Sports Performance: Does Nutrition Matter?

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By Jessica Riggs, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with The Little Clinic

It?s that time of year again- fall sports season! Whether you are a student athlete, a professional sports star or a weekend warrior, nutrition plays a vital role in how well you perform. Poor nutrition can lead to prolonged recovery time, chronic fatigue, undesirable weight changes and can hinder athletic progress and performance. Not sure where to start? A registered dietitian nutritionist is uniquely qualified to help you get the most out of the food you eat! Here are a few tips to help you be the best athlete you can be:

Carbohydrate-rich food such as bread, cereal grains and pasta provide quick energy to help fuel your workout. Be mindful, though, that eating a carbohydrate-rich snack before a workout is really only necessary if you plan to exercise longer than 60 minutes or if it has been over three to four hours since you last ate.

Protein is necessary for muscle maintenance and repair. Consuming protein-rich foods such as nuts and nut butters, lean meats, dairy or soy along with carbohydrate-rich foods after a hard workout will help rebuild damaged muscle tissue.

Healthy fats are an important part of a balanced diet; however, fat tends to slow down digestive processes, thus lengthening the amount of time it takes for a pre workout snack to convert into energy for a workout. Therefore, avoid eating too much fat right before exercising. When you do eat fat at other times of the day, focus on getting it from heart-smart sources, such as nuts, avocados and heart-healthy oils and be mindful of portions.

Drink water or other appropriate fluids before, during and after exercising. If exercising for less than an hour, water is really the only necessary fluid; sports drinks may be needed to replenish electrolytes for longer workouts. Especially in the hot summer, you should not let more than 20 minutes go by without drinking 4-8 ounces of water.

Did you know? The best diet for an athlete is actually quite similar to that of a healthy diet for the average person; differing only based on the type of sport, time spent training and amount of energy expended.

Did you know? The average person tends to overestimate the amount of energy burned during a workout.

Did you know? Muscle growth will not occur by eating a high protein diet alone. Only strength training will actually increase muscle mass. The stress that strength training puts on muscles leads to ?micro tears.? Protein helps repair these tears, thus leading to increased muscle mass and strength.

Nutrition is an ever-changing industry, and there is a lot of information floating around. Let your Dietitians at The Little Clinic help you create a plan that works for your specific needs!

For more information about dietitian services, visit www.thelittleclinic.com/dietitians

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