Nutrition
Meal Plans
Supplementation
Post Workout
Banned Substances
Nutritional Priorities
1. Hydration: You must drink at least a gallon of fluid a day, preferably water. If you wait until you're thirsty to drink, it's too late. Driving your body without water is like driving your car without oil. If you wait too long to fill up your oil, your engine will seize.
Fluids to avoid that actually cause dehydration:
Tea
Coffee
Soda with Caffeine
Alcohol
2. Post Workout Nutrition: This is by the far the most important nutritional feeding of the day. It is important that you have a very high carbohydrate, moderate protein meal. A liquid meal would be ideal. Whether it be a fruit smoothie, a commercial carbohydrate powder, or even a sports drink like Gatorade, it is vital that this nutrition be added to your daily plan.
3. Meal Frequency: You must eat at least 3 meals a day. 6 meals a day are optimal. Try to avoid going more than 3 or 4 hours without eating. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids with each meal. This should keep you from eating massive amounts of food at one sitting and keep your metabolism running smoothly.
Example:
7:00AM Breakfast 1-Pint Fluid
10:00AM Snack 1-Pint Fluid
1:00PM Lunch 1-Pint Fluid
4:00PM Snack 1-Pint Fluid
5:00PM Workout 3 Pints Fluid
6:30PM POST WORKOUT NUTRITION!
7:00PM Dinner 1.5 Pints Fluid
10:00PM Snack 1-Pint Fluid
4. Macronutrient Balance: You must make sure each meal and snack contains a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Athletes in general eat more than enough carbohydrates, but are extremely protein deficient. Make sure each and every meal contains a good source of protein! The second misconception most athletes have is that fat is bad. Fat is essential for athletes to maintain peak health. Try to limit saturated fats (fats from animals) and increase fats from plant sources.
Nutrition Summary
1. Drink plenty of fluid.
2. Eat smaller meals more frequently.
3. Consume a post workout, high carbohydrate shake.
4. Balance each meal. The eyeball method of determining balance is generally pretty effective. If you have a fist sized portion of protein, eat two fists of good carbohydrates. If you must eat poor carbohydrates simply eat one fist size portion.
5. Eat plenty of lean meat, low-fat dairy, fruits, and vegetables.
6. Avoid if possible breads (except pumpernickel and whole rye), rice, pasta, and cereal.
7. Avoid junk food at all costs.
Meal Plans
Below are some options for meals throughout the day.
*Protein is the foundation upon which the rest of the meal should be built.
|
Breakfast |
Lunch |
Dinner |
Snack |
|
Egg Beater Omelet (w/ ham, Canadian bacon, peppers, onions)
Bowl of Oatmeal
16 oz. Skim Milk
Apple/Orange
|
Chicken Breast Sandwich on Rye or Pumpernickel w/ lettuce, tomato, onion
Kraft nonfat Mayo or mustard
Apple/Orange/Pear
16 oz. Skim Milk
|
2 Chicken Breasts or Broiled Fish
Chef Salad
2 Pints Skim Milk
Fruit Salad
|
Balance Bar
PR Bar
Any Meal Replacement shake + fruit
Cottage Cheese + fruit
Peanut Butter + Fruit + Skim Milk
Low Fat Yogurt
Mix of nuts/dried fruit + Low Fat Milk
|
Carbohydrates
| Good Choices | Fair Choices | Poor Choices |
|
Apples, Applesauce
Cherries, peaches, plums
Pears, blueberries, peaches
Chick-peas, beans, lentils
Barley
Eggplant, mushrooms
Onions, tomatoes, lettuce
Broccoli, brussel, sprouts
|
Whole grain breads/rolls
High fiber cereals
Brown or wild rice
Oatmeal
Squash, peas, sweet potatoes
Corn, baked beans
Unsweetened fruit juices
Bananas, grapes, raisins
|
Pancakes, waffles, white rice
White potatoes, white bread
Pasta, bagels, sweetened cereals
Fruit drinks, soda, candy
Maple syrup, corn syrup, dates, figs
Corn chips, crackers, pretzels
Honey, molasses, ketchup
|
Protein
| Good Choices | Fair Choices | Poor Choices |
|
Skim Milk, Fat Free yogurt
Cottage Cheese, Egg Whites
White Tuna packed in water
White meat skinless poultry
95% lean ground beef/turkey
Non-fried fish/seafood
