Nutrition is often taught to be important to us from a very young age. Whether it’s different physical education or health classes, most people have been taught at various ages the importance or a balanced and healthy diet.
We also learn as we get older that what can be defined as a “healthy diet” is different depending on the person. Some people require more proteins than others. Some people maintain healthy lifestyles as vegans and so on.
Nutrition is especially important in the world of college athletics. The NCAA even has their own page dedicated specifically to nutrition. Nutrition plays an important role in the lives of student athletes.
Making sure that you have enough energy to perform in your sports or maintaining a certain weight or gaining weight are all things athletes have to do on a daily basis that have a direct link to diet and nutrition.
Connor Whitney, a senior tight end for the Idaho football team, talked about what he had for food when he first came to the university.
“In high school, I wasn’t really on a meal plan. I was kind of skinny and small,” Whitney said. “I was just trying to eat everything I could get my hands on to get my weight up coming in to college football.”
Whitney went on to mention how the strength and conditioning coach, Jacob Scharnhorst, advised to eat foods highs in proteins like meats and carbohydrates such as rice and pasta to help him gain the weight he needed and to eat a lot of calories in general.
Whitney also explained the difference between what he ate to gain weight and what he’s eaten to maintain it.
“When I was gaining the weight, I could almost eat anything I wanted,” Whitney said. “Now that I’m at the weight I want to be, I have to be a little more careful and try to eat healthier. Still eat those meats and pastas, try to stay away from fast food and fried foods just to make sure I stay healthy in that regard.”
When it comes to nutrition, football athletes are not the only ones to keep an eye on what they eat.
Jolene Whiteley, a senior on the Idaho track & field and cross-country team, is also a nutrition major and offered her viewpoint as a distance runner.
“It’s kind of different in track, because there’s so many different events,” Whiteley said. “As a distance athlete, I can only speak for myself, but I definitely have to make sure I eat enough throughout the day because of how much running and how many miles I do in a week.”
Whiteley said her experience as a nutrition major has changed how she views what she eats as a student athlete.
“I think it’s made me quite a bit more mindful about what I’m eating, especially to perform to the best of my abilities,” Whiteley said. “It’s important that I’m eating carbs before and after I workout so I have enough energy for the workout and to recover afterwards, same to make sure I’m eating enough protein so I’m not breaking down my muscles while lifting and running.”
Whiteley said that what she eats also helps her in terms of making sure she has enough energy to help her perform well when running.
Despite both athletes mentioning the importance of protein and carbs, it is worth noting each athlete’s approach to nutrition is a case-by-case basis. Both athletes said there aren’t any specific meal plans, and Whitney mentioned the differences in food and diets when it comes to different positions on the football team.
“I’d say it’s more on a case-by-case (basis),” Whitney said. “We have o-lineman who are 300-plus pounds and some receivers who are only 180. So, it kind of differs between that. Guys who are trying to keep their weight up will usually eat different stuff than guys who are typically trying to be faster and more lean.”
Different habits for different positions and different sports is more common than not. Despite almost every athlete being on a personalized diet, Whiteley said she’s noticed, as a nutrition major, that it’s something all student athletes can keep an eye on or improve upon
“I think sometimes athletes don’t realize how much they’re burning and how much food they need to stay healthy,” Whitely said. “Even injury-free and healthy as in not getting sick, just having energy throughout the day to go along with how much exercise they’re doing. Especially in distance running, not a lot of people realize how important protein still is. Even if we’re not body builders, we still need to focus on getting enough protein throughout the day.”
Whatever the sport or position, what athletes consume is an important factor in performance and something that a lot more programs and individuals seem to be focusing on.
Teren Kowatsch can be reached at [email protected]