Endurance athletes spend hours training, and there are benefits to being fit: a lower resting heart rate, lower blood pressure, better sleep quality, and a calmer mind. But sadly, the ability to eat whatever you want without impacting your performance and body composition isn’t one of these perks. Before you reach for the cookie jar, read on for tips to make a balanced diet for athletes easier.
The Snack Attack
What comes to mind when you think of a snack? A glass of milk and a cookie, a bowl of ice cream, a handful of pretzels, a piece of fruit, or a small bag of chips? Maybe instead of food, you count on an afternoon coffee to get you through the workday, or you reach for a sports bar to fuel your after-work workout.
The Power of Real Food
I often get these questions: “Which sports bar or fuel replacement is best?” “For recovery, which sports nutrition drink mix should I buy?”
It’s no surprise these are frequently asked questions; sports nutrition companies are doing a great job marketing their billion-dollar businesses. Their products are in every sports store, sold on websites, and probably in your pantry. Now, don’t get me wrong, I use sports nutrition supplements and am a member of the PowerBar Elite Team. I proudly use their products when training in season. There’s a time and place for these products, which I’ll get into, but never use them in place of real food.