The end of summer signals many things: back to school ads, the return of pumpkin-flavored everything, and the ramp up to fall sports.

If you or your child is a student athlete, then you’re very familiar with the demands of juggling a practice schedule, game or competition schedule, school schedule, social schedule… and, of course, fitting in food.

With the variety of sports these days, it’s hard to make broad nutrition recommendations as each athlete will have a unique set of requirements and needs. A cross country runner, for example, is going to have very different nutritional needs and a completely different training schedule compared to a football linebacker. But one thing they have in common is that both athletes need sufficient nourishment from food.

Student athletes may not have time to sit down for a full meal, or they may have to eat on the go before or after practice and games.

In order to ensure you or your student athlete is adequately fueled for their sport, try to follow the following guidelines:

• Don’t skip breakfast — prioritize some protein and carbs first thing in the morning so you don’t get “behind” on your food intake later.
• Have a meal 2-4 hours prior to practice or competition to allow time for digestion. Snacks can be eaten up to 30 minutes before exercise, so long as they don’t cause stomach cramping or discomfort.
• Eat small meals or snacks throughout the day if there isn’t time for larger, sit-down meals — some ideas are cheese and crackers, yogurt with fruit, egg bites, a PB&J sandwich, turkey wrap bites, rice cakes with nut butter, fresh fruit, or veggies with hummus.
• Remember that exercise can either decrease or increase appetite; one athlete may be starving after practice while another may not feel hungry at all. Eating something small after exercise can help restore appetite.
• Always eat a protein-rich meal or snack after exercise — this helps kick start the recovery process, which is especially important for athletes with multiple games or athletic events in the same day.

If you or your child is struggling to meet nutritional fueling needs for sports, reach out to one of our nutritionists – we’d love to help support!