Coach, What Should I Eat?

bodbuds
Mar 2, 2015
6 min read

Dear Body Buds,

As an athlete and coach of a team sport, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard these questions:

What should I be eating to fuel my body?
What/when should I eat before an activity?
How should I fuel my body during an activity?
What/when should I eat after an activity?
What should I eat before an early morning activity or if anything at all?

For all you Body Buds who have been involved in a team sport or whom are currently participating in a team sport activity, I’m sure you’ve heard at least a few of these questions.

Am I right?

I mean, as a soccer player growing up even I would constantly ask my coaches from level to level these questions OVER and OVER AGAIN. So, my question is, Why? Why are so many athletes constantly asking their coaches these questions even at the collegiate level?

Being involved with the sport for multiple years now and competing at one level to the next has made me realize that there are very few coaches who could give a legitimate response. Don’t get me wrong, there are some that have the general concepts down, but not many who have specific answers.

So, I have come to the conclusion that the reason players are constantly asking these questions is because the typical response from a coach is generally, “Get some good carbs in ya before the game! And some protein afterwards.” Responses like these don’t really give answers and are why these nutrition questions are still being asked at every level.

With that in mind, here is some information I put together that I hope will be beneficial to all of you players, coaches, teammates, parents, and Body Buds:

What should I be eating to fuel my body?

Protein recommendations:

Protein is not used as an energy source, instead it’s for appetite satiation and provision of branched chain amino acids.
The main role of protein is tissue repair and muscle adaptation to training.
Range from 1.2-1.7 g/kg of body weight per day (i.e., 15% to 20% of total calories).
Example: 130lb or 59kg (130/2.2=59) athlete translates into 71-100g of protein per day.
Protein sources: chicken, fish, egg whites, cottage cheese, plain Greek yogurt, protein bar and powders.

Carbohydrate (CHO) recommendations:

Provides main source of energy.
Range from 5-10 g/kg of body weight per day (i.e., 55% to 60% of total calories).
Example: 59kg athlete translates into 295-590g of CHO per day.
CHO sources: oats, brown rice, wheat tortillas/breads/pasta/cereals, rice cakes, fruit, beans, yams, and protein/granola bars.

Fat recommendations:

Range should be calculated once proteins and CHO are determined. This is because fat utilization for energy will vary among different team sports.
Typically fat intake should fall between 20% and 30% of total calories.
Fat sources: nuts, avocado, fish, peanut butter, oils, and cheese.

Fluid recommendations:

The Power Foods Lifestyle recommends drinking your body weight in ounces of water, or simply 1 gallon.
Example: 130lb athlete translates into 130 ounces (16.25 cups or 1 gallon) of water per day. *8 ounces per cup and 16 cups per gallon.
Refer to the other questions for more specific measurements around activity times.

Supplementation recommendations:

Increased energy demands and sweating require increased focus on certain nutrients.
Vitamin B Complex: Helps your body convert food into glucose which provides energy to your body.
Foods sources- fish, bran cereals, yogurt, spinach.
Iron (Fe): Essential for muscle nourishment.
Food sources- dark green leafy veggies, poultry.
Calcium (Ca): Strength and bone development.
Food sources- leafy greens, seafood, fruit.
Magnesium (Mg): Energy and ATP production
Food sources- leafy greens, nuts, fish, yogurt, beans.
Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s): Aid in protein synthesis and enhance performance.

EXAMPLE FOR A TEAM SPORT ATHLETE (SOCCER PLAYER)

Click Here for Example Meal Plan in printable PDF form

Protein: 24% of total calories
Carbohydrates: 61% of total calories
Fat: 20% of total calories
Calories: Approx. 2500 cal.

What/when should I eat before an activity?

When:

Eat within one hour of waking, from there have a balanced meal every 2.5-3 hours making sure your pre-game meal is somewhere between 1-4 hours prior activity.

Protein & Fat recommendations:

Proteins & Fats should be balanced equating to 50% of pre-game meal.

Too many fat calories prior an activity may cause slow digestion and gastric upset.

