You Are What You Eat: An Athlete’s Guide to Eating Healthy

We’ve all heard the metaphor “you are what you eat,” but how does that relate to athletes? As a competitor, what you eat impacts your performance, your energy, and your overall mood.

Daily food choices become the fuel that either increases stamina and elevates your game, or can deplete energy, lead to underperformance and negatively impact your mood - and the mood of those around you.

If you’ve ever skipped a meal, you probably noticed a drop in your energy and felt lethargic. If you had a night of junk food, you probably didn’t feel your best the next day or were even grouchy.

In many ways, what and how you eat is at the center of who you are.

Why it Matters

There’s a deep interconnectedness between food, athletic performance, and mental health, known as “the brain in your gut.” Research shows that the gut produces essential nutrients that your body needs during exercise to sustain performance and recover efficiently.

The “brain gut” also produces neurotransmitters that communicate with the ”primary brain” impacting mood, anxiety levels, and our body’s ability to handle stress. So the health of the gut impacts an athlete’s ability to bounce back not just from physical stress, but the mental strain that comes with intense training days and competition.

So how do you keep the gut healthy and happy, and your performance at peak level?

While getting the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats is absolutely important - I’ve found that athletes respond better to simple solutions that don’t require counting nutrients. It’s a more intuitive, sustainable style.

A Balanced Approach

For pre-game:

Eat foods in their most natural state whenever possible (i.e. not in a package). Packaged foods have been stripped of their nutrients while natural foods are more likely to be absorbed into the gut (i.e. a breakfast bar vs. banana with nut butter). For longer training days, I like this carbohydrate-rich breakfast:

Oatmeal sprinkled with berries or banana
Slice of whole wheat toast or *bagel with nut butter and honey as a natural sweetener
Add a hard boiled egg(s) to make this a complete, filling breakfast

* Bagels may seem like a healthy, carbohydrate option but most have been overly processed and have little nutritional value. Go for seed-rich or everything bagels that contain heart-healthy fat and fiber, such as rye, pumpernickel, and whole-wheat.

Eat a heavier breakfast at least 2 hours before game time, and if you don’t have 2 hours, skip oatmeal and try:

Greek yogurt with nuts/seeds
Two hard boiled eggs
Whole wheat toast and nut butter

Super pressed for time? Grab a nut and fruit bar! Look for options with less than 7g of sugar and less than 5 ingredients.

For post-game meals:

This is where protein matters, because it helps the muscles repair and body recover from the physical stress of training and mental strain of competing. Fill your plate with a wide variety of fresh, colorful foods to re-fuel your body in a balanced way. For optimal recovery, try this protein-rich meal:

Rice or quinoa bowl with lean chicken, fish, or beans
Add greens like spinach or romaine lettuce
Top with a variety of colorful vegetables and hummus (extra protein!)
Choose a sauce to bring it all together like chunky salsa, pesto or light salad dressing

You can find other protein-rich plant foods here.

For snacks, take this same approach. Go for whole, fresh foods and if it does come from a package, pay attention to the sugar and ingredient count - less is more! Looking for other healthy snack ideas? Try these!

In sum, taking a balanced, mindful approach to fueling your body = a balanced, strong athlete! And when we feel balanced and strong, then we can perform at the highest level and continue to have fun doing it. And that’s the whole point, right!?

This is true for competitive athletes but also, anyone who cares about improving their overall fitness and health. We all need energy to show up in our individual roles and be the best that we can be - and that starts with what’s on your fork.

If now is the time for you to go from feeling stuck and underperforming; to capable and re-energized click here to schedule your free discovery call. I’d love to learn how I can help you.

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