A general rule of thumb is that you should eat a gram of protein for every pound of body weight. So if you weigh pounds, you should strive to eat grams of protein every day. However, try to space these servings of protein out over the course of the day, since eating more than grams at once can make you feel sluggish.

This is where eating lots of smaller meals throughout the day comes in handy. Also, be aware that not all protein sources are equally good for you.

Try to focus on lean and low-fat sources. Some good examples are turkey, chicken, 93 percent lean red meats, egg whites, tuna, top sirloin steak, tilapia, salmon, mackerel and shrimp. Not only that, but carbohydrates are also a crucial part of the process by which the amino acids from your proteins travel to your muscles.

Some foods that make ideal sources of carbohydrates are brown rice, oatmeal, whole-grain pasta, potatoes, rice cakes, cream of rice, whole-wheat bread, veggies and fruits.

In addition to these carbs, you should also consume about 30 grams of fibrous carbohydrates each day, preferably split between lunch and dinner. This helps keep your digestive tract running smoothly and maximizes nutrient use in the body.

Some examples of these carbohydrates are broccoli and green beans. What this means is that some natural fats are not only healthy for you, but they are necessary for your body to function correctly. Unfortunately, no matter how delicious cookies are, they will never be good for you.

Rather, good fats are things like peanut butter, avocado, fish oils, flaxseed oil and extra-virgin olive oil. These healthy fats work to produce hormones, ensure steady muscle growth, help you recover from injury and properly distribute nutrients throughout your body.

Carrying small and convenient foods with you is one of the best ways to keep your nutrition and energy levels up throughout the day. The best foods to carry around with you are both healthy and easily transportable. Some great options are:. There are so many reasons to drink water, such as its ability to control your appetite, its positive effects on your metabolism and its crucial role in muscle building and energy production.

Whenever you feel thirsty, reach for a glass of water, not a can of soda. Keep in mind, there are a variety of foods you can eat that provide equal nutritional value. Experiment with foods you like that fit into these categories and see what you come up with for your football meal plans.

Of course, everyone knows there are two components to any health and fitness program. Eating a healthy and balanced diet is certainly one piece of the puzzle, but the other piece is just as important. This second piece is exercising. While everyone should exercise to become healthier, athletes must exercise far more intensely than the casual gym-goer.

And just as different types of athletes eat differently because of their varying goals, they must exercise differently to achieve their purposes. It might seem natural to think that if you want to build muscle mass, you should work out for as long as you can, to the point of complete exhaustion.

But the opposite is true. Your workout sessions should rarely or never last longer than 60 minutes. There are several reasons for this. After an hour, the hormones that help you build muscles — such as growth hormones and testosterone — start to dwindle.

Worse than just fatiguing yourself for no reason, you could even do real harm to your body. By training for longer than an hour, your body will not be able to recover as quickly from workouts. This phenomenon is called overtraining, and it can even lead to muscle and strength loss.

In most cases, keep your breathing periods between sets to a minute and a half or less. This technique helps you squeeze more exercising into your allotted minutes-or-less session, and it also helps improve your cardiovascular health.

Built-in breaks are important, since they allow the water in your body to enter into the muscles, helping them grow larger and stronger. However, generally players under the age of 18 should always focus on building muscle mass, even if they present with a higher body fat percentage Nutrition for the adolescent athlete will be discussed in greater detail in a future article.

When travelling abroad for holidays it can be difficult to maintain your usual eating habits given the variances in the local cuisine of your holiday destination. Below is a list of tips for travelling both abroad and locally: — Be cautious of food and water hygiene abroad by checking the condition food is served in and only drinking bottled water.

As you will now have more time on your hands you will be more likely to go to restaurants or get takeaways with your friends and family. Whilst it is okay to do this to enjoy yourself and relax, it is still important to make careful decisions with your goals in mind.

It can be easy to consume significant amounts of calories at a restaurant given the option for a 3-course meal, the liquid calories from drinks, and the potential for a buffet type setup.

Below is a list of tips for eating out getting a takeaway: — Avoid sides and drinks that provide an excess number of high calories such as chips and sugary drinks. Given that the off season is a time to relax with your friends and family it is highly likely that alcohol is going to come into the equation.

