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Today’s athletes continue to search for ways to properly fuel as well as build and repair muscle both prior to and after strenuous activity. The South Dakota Beef Industry Council (SDBIC) is expanding that knowledge by providing opportunity for college athletes to experience first-hand how beef can fit into these training regiments as a performance protein product.

“The goal is to help the students be healthy as well as successful both in academics and in sports and learning about nutrition is part of that equation,” states Holly Swee, SDBIC Director of Nutrition. “We want to help the students learn accurate sports nutrition information about protein like beef in the diet and provide basic, easy meal prep and planning skills that will be useful throughout their life.” Beef provides all 9 essential amino acids; creating that perfect base in which to build and repair muscle.

The SDBIC worked alongside the South Dakota State University (SDSU) Meat Science department to provide a beef nutrition and meal preparation workshop to approximately 100 SDSU athletes on June 13, 2019. Beef cooking techniques and meal preparation ideas were provided to the student athletes to help them fuel for success and nutrition information was shared that included discussion on the value of high-quality protein, like beef, in the diet as well as proper spacing and timing of meals and snacks to help muscle preservation and recovery.

SDSU’s Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Nathan Moe saw this as being very beneficial to their athletes, “Nutrition education in general and the importance of quality protein specifically for recovery and growth are important topics that we are constantly addressing with our student-athletes and we appreciate the great partnership with the SDBIC.” He saw the event as an important educational opportunity for student-athletes. “The opportunity to interact and learn hands on practical ways of using a slow cooker, choosing a cut of meat and how to build your plate around protein is invaluable.”