Athletes’ nutrition needs are not static. Just as the training type and intensity changes both daily and throughout the season, nutrient requirements fluctuate as well. Body composition goals, exercise intensity and type are just some of the factors that can impact one’s diet.
A Registered Dietitian/Sports Dietitian can help you determine a plan that is specific to your goals and sport, but a good tool to help you get started in learning to portion and correctly balance your meals is the Athlete’s Plate put together by the U.S. Olympic Committee.
This is a great tool that I love using with clients because its visual, easy to understand and customizable. The full Athlete’s Plate resources and more can be found here: (http://www.teamusa.org/About-the-USOC/Athlete-Development/Sport-Performance/Nutrition/Resources-and-Fact-Sheets.aspx). Print them off and hang them on your fridge to help you plan and portion meals!
The Athlete’s Plate resources show 3 ways of portioning your meals based on different types of training days. All meals contain carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and lots of fruits and vegetables and fluids. However, the main difference is the amount of carbohydrate, which varies based on your training load that day. This is because carbohydrates provide the fuel to our brain and muscles. Just like gas in the car, the longer you drive the more gas you need. Similarly, the more frequently or more intensely you exercise, the higher your need of carbohydrates. With intense training, back to back games or exercise sessions, its crucial to get enough high quality carbohydrates in order to have enough fuel, but also to restore glycogen (carbohydrate stores) in muscle and liver to fuel the next session.
As you will see – all plates have the following 5 components. No matter what your training load that day, include all of these in your meals, but adjust the amounts.
Always Include:
- Energy Providing Foods – Starches and Whole Grains that are minimally processed such as potatoes, squash, 100% whole wheat breads and tortillas, rice, quinoa, pasta, oatmeal, whole grain crackers and cereals
- Muscle Builder & Recovery Foods – Proteins like lean meats, poultry, beans, tofu, edamame, Greek yogurt, fish, eggs, cheese
- Vegetables and Fruit – Antioxidant, vitamin and mineral rich foods. So many options – the key is variety!
- Healthy Fats – Nuts and seeds, chia, flax, hemp seeds, olive, canola and other plant based oils, avocado, fatty fish, nut butters, oil-based dressing
- Hydrating Beverages – Water, milk, 100% fruit juice (if need to get in higher carbohydrate intake), tea, coffee (in moderate amounts)
Now let’s actually take a look at the plates! I’ll show you how you can use the Athlete’s Plate to help guide your meals on easy, moderate and hard training days.
Weight Management/Easy Training Day
When to use:
- During the offseason when you may be trying to manage weight
- Rest and easy training days
Why:
It still provides you with some high quality carbohydrates, but a greater emphasis is placed on increasing fresh produce to provide more fibre to promote health and satiety, as well as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to aid in overall health, recovery and keeping your immune system healthy. And of course protein to aid in recovery, maintenance and growth of lean muscle.
What to put on your plate:
Energy Providing Foods – Grains and Starches
Aim for ¼ plate of high quality, minimally processed carbohydrates. This is about the size of your fist.
Vegetables and Fruit
Load up ½ your plate with fruits and vegetables. Eat the rainbow! Try new types, get lots of colour and switch up how you prepare them so you don’t get bored.
Muscle Builders – Protein
About ¼ plate should be a protein-rich food. Better preparation methods include baking, grilling, roasting and pan fried. Again, aim for variety!
Healthy Fats
Fat wont make you fat, and we need some in or diet to keep us healthy and absorb fat souble vitamins. You may need less if looking to lose weight, or more if looking to gain weight. However, no matter what your goal, limit fat from deep fried foods, processed meats and hydrogenated oils.
Moderate Training Days
When to use:
- During the pre or in season when you may have one hard workout for the day
- 2 workouts a day, where one is easy (technical skills) and one is moderate (strength or endurance)
Why:
Portioning your plate this way provides you with extra carbohydrates to recover glycogen and fuel your training. You still get antioxidants to help keep immnune system healthy and help with recovery.
What to put on your plate:
Energy Providing Foods – Grains and Starches
Increase your portion slightly by making about 1/3 of the plate of high quality, minimally processed carbohydrates.
Vegetables and Fruit
Make room for more starchy carbs by Reducing the amount just under ½ the plate of vegetables, and including fruit on the side. Eat the rainbow! Try new types, get lots of colour and switch up how you prepare them so you don’t get bored.
Muscle Builders – Protein
Keep protein the same at ¼ plate protein. Your protein needs will be similar or slightly higher, but instead of adding extra protein at meals (your body can only use so much at one time), its best to make sure protein is spread throughout the day at all meals, snacks and recovery snacks.
Healthy Fats
Add healthy fats to the meal as well – more than on easy days if the goal is weight gain or to help meet your increased energy needs.
Hard Training/Race or Competition Day
When to use:
- During the in-seasonn when you may have two long or fairly intense workouts for the day
- During competition/race days (as well as the days leading into competition and the day after to aid in carb loading and recovery)
Why:
You need extra carbohydrates for keeping glycogen stores topped up and for fuelling the increase in activity. Overall energy needs will be increased as well and may require additional fats at meals, and more snacks too in general.
What to put on your plate:
Energy Providing Foods – Grains and Starches
Increase your portion by making about 1/2 of the plate of high quality, minimally processed carbohydrates
Vegetables and Fruit
Make room for more starchy carbs by reducing the amount to about ¼ plate of vegetables and add fruit on the side. Eat the rainbow! Try new types, get lots of colour and switch up how you prepare them so you don’t get bored.
Muscle Builders – Protein
Keep protein the same at ¼ plate protein. Your protein needs will be similar or slightly higher, but instead of adding extra protein at meals, its best to include your extra servings at additional snacks or recovery snacks.
Healthy Fats
Add healthy fats to the meal as well – more than on easy days if the goal is weight gain or to help meet your increased energy needs.
A few extra tips you can follow any day of the week.
- Eat your fruits and vegetables! Challenge yourself and see how many colours of the rainbow you can get each day, and always aim for a dark green and dark orange every day. One way to help get enough is to include a fruit or veg at each meal and snack.
- Many people don’t have a problem consuming enough protein. What really matters is protein distribution. Make sure you get a source at each meal and snack. Breakfast meals often contain little protein.
- Hydration is very important as well! Keep a water bottle with you at all times so you can drink throughout the day and during exercise in addition to at meals.
To take this a step further, a dietitian can help you figure out the correct portion sizes, adequate meal timing, pre and post workout snacks, easy and healthy meal ideas, micronutrient needs, and fluid needs that are specific to you and will help boost your performance. Contact me at andreadocherty.rd@gmail.com to learn about how I can help you or your team of athletes fuel your performance and reach your health and fitness goals.
Written by: Andrea Docherty, RD
Registered Dietitian and Sports Nutritionist
Windsor, Ontario