However, it is important to be. aware of the side effects and how overconsumption can easily tarnish your off-season goals. Alcohol contains a lot of calories that are easy to consume, which will have a significant impact on your body composition with likely increases in body fat.

Moreover, alcohol may reduce the benefits of the physical fitness and gym program you have been adhering too. Check out hockey drills and workouts from goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, defenseman Duncan Keith, the University of Michigan hockey team and others. Soccer Become a better soccer player through the conditioning workouts, speed training and foot drills on STACK.

Check out more workouts and drills in our soccer training video gallery. Softball Take your game to the next level with softball drills and workouts at STACK.

For even more softball training, check out softball video library. Wrestling Train for wrestling with workouts that provide the explosive strength and power you need to take down an opponent.

Maximize your performance with workouts, drills and advice from coaches and athletes from some of the top college wrestling programs in the nation in our wrestling training video library.

Volleyball STACK has the volleyball drills and workouts you need to take your game to the next level. For even more volleyball training content, check out our volleyball video library. Training Sports performance training is the physical and mental process of working toward specific athletic, performance or fitness goals through a regimented program.

Research shows that to significantly improve sports performance, overall athleticism and physical ability, athletes must complete training sessions in addition to playing their sport.

Training refers to the workouts, exercises and drills they perform outside of organized practices to improve their Strength, Speed, Conditioning and Flexibility, as well to rehab and prevent injury. Well-rounded programs also include Sports Psychology training.

The process requires participants to understand and observe NCAA rules and regulations, conduct thorough research, schedule home and campus visits, network and communicate appropriately, and, for most student-athletes, engage in self-marketing.

Learn best practices from athletes who have achieved success and the experts who have helped them. Get Recruited Today Nutrition Proper nutrition provides athletes with the energy, nutrients and hydration they need to progress in their training and perform optimally.

In addition to following a healthy diet, athletes must pay particular attention to gaining muscle and losing fat, which together improve athletic performance. To power workouts and games, and to ensure a strong recovery, elite athletes take care to eat properly and to hydrate before, during and after workouts and competitions.

In some situations, athletes gain an edge with prescribed use of safe supplements. Learn how elite athletes supercharge their performance by following scientifically-supported nutrition strategies. Sports News Latest sports news, for all pro sports, college sports, high school sports, and more.

Football , Nutrition. Nutrition Plan for Football. By STACK Published On: But, all players can benefit from the following guidelines: Organize the food on your plate into a peace sign.

Those bursts require carbohydrates. Eating adequate carbohydrates allows proteins to rebuild and repair damaged muscles. When carbohydrate intake is low, the muscles will breakdown body proteins amino acids into carbohydrates, making training less effective.

Based on the type of sport and position, I recommend grams of nutrient-dense protein at each meal. Last but not least are essential fatty acids, calcium, vitamin D, and iron for the high school athlete.

Essential fatty acids are just that — essential for optimal health. They are key to brain health and development as well as wonderful nutrients for athletic recovery. The timing of nutritional intake plays another role. If high school athletes eat within an hour of waking breaking the fast and eat both quality carbohydrates and protein every 4 hours, their body will be optimized for both training recovery.

It can be difficult to accomplish but waking up with enough time to eat an adequate breakfast which means getting to bed at an appropriate time , along with well-planned snacks and lunch, will set up the high school athlete for daily success.

With the reduction in energy expenditure less training there needs to be a reduction in energy intake energy from food eaten , or body fat storage will increase. You may experience a reduction in hunger and appetite, which will make it easier to reduce your energy intake. If you experience no appetite changes you will need to work harder at this.

Reducing energy intake is effected mostly by reducing fat in food, and reducing total food intake. No 1 option is recommended as you still have some base training and fitness work to complete, and small snacks will still be important for preparation and recovery from these.

You may be inclined to eat out more, since you have more time on your hands, and now is the best time to get your fix. However, it is still important to choose carefully at restaurants to avoid any large changes in body composition during the off-season.

REMEMBER: It is not as easy to burn off these extra kilojoules when you are not training as hard as pre-season and during the season.

If you are going away, it is often difficult to keep your eating in order. Overseas travel will inevitably be more difficult than holidays around home. Now is the time to relax and take in a few more alcoholic drinks than normal, if that is what you want.

