Nutrition for Student Athletes – Balance, Adequacy, & Accuracy
By Jillian Doiron, student representative for the University of Manitoba
As nutrition students, learning about food and nutrition as general topics is one thing, and learning about your own food and nutrition needs is another. We tend to have a good grasp on what kinds of foods we should be eating, while also listening to our intuition and eating what we feel is right for us in a given moment. As students leading busy lives, however, we may not always be giving ourselves the best nourishment. Often, we must rely on quick snacks and readily available foods, which may not always be the most nutritious, or the ones we even feel like eating at the time. If food and nutrition planning are difficult enough for students, then what in the world do student athletes do? This group of students is not only busy with their studies but also balance their time with their sport and the complex nutrition associated with it. This can be an extremely difficult thing to manage - I would know, as a student athlete myself. It’s taken many years, but I am always learning about my own unique nutrition needs to keep my brain fueled for studying, and my body ready for playing competitive hockey. In this blog post, I want to share some of the complexities that I have faced as a student athlete, as well as some solutions, and even my own personal routine on game days.
The first and most obvious challenge is a lack of time. Student athletes manage their studies and sports, among other things, but these two things alone can take up a gigantic chunk of time. With little extra time to spare, nutrition planning is not always a priority. Student athletes may not find the time to cook or to meal plan, causing them to rely on processed and readily available foods. These foods are generally calorie-dense but lack nutrients, which will not provide the best fuel
for student athletes who require more nutritious foods to allow them to perform up to par in their studies and their sport. This leads me to the next challenge that student athletes are facing – how it can be extremely difficult to reach unique nutrient needs, as athletes often require the consumption of specific nutrients. Depending on the sport, athletes generally require certain nutrients to perform to their top standards. Many student athletes face difficulties in achieving their specific nutrient goals due to limited time, a lack of knowledge, or high cost, among other factors.
Although some of these issues cannot be addressed through a simple solution, I would like to share some insight on combating some of these problems. It is very important for both students and athletes alike to feed their brains with enough complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates (carbs) will fuel your brain for long study sessions and fuel your muscles for competition. A few examples of complex carbs for student athletes include breads, pastas, and fruits and vegetables. Ensuring that we are consuming enough of these carbs, at around 45 – 65% of our caloric consumption, will help us to perform our best. Staying hydrated will help us to avoid cramps in sore muscles and keep headaches away when staring at screens for extended periods of time. Staying hydrated can be done through the consumption of water, and sometimes for athletes, the consumption of electrolytes. Depending on the type of athlete you are, if your sport involves vigorous exercise over long periods of time, electrolytes will do a better job of keeping your body hydrated than just water. Electrolytes can be obtained through sports drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade. Another solution that I have for student athletes who are finding themselves with some spare time is to meal prep. Meal prepping a few meals at a time will save us time throughout the week, as our meals are already ready for us. Simple meals, such as chicken with rice and vegetables, when prepped in appropriate amounts, will keep us nourished over the course of a few days, and will give us more time to focus on school and on our sports.
For me personally, as a nutrition science student and competitive hockey player, I’ve spent many years figuring out what sorts of things work best for me, and this is my general game day routine. My games generally occur in the evenings, and so I do my studying in the morning. I will consume hearty breakfasts and lunches, while hydrating with water. My pre-game dinner will consist largely of carbohydrates. I tend to opt for either pasta with chicken, vegetables, and a light sauce, or toast with peanut butter and jam. These meals allow me to carb up so that my muscles will have energy for my game in the evening. Throughout my game, I sip on electrolytes to keep myself hydrated. In between periods, I like to have a small serving of applesauce to spike my blood sugar and provide my body with readily accessible carbs. After my game, I go back to drinking water to manage my hydration levels and eat a meal that is high in protein so that I can repair my muscle tissues. This routine, however, is simply what works for me. It is important that each student-athlete try to find some time to determine what works best for them, in order to obtain the highest grades and perform the best in their sport.