The Athlete’s Plate: Balancing Performance Nutrition with Everyday Eating

Proper nutrition plays a key role in maintaining the energy and strength athletes need to compete at their best. You cannot experience peak performance or recovery if you don’t consume the right amounts of calories, macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients required by your body. Macronutrients are the nutrients that our bodies use in the largest amounts for energy and to maintain body structure and systems. These include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, the optimal ratios of these macronutrients for the average adult are:

● Carbohydrates: 45 to 65% of calories

● Protein: 10 to 35% of calories

● Fat: 20 to 35% of calories.

However, athletes have different dietary requirements compared to the average adult. The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) recommends that athletes should adjust these ratios according to their level of physical activity. For example, if you’re a strength athlete, you would increase your protein intake, but if you’re an endurance athlete, you would increase your carbohydrate intake.

The ISSA suggests consuming more than double the amount of protein recommended for the average adult. These higher amounts of protein can help you avoid slow recovery and protein catabolism. Protein provides the body with the amino acids it needs to build and repair tissues such as muscles. If you train moderately, you should consume 1.2 to 2 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight. If you train intensely, you should consume 1.7-2.2 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight per day. Healthy proteins to incorporate in your diet include beans and lentils, eggs and dairy products, fish and seafood, lean meat and poultry, nuts and seeds, and soy products such as tempeh and tofu.

Fats are integral to maintaining body processes such as neurotransmitter function and hormone metabolism. Healthy fats also serve as a concentrated source of fuel, and they can help you feel full until your next meal. Your fat intake should be moderate, comprising only 30% of your daily calories. However, if you have a higher volume of training, you can safely let fat comprise up to 50% of your daily calories. Avocados, nuts, oily fish, olive oil, and seeds are good sources of healthy fats to incorporate into your daily diet.

Being a typical source of fuel, carbohydrates need no introduction to athletes, especially if you’re doing high-intensity exercise for long periods of time. Carbs provide significant blood glucose and glycogen storage. If you workout for two to three hours of moderate exercise per day, five or six times a week, you should try to consume 5-8 g of carbs per kilogram of your body weight. If you train intensely for three to six hours per day in one or two daily workouts five or six days per week, you should consume 8-10 g per kilogram of body weight. Healthy carbs to incorporate into your diet include starchy vegetables such as potatoes and whole grains such as brown rice, oats, quinoa, and pasta.

Along with macronutrients, you should also ensure that you consume the essential vitamins and minerals that you need to support your physical health and sports performance. These micronutrients play different roles in the body. For example, thiamin, niacin, and vitamin B6 are great for energy production, and vitamin B12, iron, and vitamin A are good for performance enhancement. Calcium and vitamin D support bone health. Good sources of these include:

● Thiamin: Black beans, pork, and whole grains

● Niacin: Brown rice, enriched grains, fish, peanuts, and poultry

● Vitamin B6: Bananas, chickpeas, lentils, poultry, pork, and tuna

● Vitamin B12: Eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, milk and cheese, meats, and seafood

● Iron: Beef, beans, oysters, and spinach

● Vitamin A: Collard greens, carrot, pumpkin, ricotta cheese, spinach, and sweet potato

● Calcium: Collard greens, milk and cheese, and fortified 100% fruit juices and soy milk

● Vitamin D: Cod liver oil, fatty fish, fortified milk and soy milk, and mushrooms exposed to UV light

As an athlete, you must ensure that your body is adequately hydrated, which means drinking up to eight glasses of water per day. You can also meet some of your hydration needs by drinking milk or sports drinks. It’s important to time your meals and snacks so that your body can make the most of what you feed it. For example, if you’re an endurance athlete, you should consume mostly carbs and a small amount of protein between one and four hours before you exercise. If you’re a strength athlete, its advisable to consume carbs and protein or only protein up to four hours before and up to two hours after you exercise. Whatever your preference, the ISSN recommends spacing your nutrient intake evenly throughout the day, which means eating every three to four hours. However, if you’re practicing intermittent fasting to increase cellular renewal and speed up healing, the time period may need to be adjusted to accommodate this diet. Here’s an example of what an athlete might eat in a day to ensure they meet their body’s needs:

● Breakfast: Boiled, poached, or scrambled eggs with fresh spinach, salmon, and a wholegrain bagel or toast.

● Lunch: A stir-fry with tofu or chicken, broccoli, brown rice, cherry tomatoes, and green beans cooked in coconut oil.

● Dinner: A baked sweet potato topped with bean chili and/or turkey and served with a salad of avocado, peppers, and watercress sprinkled with hemp seeds and drizzled with olive oil.

The size and calorie content of your portions will depend on your weight, gender, and activity levels. The old saying, “You are what you eat,” is as true for athletes as it is for everyone else. Creating a comprehensive daily meal plan is the best way to ensure that you give your body what it needs. Use this information to ensure your meals support your training goals.