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By: Adam Sarancik Author of: Coaching Champions for Life One of the most dramatic and consequential shifts in my lifetime in the personal habits of people, including many athletes, is the casual way in which they approach nutrition. In my generation, we have always said if you want your Ferrari to go far and go fast against elite competition, you better pay close attention to what you put in the fuel tank. And yet, just yesterday, I listened to a very well-known professional athlete say on a podcast that one key to recovery after you compete is to eat a lot of calories. True, but then he inexplicably added, "It doesn't matter what type of calories; just eat a lot of them." Wait, what? This statement was startling to me because it was made by a professional athlete who markets himself as one who young people should listen to when it comes to all of the ways it takes to become successful in his sport. It was also incongruent with almost every elite athlete I have ever heard talk about the thing they wish they would have become more knowledgeable about and taken more seriously when they were younger - nutrition. In 2023, the National Institute for Health reported, "Nutrition serves as the cornerstone of an athlete's life, exerting a profound impact on their performance and overall well-being. To unlock their full potential, athletes must adhere to a well-balanced diet tailored to their specific nutritional needs. This approach not only enables them to achieve optimal performance levels but also facilitates efficient recovery and reduces the risk of injuries." The report added, "In addition to maintaining a balanced diet, many athletes also embrace the use of nutritional supplements to complement their dietary intake and support their training goals. These supplements cover a wide range of options, addressing nutrient deficiencies, enhancing recovery, promoting muscle synthesis, boosting energy levels, and optimizing performance in their respective sports or activities." There is nothing inherently wrong with this, but when consuming supplements, athletes must be careful that the supplements do not become an expedient substitute for eating whole fresh foods, and where possible, the supplements are NSF certified. For example, eating protein bars to add protein and drinking energy drinks to boost energy are not good supplement choices for athletes. According to a National Survey of Children's Health by the CDC in January 2024, 1 in 5 children and adolescents are obese. In 2023, the Caring Medical Florida group reported that, "It appears the tendency to consume junk food may be more common among young athletes. The results of 7 out of 19 studies in Current Sports Medicine Reports showed sports participation was associated with the increased consumption of fast food, sugar-laden drinks and calories." These reports are consistent with the trend I have experienced watching young athletes consume food before or after practice and games. Just yesterday, I heard a coach say to his U14 Girls softball team, "Don't worry, between the Opening Day Ceremonies in the morning and our game at noon we will provide donuts for you to eat." I think coaches have a responsibility to their players to educate them about the life-long benefits of consuming healthy food and drink. Generally, they should emphasize that eating should be about pursuing good health and not a particular weight. Specifically, I think at all times people in general, and particularly athletes, should ask themselves these questions: 1) What nutritional purposes are being served by the food and drink I am consuming? 2) Am I getting the food and drink from the best possible sources? 3) Why am I consuming it in this quantity? and 4) Why am I consuming it now? Athletes who want to become elite should journal their eating habits daily. They should eat snacks to make up for the deficiencies, e.g., fruits and vegetables that they did not get in their main meals. Parents could help their young athletes by always having healthy snacks and drink in the car, as well as, preparing healthy "grab and go food" at the beginning of each week such as pasta salads made with whole wheat pasta, vegetables, fruits such as pineapple or mandarin oranges, and a complete protein source such as chicken. In place of fast food, I think an easy option for outstanding nutrition for practice and game days are fruit and/or vegetable smoothies. We owe it as role models and mentors to our youth to get back to respecting our bodies and renew our commitment to "You are what you eat."
Adam Sarancik is the author of three Amazon Top 100 Best Selling books:
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You Are What You Eat
