Kelsey HigginsonSports Nutrition Coach and Founder at Clutch Day Coaching

Top 10 nutrition myths for athletes

25 Jul 2025 · 2 min

Watch on YouTube

1:52

In this single‑speaker YouTube presentation, the creator lists ten common nutrition myths that many athletes believe and systematically debunks each one with evidence‑based reasoning and practical advice. The myths covered are: (1) keto provides more energy for high‑intensity sport – false because carbs are the primary fuel; (2) more protein equals more muscle – excessive protein offers no extra benefit beyond individual needs; (3) carbs make you fat – untrue for elite athletes; (4) only “100 % clean” foods work – unrealistic, any fuel is better than none; (5) eating before a game slows you down – false, proper pre‑game fueling is essential; (6) processed foods are the devil – nuanced; ultra‑processed should be limited but convenient options are acceptable; (7) don’t eat late at night – athletes need nighttime carbs to replenish glycogen after late practice; (8) red meat is bad – red meat supplies iron and B‑vitamins and can be part of a balanced diet; (9) avoid sports drinks – they are useful during prolonged, high‑intensity effort for quick carbs; (10) always listen to your body – appetite isn’t always reliable, eating is a skill that must be practiced. The presenter emphasizes that nutrition is a balanced puzzle of carbs, fats, protein, timing, and individual needs, encouraging athletes to adopt flexible, evidence‑based fueling strategies rather than rigid myths.

Chapters

Here are the top 10 nutrition myths for athletes. Number 1: Keto gives you more energy. Y'all are gonna hate me for this one, but this is for my elite athletes doing high-intensity exercise and sport. Keto cuts out carbs. We need carbs. Carbs are the gas for our body. More protein equals more muscle. Yes, protein gives you muscle, but crazy amounts of it is not going to help. You just get the right amount of protein for your body. It's only one piece of the puzzle. You need carbs and fats as well. Number 3: Carbs make you fat. For elite athletes, totally false. Eating too much food in general makes you fat. Carbs are really important, especially around training time and games, in to give you energy. Number 4, eat 100% clean to see results. That's also false. Sometimes you're only going to have access to a granola bar or to some candy in the middle of the game. I get it, it's not ideal, but something is always better than nothing. Number 5, eating before a game will slow you down. Completely false. Your body needs fuel. If you've told yourself that you're going to get slowed down, you're probably just not eating the right amount of things at the right times. Number 6 is processed foods are the devil. There are levels to processed food. All food in your pantry is technically processed. I would avoid the ultra-processed foods as much as possible, but at times you're going to need a granola bar, you're going to maybe need fruit snacks in the middle of the game, and that's totally fine. The rest of the day, you can shoot for single-ingredient, non-processed foods. Number 7: don't eat late at night. I get it, eating high-fatty foods can affect your sleep. However, if an athlete finishes a practice at 10 PM at night and goes straight to bed, he's leaving gains on the table. He needs to be able to replenish those glycogen storages. So prioritize carbs late at night instead of fats or protein. Number 8 is red meat is bad. Not true. You need iron, you need vitamin B. You can have white meat, red meat, fish— get a variety of it. Number 9: avoid sports drinks. There are certain times where sports drinks are very very helpful if you're in the middle of a game, you're expending a lot of energy, and you feel like you're hitting a wall. Sports drinks are going to give you quick carbs to allow you to keep playing and to keep showing up high energy. And then number 10 is listen to your body. I get it, it's important, but sometimes your appetite is not to be trusted. If you don't feel like eating, that doesn't mean you shouldn't eat. Eating is a skill.