Athletes Fuel Up for Games

Athletes Fuel Up for Games
Posted on 01/16/2019
The basketball team fuels up before a gameAthletes Fuel Up for Games

Kate DeVries
Staff Writer
[email protected]


Being a student athlete isn’t easy. Between school and practice, athletes have tough schedules with little rest. For them to be able to maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle they need knowledge about nutrition.

The following information is from Tara Peeples, who has a masters in nutrition and was a baker and chef for many years.

Before practice it is important for athletes to focus on the timing of their meals. An athlete should eat a meal containing protein, carbs, and fat around 2-3 hours pre-workout. This is so that the food Is digested by the time practice rolls around. If an athlete eats closer to the workout, 30-60 minutes, then it’s best to eat foods that are easier to digest that contain carbs and a little protein. If athletes do this it will prevent stomach issues during a workout.

The importance of having carbs pre-workout is because muscles use the glucose from carbs to fuel up for a workout. For high intensity workouts the glucose in muscles is the main source of energy. While with a longer workout the amount of carbs used varies on the type of exercise.

Protein is important before a practice for many reasons. One reason being, protein helps increase muscle growth. Also, protein is important for muscle recovery.

Fats are used in a similar way as carbs, they are stored and used as fuel. The thing with fats is that they are more important before a long and slow workout because they fuel for longer than carbs.

An example of pre-workout meal 2-3 hours before a workout is lean protein with brown rice and vegetables or oatmeal with banana and sliced almonds. While an example of a quick snack before a workout could be a piece of fruit or yogurt with fruit. Also, athletes should always stay hydrated and drink lots of water.

After a workout the body tries to rebuild the glucose and regrow muscle proteins. If athletes eat the right things after a workout it helps the body do these things a lot a lot quicker. It is recommended to eat around 45 minutes post-workout. Once again, it is important for athletes to have carbs and protein before a workout. It as equally as important after a workout. After practice It is recommended to have a 3 to 1 carbs to protein ratio. It is best to avoid lots fat after a workout, but it does not affect the recovery process.

The carb intake is important to help rebuild the glucose. Depending on what sports you do the amount of carbs changes. For example endurance athletes use up more glucose than resistance athletes. So athletes who run or swim usually need more carbs than an athlete who lifts.

Proteins are also very important to help an athlete grow muscle and repair the damaged proteins from the workout. Protein gives the body amino acids that help repair muscles and grow new muscle tissue, so athletes can get stronger.

Good sources of carbs after a workout are sweet potatoes, pasta, quinoa, fruits, rice, and leafy vegetables. Good proteins would be eggs, Greek yogurt, chicken, salmon, and tuna. Finally some fats would be avocado and nut butters.


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