Nutrition Tips

It’s tough being an athlete! Athletes, both professional and amateur alike, are tasked with balancing a myriad of obligations to sponsors, coaches, families and fellow teammates while creating a viable future career through proper education. Athletes are expected to make sound decisions for their body and lifestyle on and off the field. Today's athletes are bombarded via social media and other outlets with advertisements for trendy supplements that claim to offer ample strength, transform physique, improve endurance, and provide fantastic health effects often times unsubstantiated by credible research studies. That is why the "food-first" approach is critical (1)! What is a "food-first approach"? It is as simple as choosing whole foods you can find at the grocery store to fuel your body and “Build Your Base” to support healthy growth, performance and recovery (1).

Applying this approach to sports nutrition generally provides a safer, easier, more balanced method for meeting nutritional needs by prioritizing whole, unprocessed foods while minimizing the risk of potentially harmful side effects from supplements.

Supplements Cannot “Out Compensate/Out-Run” a Poor Diet.

A healthy diet's foundation includes various nutrient-dense foods, including lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy, and healthy fats. Each food group supplies the body with different vitamins and minerals required for proper growth, development, performance and good health. Whole foods also contribute a food matrix, which means all the physical and chemical components are contained in the food and interact with each other to create a better atmosphere for absorption (2). There may be a few exceptions to athletes being able to consume food-only without the use of supplements. Examples include athletes on a restrictive diet for health or personal choice issues that may need to supplement with individual nutrients or a protein supplement (3,4). Supplements such as minerals taken to correct deficiencies (such as those prescribed by a doctor in conjunction with sports dietitian oversight) are the exception. They can be included in responsibility with medical oversight when lab-work confirms their need to correct a defiency (4). However, most athletes can get all the nutrients they require from a balanced whole-food diet (4). Just a few reasons to opt for a food-first approach include:

• Better safety and minimal risk
  • A balanced diet provides the most essential nutrients, reducing the risk of a positive test for athletes who accidentally ingest a banned substance through supplements.
  • In addition, a food-first approach without the use of supplements provides less risk of adverse side effects or drug-drug interactions.
• Nutrient Diversity
  • Whole foods provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals and fiber, promoting overall health, optimum performance and recovery.
• Affordability
  • Athletes often need to adhere to a budget to purchase necessary items, including food. A whole-food diet is often more affordable than relying on expensive sports supplements. Intelligent grocery store choices, such as canned foods, frozen foods, and store brands, can also help a student-athlete save money.
• Sustainability
  • Prioritizing whole foods supports farmers and growers and provides a more long-term sustainable approach to nutrition.

There Are No Quick Fixes

While it may seem like a good shortcut to take the latest and greatest supplement to help you meet your nutrition goals, finding a dietary pattern that will promote healthy eating for life requires attention, learning and growing as an athlete. It may take time to learn how to build a healthy plate containing the appropriate amounts of the three macronutrients and a focus on the proper timing of these foods to support sports performance, but know it is time well spent! For example, a vegan athlete can begin to work with a sports dietitian or research options and realize increasing dietary iron by making meatless chili with iron-rich beans and tomatoes, which provides a rich source of vitamin C can boost absorption in the beans. This provides a new insight that can assist the athlete for years to come. Just a few new ways to combine foods or increase the proportions of already healthy food items can allow an athlete to learn new methods for preparation and cooking and set them up for healthy skills for life!

Buyer Beware

When it comes to supplements, more is not better. This is especially true when considering mega-dosing of vitamins and minerals. Chronically consuming excess fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) can lead to storage of these within the body's fat cells, potentially leading to severe, long-term damage. While consuming excesses of water-soluble vitamins may seem safer (due to urinary excretion of excess), other side effects of overconsuming these vitamins can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or even nerve or liver damage over time. In addition, certain minerals are highly toxic when consumed in excess. One example is Iron which can disrupt DNA and other essential internal signaling if over-consumed chronically.

Smart Whole Food Choices For The Win

It cannot be emphasized enough that if a supplement is necessary after receiving a complete nutrition assessment by a registered dietitian, it should be tested by a third-party entity to ensure the highest levels of quality and safety available. In that case, the label will bear the appropriate symbol indicating the company has tested it. It can be traced back to the lot where it was produced if an athlete infraction needs further investigation. A few trusted third-party testing companies include NSF Certified for Sport, BSCG, and Informed Choice for Sport. Otherwise, focusing on a food-first approach is always the best option for athletes looking to improve their sport, health and overall well-being for the long game!

1. Close GL, et al. “Food first but not always food only”: recommendations for using dietary supplements in sport. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2022;32(5):371–386. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2021-0335.
2. Miller, G. D., Ragalie-Carr, J., & Torres-Gonzalez, M. (2023). Perspective: Seeing the Forest Through the Trees: The Importance of Food Matrix in Diet Quality and Human Health. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 14(3), 363–365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advn...
3. Larson-Meyer DE, Woolf K, Burke L. Assessment of nutrient status in athletes and the need for supplementation. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2018;28(2):139–158. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0338.
4. Peeling, P., Sim, M., & McKay, A. K. A. (2023). Considerations for the Consumption of Vitamin and Mineral Supplements in Athlete Populations. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 53(Suppl 1), 15–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279...