Trimmed beef/pork tenderloin
Beans, peas, lentils
|
2% Milk, low-fat cheese
Yogurt
Whole eggs, dark meat tuna in water
Dark meat skinless poultry
85% lean ground beef/turkey, turkey bacon or sausage
Trimmed pork chops or lamb
Trimmed choice steaks
Nuts, seeds, natural peanut butter
|
Whole milk, regular cheese
Ice cream, frozen custard
75% lean ground beef, fried chicken, fish, seafood
Bacon, sausage, bologna
Hotdogs, pepperoni, salami, beef or pork ribs
Untrimmed steak
Cheese burgers
|
Fat
| Good Choices | Fair Choices | Poor Choices |
|
Seeds, pumpkin seeds
Flaxseeds or oil
Primrose oil, olives
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Avocados or guacamole
Fish, clams, oysters,
Scallops
nuts
|
Tropical oils (coconut, palm)
Vegetable oil
Peanut oil
Safflower oil
Light Mayo
Sesame Oil, Soybean Oil
|
Hydrogenated oils
Partially hydrogenated oils
Bacon, butter
Cream, cream cheese
Sour cream, ice cream
High fat dairy products
Lard
Veal
Lamb
|
Fast Food Options
If you must eat fast food the following brief list is relatively O.K. but you should certainly avoid it if at all possible.
Burger King
2 BK Broiler Chicken Sandwiches
2 Plain Hamburgers
Jack in the Box
2 Chicken Fajita Pita
Hardee's
2 Grilled Chicken Sandwich
McDonalds
2 McGrilled Chicken Sandwich
2 McLean Deluxe without the cheese
2 Egg McMuffin
4 Small regular burgers. Combine the patties to make two double burgers.
Taco Bell
2 Soft chicken taco
Wendy's
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
2 Chili 2 Plain Hamburger
Wendy's
2 Chili
2 Plain Hamburger
Supplementation
If you are already consuming a well-balanced diet, there is no need for any further supplementation
But, if you feel that you are not getting a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet a vitamin/mineral supplement would be a good start.
If you feel that you are not getting enough good fats in your diet, a good essential fatty acid mix, fish oil, or flaxseed oil would be the best options to cover this part of the diet.
Protein powders are another way to supplement your diet if you are not getting enough protein in your diet. Whey and casein sources should be prioritized over soy.
Vitamins C and E are two important anti-oxidants that may help with recovery and reduce the amount of free radical damaged caused by exercise. They should be taken post-exercise along with a post-workout shake.
Keep in mind that there are hundreds of other supplements on the market. Some of them are legitimate while others may provide fraudulent claims. All supplements are not regulated by the FDA (Federal Drug & Administration), and therefore may or may not work. If you have questions about particular supplements, feel free to contact us.
Post Workout
Rationale
There is a wealth of research that states that post-workout nutrition plays a key role in recovery and overall performance.
After a workout the body acts similar to a dry sponge. The body will store the nutrients consumed the way a dry sponge soaks up water.
The primary fuel used during exercise is carbohydrate and the body needs to restore the carbohydrates used during exercise. The rate of carbohydrate storage is 300% higher immediately after exercise.
Liquid nutrition is the form of choice post-workout, because it passes through the gut faster and can therefore be used faster by your body.
The ideal post-workout shake should consist of .3 grams of protein per lb. of lean body mass and 1 gram of carbohydrate per lb. of lean body mass
Example: 150 lb. Athlete with 15% body fat would need 37 grams of protein and 125 grams of carbohydrates.
Tips:
Bring your shake to the gym with you, so you can consume it immediately
If using a meal replacement shake make sure it is pre-mixed or you have a shaker bottle.
A simple method for post-workout shakes is to use a meal replacement shake (MetRx, Myoplex) and mix it with Gatorade or Powerade.
Banned Substances
For more information, please visit the NCAA website.
