What is Sports Nutrition?
Sports nutrition is the focus on what you need to eat and drink to fuel and hydrate properly for a workout and what you need to eat and drink to promote rapid recovery after a workout. Sports nutrition also includes what you are eating and drinking during the times you are not training.
When is sports nutrition important?
Sports nutrition is very important before, during, and after a workout. It is also important all day long because the composition and timing of meals can make a huge impact on how an athlete feels for workouts and to maximize recovery.
It is important to remember that healthy eating and proper nutrition are important every day, even on your recovery days. It is important to fuel properly prior to a workout and afterwards, but try to make healthy eating a priority all day long.
What is a Sports dietitian?
The sports dietitian provides individual and group/team nutrition counseling and education to enhance performance in competitive and recreational athletes. Sports dietitians counsel individual athletes and teams on daily nutrition for health and performance; translating the latest scientific evidence into practical sports nutrition recommendations; tracking and documenting outcomes of nutrition services, serving as a food and nutrition resource for coaches, trainers, athletes, and parents.
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How can a sports dietitian help you?
Every individual is different in what they can tolerate before, during, and after a workout. Just like a volleyball player needs to practice and do drills to improve skills, it is important to practice nutrition to know what works best.
Want to learn more about how to incorporate sports nutrition to improve sports performance? Consult a registered dietitian with a board certified specialty in sports dietetics (CSSD).