In day-to-day life, all humans get hungry. It’s just a normal human need. But for a student-athlete, their diet might be different than a normal student’s. Athletes need a good healthy diet to be able to stay up to speed with their teammates or opponents. The amount of food you need depends on your age, height, weight, and activity level. Athletes try to have a “pregame” meal 2 to 4 hours before the event. A good pre-game meal is high in complex carbs and low in protein and sugar. They should avoid rich and greasy foods, they could be hard to digest and cause an upset stomach. 

Athletes should also stay hydrated 24\7. This is a huge thing, because during your activity you will soon start sweating making the water in your body leave it. Your body is about 60% water. If you wait til your body tells you you are thirsty, it’s already too late. From the writers at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “A good rule of thumb is to take a drink every 15 to 20 minutes, but do not drink too much so then you feel full. The only problem with drinking a lot of water is that if you drink too much you can get water poisoning.” It takes a lot of water to do so. They also state that “For short events, water is the way to go to replenish your body. But for longer events, sports drinks may benefit you. They provide electrolytes and carbohydrates. Experts now say the protein and carbs in chocolate milk can repair muscles after exercise.” Milk is always a good choice for your bones, hence why babies drink so much of it. Athletes should avoid using anything with caffeine in it, they can dehydrate you more because you feel anxious or jittery. 

Another thing to consider is the amount of energy and nutrients athletes need to stay in shape. Strict diet plans can harm your ability and be bad for your health. According to the writers at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, they say, “Without calories from carbs, fats, and protein, you may not have enough strength. Not eating enough can also lead to malnutrition.” Malnutrition is the lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or being unable to use the food that one does eat. Some of the symptoms of malnutrition are a reduced appetite, lack of interest in food or drink, feeling tired all the time, feeling weaker, getting ill often, and wounds taking a long time to heal. The ways to fix malnutrition are having a healthier, more balanced diet, eating “fortified” foods that contain extra nutrients, snacking between meals, and having drinks that contain lots of calories. Get medical health tho if you need to lose weight and be sure you talk to a doctor before making a major nutrition change. 

Now many athletes will also go into weight training to help them stay up to speed with others. How does it work you may ask? Well, resistance training puts a load on your joints. As a result, your bones are reformed, increasing your bone density and decreasing the risk of bone injury.  According to Dubose Fitness, “injuries, of course, can range from broken bones to pulled muscles, and it is fair to say that sports injuries are virtually inevitable. However, research has shown that, by participating in a strength training program, you can significantly reduce the risk and the severity of the injuries you suffer during sports.”  This means that athletes should train more and more to keep their bodies from getting hurt. It sucks to have a cast or a boot and not be able to play the sport one loves. As the body builds up tho, you get farther away from the line of getting hurt. Of course that does not mean you can not get hurt. 

Another perspective of training is of course weight lifting. Everyone wants that dream athlete’s body with a six-pack or big old arms, but not everything you see is true. A smart and healthy athlete would go to the gym or a guided weight class and work up to the desired weight. When using the bench, you do not want to just start with more than 45 lbs on both sides. You should start with maybe 10 lbs on each side and work up one by one to 45 lbs. Take breaks when you are working out, and drink water! Also, you should not just work your arms. Give them a break and work your legs for a change! It is going to help you more in the long run. 

In the end, athletes work out so much over time. Maybe every other day maybe every day of the week, but it is because they love the game they play. They want to get better, they want to win, and they want to go to the school of their dreams. Of course, to go to the school of your dreams you need academics, too. Being good at a sport can help you get into that school as well. Overall, having good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle will help you in the long run.