An athlete nutrition coach answers rapid questions about fueling for performance. She recommends 6-10 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight for endurance athletes, suggests pre-practice hydration of 16 ounces of water with 500 mg sodium, and explains why strength training actually makes you faster.
Can you give me 3 pregame snacks to eat?
About 60 minutes before the game, you could have dried mangoes with pretzels, you could have a granola bar with some applesauce, or you can have just like a PB&J. Keep the peanut butter pretty light.
How many carbs do I need to eat every day?
If you're an endurance athlete, you need about 6 to 10 grams per kilogram of body weight. If you're like a basketball, maybe football player, it's going to be anywhere between 3 and 6 to 7 grams per kilogram of body weight.
Are electrolytes or water more important?
Both are very important to pair together, especially during physical activity.
How many electrolytes do I need to drink?
That's a very individualized question. My rule of thumb is going into practice, if you could have at least 16 ounces of water with about 500 milligrams of sodium, because there's potassium in there as well, um, that's a great start.
Is lifting weights like a bodybuilder bad as an athlete?
If you are an athlete who needs to be explosive, who needs to run, jump, and cut and, and do fast movements, then you need to train for those movements. Those are two different types of training. You can incorporate bodybuilding into that if you're trying to increase muscle size, but you're also going to need more explosive movements as well.
As a female athlete, should I focus on being strong or being fast?
You can be both. The stronger the athlete, the more force that you can put into the ground, which then increases your speed.
Are there any foods that people think are healthy but actually aren't?
No, I think a lot of times people think salads are like the only healthy foods, and they don't see rice and pasta and potatoes as healthy, but, um, those are very essential for athletes.