But beware of some of the side effects of too much alcohol during the off season. Experimenting with how certain foods sit in the body should be done during the off-season. Postgame meals are also an important tradition for some teams.

However, before the team sits down for the meal, they should begin refueling with fluids and carbohydrates immediately following the contest, in the form of sports drinks, pretzels, sports bars, or fruit. Then the postgame meal may be a higher-fat option, such as fried chicken, steak, or a cheesesteak hoagie.

Some good options include:. If players need to lose or gain weight, they should not attempt to do so during the season. The focus of preseason and inseason training is to get the athlete ready for upcoming games.

Attempting to lose or gain weight during this period takes energy away from in-season preparation. Losing or gaining weight should be a long-term project, something that takes place over six months.

For players who are looking to change body composition during the offseason, meet with them to set realistic goals and if possible, hook those players up with a sports nutritionist who can help them develop a nutrition plan. If a player needs to lose weight, focus on losing weight to move more quickly.

If a player needs to gain weight, focus on gaining weight to be stronger. For the player desiring to gain weight, the most important point is to be consistent, eating more calories every day. Some tips:. Explain how nutritional suggestions lead to success on the field, and they will soon be analyzing their meals as diligently as they analyze game film!

Consider this meal makeover:. Instead of serving: Serve: Big T-bone steaks. Precise, informative, and instructive, this article provided the exact information I needed. Thank you! By Leslie Bonci Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, LDN, is Director of Sports Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and serves as a consultant to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pitt athletics, and several area high schools.

Emphasize Performance As a dietitian who has worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the past 12 years, several NCAA Division I and Division III teams, and high school athletes, I have found that the best way to talk to football players about this topic is to emphasize performance benefits over nutritional requirements.

Two-A-Day Time The most grueling and intensive training for football players takes place during preseason two-a-day practices. Here are some specifics for them to follow: Drink 16 ounces of a sports drink one hour before exercise as it takes one hour for one liter of fluid to leave the gut.

Drink 24 ounces of fluid based on recent studies for every pound of body weight lost during exercise, immediately post exercise. During practice, coaches must implement scheduled fluid breaks, and they must make sure every athlete stops to rehydrate. Gametime Meals Pregame meals have always been a tradition with football teams, but they should also be thought of as an important fueling component before a game.

Some examples of good pregame meals include: Turkey or ham subs, fruit salad, frozen yogurt Eggs, waffles, ham, fruit Pasta with red meat sauce, grilled chicken, salad, and fruit Smoothie, cereal, fruit For those who want steak, offer 8-ounce cuts with plenty of carbohydrates on the side For beverages, serve sports drinks, juices, and water.

Some good options include: Steak kebabs, rice Salmon, green beans, and corn Roast beef, mashed potatoes, and salad Hamburgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, fries, and juice. Weight Issues If players need to lose or gain weight, they should not attempt to do so during the season.

Some tips for weight loss in football players: Do not restrict carbs. Do not skip meals, but do decrease portion size. It is usually not the pasta that is the problem, but the size of the portion! A little off the top at each meal works very well.

For example, eat 25 chicken wings instead of 40, drink a ounce glass of juice instead of 20, or eat a ounce steak instead of one that is 24 ounces. Trim calories by cutting down on condiments and snacks.

Many find it easier to lose weight by eating smaller, more frequent meals that are more evenly divided throughout the day, instead of three meals a day. Decrease calories from beverages by diluting juices, choosing diet soda or iced tea, and using smaller glasses.

Include filling foods such as protein and foods that require chewing: salads, vegetables, a baked potato, meat, fruits.

When eating fast food, choose regular instead of super-size meals. Put snacks into a bowl instead of sitting down with the whole bag. Some tips: Start a meal with food, not liquids, so have the sandwich first, then the shake.

Replace low or no calorie beverages with juice, lemonade, milk, and sports drinks instead of water. Try to eat one-quarter more at every meal and snack.

Keep snack food around to nibble on. Add higher calorie foods to every meal: granola instead of sugared cereal. Add nuts to cereal, or snacks.

Eat bagels instead of bread. Add more protein, but only 4 ounces more a day, through food, not supplements. Choose cheese, low-fat lunch meats, an extra piece of chicken or fish, milk, and yogurt. Tags: tc Latest News Case Study. Case Study , Concussions , Player Safety , Sports Medicine.