Energy Sources:

Your body derives energy from three sources: carbohydrates, proteins and fats:

1. Carbohydrates: These are an essential source of fuels for all student-athletes. They replace muscle glycogen, help prevent the loss of muscle mass and prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Carbohydrate intake in the diet should be between 4-6 grams of carbohydrate for each kilogram of body weight or 40-60% of your total daily caloric intake. Example: an athlete weighing 165 pounds (75 kg) needs 300-450 grams of carbohydrates per day.

2. Proteins: In addition to providing energy, protein is essential for building, maintaining and repairing muscle and connective tissue. Protein requirements for student-athletes are slightly higher than the typical recommended daily allowance. Competitive athletes should consume between 1.2 to 1.8 grams of protein / kg of body weight, or 15-20% of your total daily caloric intake. Example: An athlete weighing 165 pounds (75 kg) needs 90-135 grams of protein per day.

3. Fats: Are a source for essential fatty acids, fat soluble vitamins and energy. Fats are a necessary and healthy part of a balanced diet. Approximately 30% of your daily caloric intake should come from fats. A total of 70% of your total fat calories should be derived from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Pre-Competition Meals: Do Not Skip!!! A pre-game meal should be fairly rich in carbohydrates; 3-5 grams / kg of body weight. You should eat 3-4 hours before the start of your competition (this includes warm-up). Avoid heavy, fatty foods or those foods that make you feel sluggish. Stay away from fried foods, fast foods, heavy protein meals and salads as they are all hard to digest and can lead to stomach irritation. Some good pre-competition foods: 

• Grilled / baked chicken or fish
• Pasta
• Sweet potatoes
• Rice
• Whole grain breads / cereals
• Oatmeal

Post-Competition Meals: Ideally you should be able to eat every hour on the four for four hours following competition. However, this is often difficult to achieve, so a balance meal high in complex carbohydrates (50-60%), with 15-20% from fat and 15-20% from protein within that four-hour window is the next best thing. Some good foods to eat immediately following competition when a full meal is not available:

• Fresh fruit
• Whole grain bagels / bread
• Yogurt
• Dried fruit
• Meal replacement shakes
• Meal replacement bars
• Granola bars

Hydration: Water is the drink of choice 99% of the time, but when you are working hard and sweating, use of a sports drink is acceptable. Gatorade and PowerAde contain potassium and sodium that aid in temperature regulation and fluid balance. In addition, both contain between 5-8% carbohydrates that help maintain glucose metabolism and glycogen reserves during prolonged exercise. Sports drinks should not be substituted for water, however they are acceptable and beneficial during and immediately following prolonged intense workouts and competitions. When training and/or competing, you want to try to match the amount of weight lost with intake of fluids. Each pound corresponds to 450 ml (15 oz.) of fluid. On average, one quart of fluid consumed per hour is enough to prevent dehydration.

CARBOHYDRATES:

• Oatmeal
• Whole grain breads
• Whole grain cereals
• Pita bread
• Pasta
• Beans
• Lentils / legumes
• Peas
• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes
• Brown rice
• Barley
• Beets
• Potatoes
• Turnips
• Fresh fruit

PROTEINS: (if it used to fly, swim, walk or run - EAT IT!)

• Grilled / baked chicken
• Grilled / baked fish
• Lean beef
• Eggs
• Chick peas
• Dark beans
• Tofu
• Lentils
• Brown rice
• Milk / hard cheeses
• Peanuts / nuts
• Dark green veggies like broccoli

FATS:

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated - lower LDL; raises HDL, these are the best kinds of fats or "good fats" to consume; they should constitute 70% of your total fat calories. Some good sources:

• Fish
• Olives
• Peanuts
• Almonds & other nuts
• Avocados
• Olive oil
• Peanut oil
• Canola oil

Saturated - raise both LDL and HDL, commonly derived from animal fats and should constitute no more than 30% of your total fat calories. Some common sources:

• Whole milk
• Butter
• Cheese
• Ice cream
• Red meat
• Chocolate
• Coconuts
• Coconut oil

Trans - these are processed vegetable fats that are solid at room temperature. They should be avoided as much as possible as they have ZERO nutritional value. Some common sources of trans fats:

• Processed foods
• Snack foods
• Chips / cookies
• Margarine
• Many fast foods
• Most commercial baked goods
• Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil

Calculating Caloric Needs without Considering Activity:

Males:
BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age)
Ex: 20-year old power athlete of 220 lbs (100 kg) at 6' (183 cm) equates to:
BMR = 66 + (13.7 x 100 kg) + (5 x 183 cm) - (6.8 x 20 yrs old)
BMR = 66 + 1370 + 915 - 136
BMR = 2,215 calories per day

Females:
BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.7 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age)
Ex: 19-year old endurance athlete of 120 lbs (54 kg) at 5'5" (165 cm) equates to:
BMR = 655 + (9.6 x 54 kg) + (1.7 x 165 cm) - (4.7 x 19 yrs old)
BMR = 655 + 518 + 280 - 89
BMR = 1,364 calories per day

Activity Level:

Sedentary: Nothing all day
Very light: Working a desk job, not performing any type of physical activity during the day period
Light: Working a desk job, but performing some physical activity during the day, but not hard
Moderate: Working a desk job, but perform some physical activity during the day + a daily workout session
High: Physical job, or non-physical job but training twice a day
Extreme: Physical job plus hard training

Caloric Needs Including Activity:
For our 220-pound male power athlete that is classified as having a high activity level, we use the following equation to determine the number of calories he will need to maintain his weight:

2,215 calories x 1.8 = 3,987 calories

For our 120-pound female endurance athlete that is classified as having an extreme activity level, we use the following equation to determine the number of calories she will need to maintain her weight:

1,364 calories x 2.0 = 2,728 calories

Note: These calculations are based on a very general equation and will not be perfectly accurate for all individuals. A 120-pound female endurance athlete may need to consume upwards of 4,000 to 5,000 calories a day to maintain her weight (opposed to the 2,728 calories calculated above). Caloric needs are relative to the individual.