as low as seven percent and up to 20 percent of your daily calories. Female endurance athletes should stay at the upper end of this range due to the potential effects of a low-carb diet on their hormones.

Fat

Once you know your protein and carbohydrate needs, the rest of your calories should come from fat. Make sure they’re healthy fats like olive, coconut, avocado oils, and butter or ghee.

The importance of staying hydrated and adding electrolytes.

If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated, so increase your water intake if this is a regular occurrence. Still, a good starting point is to drink eight cups of water a day and add an extra two cups for every hour of vigorous activity. If you want to be more specific about it, you can also weigh yourself before and after an event or training session. For every pound lost, drink two cups of water.

Make sure you’re getting enough salt in your diet by salting your food liberally, to taste. But, if you’re exercising for more than one to two hours at a time, I recommend adding electrolytes. I like Saltstick Elixalyte because it contains electrolytes without sugars or artificial food dyes.

Overtraining, Recovery Time, and Injury Prevention Tips

I’m an athlete too and I get how hard it seems to take a break sometimes. But, recovery is important to keep our bodies functioning at their best. Symptoms of overtraining may include: 

• Depression or anxiety

• Unintentional weight loss or gain

• Recurrent injury or illness

• Digestive distress

• Muscle/strength loss or poor muscle growth

• Fatigue/exhaustion

• Brain fog

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, give yourself a break immediately. Take a few days off and rest. When you begin again, take action to avoid over-stressing your body. And this advice goes to all athletes, not only those who may already have symptoms of overtraining! Get eight to nine hours of quality sleep each night. Implement stress reduction techniques such as meditating, deep breathing, or yoga. Cross-train so that you’re not doing the same activity every day.

Injuries Prevention and Treatment Tips

• Protein: Adequate protein intake, as discussed above, is crucial not only for preventing injury but also to recover from injury.

• Vitamin D: Along with myriad other health benefits, Vitamin D is necessary for muscle regeneration after exercise.

• Collagen: Collagen supports our connective tissue, such as tendons and ligaments, and can aid in its recovery after injury. You can get collagen in your diet by making bone broth, or buying it in powdered form as a supplement.

• Ancestral Diet: Eating whole, nutrient-dense foods will reduce inflammation, therefore reducing the risk for injury. Follow the above recommendations for protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake.