Nutrition for Strength Athletes

In this paper I will lay out diet and nutrition recommendations for a 140 pound female athlete in attempt to maximize her strength and power. Following a healthy, nutritious diet will allow her, as an athlete, to capitalize on sports performance. Most female athletes are anxious about consuming more calories for fear of gaining weight, although it is a necessity when exerting that much more energy to increase strength. I want my athlete to consume balanced and nutritious meals that will constantly keep her fueled with energy and refuel her when at rest.

There are six classes of nutrients that are a necessity for a healthy body; carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals and water. The energy that athletes retract from these nutrients comes solely from the carbohydrates, fat and protein. Specific time of food and water intake is essential for athletes. Specificity of which foods are consumed at certain times is also crucial. I want my athlete to understand it is important to eat the right foods at the right times in order to have enough energy to expend as needed. Her post performance energy intake is equally as important to refuel and restore muscle tissue. Athletes have more of a responsibility to take control of their bodies and diet in order to maximize their strength and power. ( class notes)

In order to build lean muscle mass I would prescribe my female athlete to combine an adequate calories intake along with a hard muscle strengthening program. Assuming my athlete typically expends around 2000 calories daily during her 3 hour intense workout sessions she is going to need a higher daily caloric intake in comparison to the average sedentary female.

Carbohydrates are going to be my athletes prime energy source. Although many strength training athletes are under the impression that their protein intake is much more important than their carbohydrate intake, they are wrong. Carbohydrates are used in the body as a fuel for short, intense bursts of power or energy. With constant training, eating raw fruits and vegetables often, and consuming high carbohydrate and moderate protein snacks, athletes have the ability to double the amount of glycogen their muscles can hold. I would recommend my athlete to consume around 60 % of her calories from carbohydrates. This results in a little fewer than 500 grams/ day of carbohydrates, also equivalent to around 2000 carbohydrate calories.

I would highly recommend my athlete focus on eating complex carbohydrates that will benefit her body. Pasta, potatoes, rice, fruit, and starchy vegetables will all be beneficial to her and how she feels. Eating a meal rich in carbohydrates no more then two hours before training will maximize the session. Following the session, consuming carbohydrates will replenish the glycogen stores for her next workout. Maintaining adequate carbohydrate intake will allow the muscles to store glycogen in order to be used when needed, and to help diminish recovery time.

After a day of strenuous workouts the body needs to repair itself. Protein is the basic building material for repairing muscle tissue. Athletes need to consume protein to maintain consistency and improvement in their workouts to achieve more strength. Protein should consist of about 10-15% of total daily calories. Strength trainers do need more than people who don't ever work out, but still tend to overestimate. My protein recommendation to my athlete would be approximately .6-.8 grams per pound of body weight, resulting in about 90-115 grams of protein per day. Over doing her intake of protein could result in negative effects. Too much protein is known to slow down the process of rehydration and glycogen replenishment. Protein sources I would recommend to my athlete would include lean meats such as turkey and chicken breast, low fat cheese, eggs, beans, and milk. ( Lemon PW)

It is vital for my athlete to consume a source of protein, preferably with some carbohydrates after a strenuous workout. It is extremely beneficial to consume both carbohydrate and protein within two hours of post workouts to increase stored glycogen levels. The best mind set for my athlete would be to think of a four to one ratio when eating, 4 grams of carbohydrate for every gram of protein. Consuming ample amounts of protein after a resistance workout can enhance the development of muscle mass and strength. Growing muscle mass and strength is what will make my athlete stronger and more powerful. (Spriet)

Fat intake is also a minimal necessity. With no more then 10-15 % of my athletes total calories consumed in a day, fat should be used sparingly. There are healthy fats, including