Proper nutrition provides essential nutrients for general health, growth, development, muscle repair, and the energy needed for training, competition, and mental focus.
A tailored nutrition plan can reduce injury risk, help prevent illness, and support optimal training adaptations.
This chapter focuses on evidence-based nutrition strategies to enhance performance and the practical application of sports nutrition.
Challenges in sports nutrition:
Athletes often encounter misinformation from many sources, including the internet, print media, and word of mouth.
Each athlete has unique dietary needs influenced by:
Age, body size, and body composition
Genetics and training conditions
Medical needs, training intensity, and training frequency
Because nutrition is an evolving field, strength and conditioning professionals need a solid foundation in nutrition to guide athletes effectively.
Role of sports nutrition professionals
Sports dietitians: Registered dietitians with specialized training in sports nutrition.
Certified specialists in sports dietetics (CSSD): Board-certified professionals with advanced expertise in sports nutrition.
Sports nutrition coaches: Strength coaches and trainers with basic training in nutrition and exercise science.
Medical professionals: Physicians and sports dietitians help manage conditions such as eating disorders, diabetes, or nutrient deficiencies.
Competencies of a CSSD (certified specialist in sports dietetics)
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:
Provide personalized meal plans to support performance and health.
Translate scientific research into practical nutrition strategies.
Assess and analyze athlete dietary habits and energy balance.
Counsel athletes on hydration, supplementation, weight management, and immune health.
Address nutrition challenges such as allergies, bone mineral deficiencies, and gastrointestinal issues.
Collaborate with coaches, physicians, and athletic staff.
Educate athletes on food selection, storage, and preparation.
Standard nutrition guidelines for athletes
MyPlate (USDA food guidance system):
A visual guide to food groups that helps athletes build balanced meals.
Includes fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy, with additional recommendations for oils.
Provides portion guidance based on age, sex, and physical activity level.
Myplate
Dietary adjustments for athletes:
Athletes with higher physical activity levels typically need larger portions to meet energy demands.
Excluding food groups (e.g., dairy or grains) can increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies, so it requires careful meal planning.
Food group recommendations (from MyPlate)
Daily caloric and food group recommendations
Refer to the textbook to view this data.
Age group
Estimated daily calories (not physically active)
Fruit (cups)
Vegetables (cups)
Grains (oz equivalents)
Protein (oz equivalents)
Dairy (cups)
Oils (tsp)
Children 2-3
1,000
1
1
3
2
2
3
Children 4-8
1,200-1,400
1-1.5
1.5
5
4
2.5
4
Girls 9-13
1,600
1.5
2
5
5
3
5
Girls 14-18
1,800
1.5
2.5
6
5
3
5
Boys 9-13
1,800
1.5
2.5
6
5
3
5
Boys 14-18
2,200
2
3
7
6
3
6
Females 19-30
2,000
2
2.5
6
5.5
3
6
Females 31-50
1,800
1.5
2.5
6
5
3
5
Females 51+
1,600
1.5
2
5
5
3
5
Males 19-30
2,400
2
3
8
6.5
3
7
Males 31-50
2,200
2
3
7
6
3
6
Males 51+
2,000
2
2.5
6
5.5
3
6
Recommendations vary based on age, sex, and activity level.
General guidelines:
Fruits: 1-2 cups/day
Vegetables: 1-3 cups/day
Grains: 3-8 oz equivalents/day
Protein: 2-6.5 oz equivalents/day
Dairy: 2-3 cups/day
Oils: 3-7 tsp/day
These values are baseline intake suggestions for people who are not physically active and are engaging in moderate activity.
Vegetable subgroup recommendations
MyPlate vegetable subgroup recommendations provide weekly intake recommendations for different vegetable subgroups
Refer to the textbook to view this data.
Age Group
Dark Green Vegetables
Red & Orange Vegetables
Starchy Vegetables
Beans & Peas
Other Vegetables
Children 2-3
0.5
2.5
2
0.5
1
Children 4-8
1
3
3.5
0.5
1.5
Girls 9-13
1.5
4
4
1
2.5
Girls 14-18
1.5
5.5
5
1.5
3.5
Boys 9-13
1.5
5.5
5
1.5
4
Boys 14-18
1.5
6
6
2
5
Females 19-30
1.5
5.5
5
1.5
4
Females 31-50
1.5
5.5
5
1.5
4
Females 51+
1.5
5
5
1.5
4
Males 19-30
2
6
6
2
5
Males 31-50
2
6
6
2
5
Males 51+
1.5
5.5
6
1.5
4
Subgroups include:
Dark green vegetables
Red and orange vegetables
Starchy vegetables
Beans and peas
Other vegetables
These recommendations are designed for the general population, but athletes may need adjustments based on training intensity.
Dietary reference intakes (DRIs)
Athletes benefit most from food-based recommendations rather than focusing only on single nutrients.
The DRIs, developed by the Food and Nutrition Board, provide comprehensive nutrient intake guidelines.
The key DRIs include:
Recommended dietary allowance (RDA): Average daily intake that meets the needs of most healthy individuals.
Adequate intake (AI): Used when an RDA can’t be established.
Tolerable upper intake level (UL): Maximum daily intake unlikely to cause adverse effects.
Estimated average requirement (EAR): Intake level that meets the needs of half the population.
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