3 nutrition tips to fuel your workouts and build strength, according to a sports dietitian
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The most exciting summer event is upon us — the Paris 2024 Olympics. July’s Start TODAY challenge uses the games as inspiration, asking you to find your own inner athlete with functional exercises that build strength and agility to improve performance during your favorite hobbies.
For the first time, the Start TODAY monthly challenge also includes nutrition! As a sports dietitian and nutrition editor for TODAY, I’ve worked with hundreds of people to help them embrace their inner athlete and fuel their fitness, whether their goal is running a marathon, walking a 5k or increasing strength.
I’ve put together nutrition tips and weekly meal plans to help you eat like an athlete to reach your peak fitness potential. Before we get into the week 1 meal plan, here’s more about what it means to eat like an athlete.
What are the athletes eating at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games?
Throughout the 15 days of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Paris will house 15,000 athletes from 208 territories and nations. The athletes will eat in the Olympic Village, which will offer all types of cuisines to meet the various nutritional needs and cultural habits. From surfers to runners to breakdancers, every single athlete has their own nutrition routine.
Paris is known as one of the food capitals of the world, and the Paris Olympic games are striving to blend the creativity of French cuisine with sustainability. That translates to the plate with more plant-based and local foods that still taste delicious. The Olympic Village and competition venues will increase the amount of vegetarian foods available to athletes and reduce the amount of animal proteins in meals.
Tori Franklin, a two-time Olympian for Team USA in the triple jump, says she's excited about the increase in vegetarian meals. "As a vegetarian, it’s extremely important for me to be vigilant in how I eat and what I’m consuming," she says. The focus on vegetarian meals will help her stay aligned with her nutritional needs, which can be very difficult to do while traveling.
In addition, at least 60% of the meals sold to spectators will also be vegetarian.
Following suit from Paris, the July weekly meal plans feature at least 50% vegetarian food. Not only does increasing plant-based foods benefit the planet, it’s also good for your health. Plant-based foods contain plenty of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants, and research states that eating more plant-based foods may reduce incidences of heart disease, cancer, obesity and osteoporosis.
3 tips to eat like an Olympic athlete
We can all learn a thing or two from the Olympians' nutrition. They prioritize healthy eating and fueling their workouts to get the most out of their bodies and compete at the highest level. No matter the type of exercise you do, these three sports nutrition principles will help you fuel like an athlete.
Focus on all-around nutrition
While emphasizing what to eat before and after a workout is the pinnacle of sports nutrition, what you eat throughout the day also matters for overall health and strength. I call this "all-around nutrition," and it simply means prioritizing nutrition throughout the day to help you feel stronger and healthier before, during and after a workout.
Quite simply, that means eating a well-balanced diet that incorporates all three macronutrients — carbohydrates, protein and fat — at every meal. All three nutrients are necessary to provide energy, keep you full and regulate blood-sugar levels.
Eat plenty of plant-based whole foods to meet your daily fiber and micronutrient goals, and limit processed foods and foods high in sugar. Cooking meals at home helps you check these boxes. In addition, don't wait too long in between meals, as this can cause extreme hunger and overeating. Franklin says she eats when she’s hungry and stops when she feels full. Simple enough, right?
The weekly meal plans on TODAY.com are a great jumping-off point to prioritize your “all-around nutrition.”
Fuel exercise with the right pre-workout snack
Carbohydrates are the body’s main fuel source for exercise. It’s always a good idea to eat some carbs before a workout, no matter the type of exercise. Even if it’s a short walking workout, eating a pre-workout snack prevents your gas tank from hitting empty.
A pre-workout meal should always contain carbs, but the timing of the meal determines the amount of food you should eat. Below are some simple pre-workout guidelines:
If you have 2-3 hours until your workout, a well-balanced meal with carbs, protein and a little bit of fat will provide energy for your workout. Most of the breakfasts or lunches in the weekly meal plans check this box.
If you’re eating 1-2 hours before a workout, choose a hearty snack with carbs and some protein. The weekly July meal plans feature a selection of pre-workout snacks.
If you’re less than one hour before a workout, eat something small and rich in carbs, like a banana, a handful of raisins, a slice of toast or a handful of dry cereal.
Recover after a workout
During a workout, the muscles start to break down and experience tiny tears, inflammation builds up in the joints and muscles and the body’s fuel reserves in the muscle and liver (called glycogen) become depleted.
Post-workout nutrition helps repair tired muscles, reduce inflammation and muscle soreness, and replenish fuel stores. That may sound like a lot, but it’s easy to check all of these boxes with a simple recovery nutrition plan. These are the most important nutrients to focus on after a workout:
Protein breaks down into amino acids that facilitate muscle repair. It also reduces hunger so you don’t feel ravenous.
Carbs replenish glycogen in the muscle and liver, which is a crucial part of recovery. Eating carbs with protein reduces post-run fatigue.
Antioxidants fight acute inflammation that occurs during exercise and may reduce joint pain.
Eating as soon as possible after a workout jumpstarts the recovery process. If you can’t eat right away, try to get something into your system within 2 hours. If you’re short on time, a recovery drink, like a smoothie, is a great way to get the nutrients you need. Franklin's post workout go-to's are a yogurt with granola and fruit or a protein shake made with NOW® Sports Organic Pea Protein.
Here are some of our favorite recovery smoothie recipes:
Double Orange Smoothie by Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN
Date and Banana Smoothie by Ahmad Alzahabi
July meal plans
Now it’s your turn to put these principles into practice. The good news is that I did all the work for you! The July meal plans feature well-balanced meals to fuel your daily activities and exercise. You’ll start the day with a nourishing breakfast and stay energized with a healthy lunch and dinner.
And, as a bonus, each meal plan features pre- and post-workout snack ideas. Ready to get started?
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
