Athlete's Eating PlanOptimal eating plans for athletes balance energy intake with energy expenditure, meet the nutritional needs for health, exercise training, and recovery, and reduce the risk for illness and injury. An athlete in energy balance is weight-stable and consumes the amount of calories that he or she expends. Check Your Nutrition Numbers for a simple way to calculate energy expenditure. Once the calorie level is determined, the Food Guide Pyramid recommendations will indicate the appropriate number of servings from each food group. |
What if athletes want to know how much carbohydrate or protein they need? One approach is to take the total daily caloric requirement and distribute those calories among the three energy containing nutrients: carbohydrate, protein, and fat.
This pie chart shows the recommended distribution for carbohydrate, protein, and fat for an active person. Treat these percentages as guidelines. Total caloric intake and type of sport affect the recommended nutrient distribution. For example, while a male cross country skier with a 6,000 calorie per day intake may meet his needs with a 60-10-30 distribution (carbohydrate, protein, fat), a 55-20-25 distribution may better suit the needs of a female figure skater with 2,000 calorie a day intake.
An individualized approach to nutrient recommendations for carbohydrate, protein, and fat is based on nutrient needs relative to body weight (g/kg BW.) This method is addressed in the Carbohydrate Goals, Protein Goals, Fat, and Your Nutrition Numbers topics.
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