Carbohydrate (CHO) recommendations:

1-4g CHO/kg of body weight.
Example: 59kg athlete translates into 59-236g of CHO prior.
CHO should make up the other 50% of pre-game meal.
This will top off glycogen stores (loads muscles with energy) and provide adequate blood glucose levels.

Fluid recommendations:

14-22 ounces (2-3 cups) of fluid 2 hours prior activity.

How should I fuel my body during an activity?

Protein & Fat recommendations:

These macronutrients are not necessarily necessary for fueling the body during team sport activities.

Carbohydrate (CHO) recommendations:

Most important macronutrient during a team sport activity.
If activity is less than 1 hour, CHO feedings are not necessary.
If activity is greater than 1 hour, 1-1.1 g of CHO per minute or 1 cup of 6-8% CHO sports drink every extra 15 minutes.
Convenient food sources: energy bars, gels, rice cakes and fruit.

Fluid recommendations:

6-12 ounces of fluid for every 15-20 minutes of exercise.
If activity exceeds 60 minutes, a sports drink containing up to 8% of CHO is encouraged. This will replace both fluid and depleting muscle glycogen stores.
Exceeding 60 minutes, 8 ounces of sports drink every extra 15 minutes.
If activity is less than 60 minutes, a sports drink is not necessary.
Example: 90 minute soccer match equates to approx. 60 ounces (7.5 cups) of liquid during match.

What/when should I eat after an activity?

When:

Refuel your body as soon as possible after an activity to provide for rapid recovery of glycogen stores.
Within 15-30 minutes consume 1.2 g/kg of body weight of CHO’s with a 4:1 ratio of protein.
Example: 59kg athlete translates into 70g of CHO’s and 17g of protein immediately following activity.
Refuel again within 3-4 hours in the form of a balanced meal (protein-veggie-carbohydrate or PVC meal as we like to call it).

Protein recommendations:

A 4:1 ratio of CHO to protein (containing at least 6g of essential amino acids) will be most beneficial.
Example: 59kg athlete translates into 15-30g of protein within 1-2 hours post activity.

Carbohydrate (CHO) recommendations:

1-2g CHO/kg of body weight within first 3-4 hours post activity.
Example: 59kg athlete translates into 59-118g of CHO post activity.

Fluid recommendations:

Ingest 16-24 ounces (2-3 cups) of fluid for every pound of body weight lost after an activity.

What should I eat before an early morning activity if anything at all?

This is not a one answer fits all type of question. However, I definitely recommend getting SOMETHING in your body at least 30 minutes prior to intense bouts of activity (i.e., soccer training, practice, or conditioning). What works for one person may not provide the same effects for another. This is why it’s best to experiment with a few different options and decide what works best in YOUR body!

Foods to try:

½ a protein shake in water
2 oz. turkey or chicken breast
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
6 raw almonds
1 rice cake
Even try combining two macronutrients together (i.e., P+F or P+C for greater energy levels.

I know this can be A LOT to take in, but take it step by step. Focus on one piece at a time and I think you’ll soon be able to see a difference in how your body responds in your athletic activities.

Let’s quickly review:

Carbs need to be your staple, providing you with energy and replenishing depleted glycogen stores.
Proteins need to be utilized post activity to help rebuild muscle breakdown.
Fats should be incorporated to help you feel fuller longer, as well as helping reduce possible inflammation.

Remember, make sure to stick with familiar foods before an intense activity or performance, but gradually experiment with different foods within the prescribed macronutrient ranges and see what works best in your body.

I can tell you from my own experience as a soccer player how frustrating it can be to determine what foods are best for me and what gives me the most energy. By becoming a part of the Body Buddies family almost one year ago, I can honestly say it has helped me unlock how to fuel my body properly for an athletic event. Discovering how to incorporate The Power Foods Lifestyle into my soccer regime has been quite an incredible experience.

Now that you have a little more insight, I encourage you to experiment with the numbers and adjust them for YOU. The numbers given are not set in stone, instead they are simply guidelines that can be adjusted to determine what is best for you and whatever athletic activities you do.

Check out the Power Foods Lifestyle Recipes by clicking here.

So now when one of these questions arises you’ll be able to respond with confidence!