Nutrition can immediately improve the body’s ability to move and function.

From a nutritional standpoint, an athlete’s nutrition choices today can mean the difference between being injured or not, between scoring 10 or 20 goals, or having the endurance and strength they need to succeed.

This is a testament to the importance of small, daily nutritional choices that add up to being able to walk, run, swim, throw, punch, and push.  

What are the essential nutrients for athletes?

A well-rounded plate of nutrients is best, but there are certain nutrients athletes (and active people in general) can’t go without.

Iron: The Oxygen Carrier

There’s a pretty big chance your body is low on iron right now.

In fact, iron is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies of the general public (along with calcium and vitamin D.)

Iron is a building block in making hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells that carry oxygen to your lungs, muscles, and lymphatic system.

When you’re running long-distance or when sweat is dripping from your brow, your body is quickly depleting its iron reserves.

Iron is the nutritional superhero that can help us run up a flight of stairs without getting winded. It gives us stamina. It staves off fatigue. It plays an essential role in our immune systems, and keeps us mentally sharp – all things athletes need to stay top of their game.

Carbohydrates: Energizing Fuel  

“But aren’t carbs bad?”

Listen – we’re not telling you to down an entire pizza and go Michael Phelps-levels of carb loading.  

The truth is, the healthy carbs found in whole grains, low-fat dairy, and fresh fruits and vegetables energize you.  

Carbs even allow protein to do its thing  -- repairing and building muscle.

So for fuel – energy, and muscle power – athletes need healthy carbs.

Protein: the building blocks of the body

Many athletes have a tub of protein powder in their kitchens, and for good reason – protein is critical for building muscle mass.

But that’s not the only thing protein’s good for.

Dietitians call protein the “building blocks of the body”, for its role in creating hair, bone, tendons, skin, and other tissues.  

Protein is also essential for nutrient syndication.

Electrolytes: Minerals that make our bodies work

When you exercise, you sweat.

And when you sweat, you lose the necessary nutrients and hydration your body needs to function at its peak.

Electrolytes (like sodium, chloride, magnesium, potassium, and calcium):

• Maintain fluid balance and hydration  
• Maintain muscle contractions (Including supporting the heart and avoiding muscle cramps)  
• Support brain activity  
• Support bone health

While the nutrients in each meal are tantamount to an athlete’s success, there’s one more thing athletes can do to boost performance…

Hydration is more important than you think.

While sports drinks are tirelessly marketed to athletes and anyone who breaks a sweat, good old-fashioned water is still an athlete’s best bet.

Here’s why.

Without enough water, your body starts getting constipated, tired, headachy, dizzy, and starts hiking up its blood pressure.  

Not great for someone who needs to stay in peak shape.  

When an athlete is, well, being athletic, they can key into body signals that tell them they need to take a swig, including:

• Fatigue: decreased energy is a sign you need to drink up.  
• Reduced mental function: motor control, decision making, and concentration are all reliant on how hydrated you are.
• Increased heart rate: feeling palpitations? Reach for the water bottle.  
• Muscle cramps

The importance of meal planning for athletes

Many athletes think they’re getting enough vital nutrients for peak athletic performance, but they don’t know for sure until they start planning – and tracking – meals.  

Especially when athletes follow particular diet plans, like a vegan diet or keto – it’s essential to make sure they’re getting enough protein, carbs, and other nutrients that can help them perform.

That’s why we created the Athletic High-Performance Nutrition Program for Athletes — designed for high-endurance and resistance-training athletes. This program is complete with:

• Information on meal timing for active people
• Resources on the importance of iron for athletic performance
• Information on the importance of hydration
• Four recipe collections for athletes
• 28 days of athletic meal planning

That’s why a meal planning tool — like Meal Garden — can help nutritionists, dietitians, and health coaches support their athletic clients by guiding them with weekly meal plans to plan out their nutrients, recipe collections to keep them on track, and programs to help athletes change how they approach meals and snacks.   Why wait? It’s free to join.    

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