Five Nutrition Tips for Strength Athletes

1) Prioritize Protein

You’re probably not eating enough. In order to both maintain muscle mass and gain strength, eating enough protein is the key. Protein is made of components called amino acids, which stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Recommendations for strength athletes are 1.9-2.2 grams per kilogram (0.9-1.15 grams per pound). In a 150 pound athlete, that’s 129-150 grams of protein per day.

2) Recover from workouts using the 4 R’s

Rehydrate: Make sure to drink 16-20 ounces of water per hour of exercise. If the climate is hot and humid, you’re a heavy sweater or you had a particularly intense workout electrolytes may also need to be incorporated.

Replenish: Since carbs are the body’s main source of energy, make sure to replace what you use and incorporate carbohydrates into your meal post workout.

Repair: Exercise causes microtears in the muscles which need amino acids (the building blocks of protein) in order to repair the muscle. In addition to repairing existing muscle, ingesting protein post workout will also help to build muscle.

Rest: activities that stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system like sleep, meditation and/or yoga, provide a time for the body to repair muscles, cells and tissues from the wear and tear of training and day-to-day life.

3) Time carbs when needed

Timing carbs can improve performance, body composition and, if needed, help with making weight. This means keeping the majority of carbohydrate intake, from simple carbs, before and after workouts as this is when the body needs carbs the most.

4) Use safety with supplements

Be skeptical about supplements and brands claiming their products magically provide massive strength gains. Most nutrients found in supplements can be obtained through eating food. As a strength

athletes, two supplements that would be beneficial are caffeine and creatine. They are two of the most well-researched supplements and, when used properly, can elicit performance benefits to increase strength and power.

5) Incorporate variety

Eating the same foods everyday can make meal prepping and planning easy, however in doing so, you may be missing out on other vitamins and minerals that can be found in other foods. Minerals like magnesium, calcium and iron are important in fluid balance, muscle contraction and oxygen transport in the body.