Fuel for Top Performance

FN-1356, March 2008
Desiree Tande, Nutrition and Health Specialist

Adobe Acrobat PDF file suitable for printing. (173KB)

The most effective way to prepare for competition or re-energize your body after competition is through adequate water intake and a balanced, healthful diet.

Priority No. 1 is water

Water is the most important fuel for top performance. You should drink water before, during and after physical activity to replace water you lost.

Sports drinks may be useful for workouts lasting more than 90 minutes. These drinks replace electrolytes lost through sweat. Sports drinks also contain carbohydrates you may need to fuel performance. However, if you don’t need the extra carbohydrates, you may be racking up lots of unneeded calories that can lead to weight gain.

Calories by Drink
Drink size	Water	Sport drinks1	Non-diet energy drinks12	Non-diet soda pop1
20 oz.	0	142	275	250
24 oz.	0	170	330	300
34 oz.	0	242	468	425
64 oz.	0	454	880	800
1Approximate calories per type of drink; calories per serving vary by specific drinks. 2Energy drinks have approxi- mately twice the amount of caffeine of soda pop. Most sports drinks do not have caffeine because it leads to fluid loss and contributes to dehydration.

What should you eat?

Energy to fuel the body
Carbohydrates fuel your active body and come from a variety of foods. Choose whole-grain pasta, bread, rice and cereal; whole fruits and vegetables; and low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese. You need a variety of carbohydrate sources to fuel your body properly for top performance.

Protein to build muscle
The typical American diet provides plenty of protein to meet the needs of an active body. Eating excessive amounts of protein can be hard on the body and may lead to kidney problems and dehydration. Building muscle also depends on genes, training and consuming enough calories to meet the body’s needs for growth.

Calcium for bone health and muscle function
Getting adequate calcium is important for healthy bone growth and muscle function. Most teens do not get enough calcium. One serving of milk is 8 ounces of skim milk, 8 ounces of yogurt or 1½ ounces of cheese. Aim for three servings each day. If you like flavored milk, look for low-fat milk products. Some other sources of calcium are calcium-fortified orange juice, soymilk, cereals, beans, spinach, and canned salmon and sardines.

Eat for top performance

Individual calorie, carbohydrate, protein and fat needs will vary based on your age, gender and activity level.

Daily sample menu that meets recommendations for active teens

Breakfast

Water
2 slices of whole-wheat toast
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
8 ounces low-fat yogurt
8 ounces 1% milk
1 fresh apple

Lunch

Water
1 hamburger on bun with
lettuce and tomato slice
15 raw, baby carrots
8 ounces 1% milk
1 cup canned peaches

Snack

Water
3 cups light microwave popcorn
1 granola bar

Dinner

Water
1 6-inch turkey sub on whole wheat
1 small bag pretzels
2 cups mixed veggies

Snack Water

2 cups Cheerios
4 ounces 1% milk

Nutrient intake for daily menu
Total daily calories: 2,795
Carbohydrates: 55%, 1,536 calories or 384 grams (g)
Protein: 17%, 476 calories or 119 g
Fat: 28%, 783 calories or 87 g

To personalize your menu, visit MyPyramid.gov and enter your age, weight, height and activity level.

For more information, see:

www.ag.ndsu.edu/food
MyPyramid.gov

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FN-1356, March 2008