Top 5 Reasons to work with a Sports Dietitian as a High-School Athlete by Emily Richters Fasciana, MS RDN LDN, ERF Nutrition, LLC Sports Nutrition & Wellness
An Athletes Life
As a former high-school athlete I know it’s a lot to handle. You want to be the best athlete, while also fitting in, doing your homework, and somehow managing to fit in free-time. And that leaves no time to focus on when, where and what you'll be eating! This lifestyle gets busy and overwhelming.
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How Nutrition affects Athletes
What you are eating day in and day out can affect not only how you perform in your sport, but how you grow and learn. The zoning out, forgetful plays, slow moving body parts, can be affected by what you are feeding your body- or in regards to sports nutrition- how you are fueling your body. As a high-school athlete, you need to fuel for performance AND growth, which can be a challenge when you don’t even have time to even think about lunch or dinner on the regular!
Top 5 Reasons to work with a Sports Dietitian
1. You are growing and playing a sport
Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDN's) can work with you to determine your growing body needs and wants with the addition of sport performance. Skipping meals or not eating the right foods alone is detrimental to your overall health and wellness without sports involvement. Your bones may not grow properly. You may not have the ability to concentrate and do well in school to get the grades you want for the college you desire to attend. Making sure you are getting the minimum nutrients to fulfill your bodies daily needs is super important for your future health.
An RDN will help you learn to fuel your body with nutritious and fun foods so you can have the mental sharpness, speed, and agility you need, not just in the classroom, but for play too! Your bodies energy needs increase when you add strenuous activity that lasts longer than 60 minutes and a dietitian knows if you are meeting those needs.
2. Meal planning and preparation
Sports dietitians can play a big part in making sure you are planning and preparing your meals to provide balanced nutrition into your diet. They will make sure all food groups are being incorporated during the day. You will work on foods you can take in your bag to practices and games. Pre- and post-workout nutrition, timing and the foods incorporated during those times are planned and prepared as needed. Did I mention sports dietitian can help with your grocery list too?
Walking through a grocery store with your dietitian could be the best grocery trip of your life (seriously!).
3. Individuality
Everyone has different needs and wants, including food allergies, cultural preferences, and taste buds to name a few. Finding food you enjoy is a big part of what gets experimented with during your sport and even between seasons. Working with a sports dietitian can help you determine if a favorite food gives you energy and nutrients for your body to grow well and have fuel for your performance. Schedules with school, practice, games or tournaments are very individual and part of the process of working with an RDN.
4. Preventing Injuries (or Recovering from an Injury)
Expanding on the first reason of growth and playing a sport, being able to prevent injuries comes with making sure you are getting the right nutrients. Bone mass continues to be built until around 30 years old, so we want to make sure an athletes body is getting the right nutrients in the right amounts to continue to grow strong. As one is physically active, their muscles, tendons, cartilage, bone, amongst many others, will have turnover, and thus, need to be replenished more frequently than someone who does not play a sport at a competitive level. If you are recovering from an injury, specific nutrients will improve and strengthen damaged areas and an RDN can ensure during this time that the athlete is getting enough in their diet to help the healing process.
5. Living a Healthy Life
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists may be seen more as the food police, but they are far from that! They are the food and nutrition experts who can determine where nutrients are missing in your diet and how to add those nutrients, not take them away from you. Apart from nutritionists and health coaches, RDN's have an in-depth and higher degree of education including a clinical dietetic internship and registration examination. This allows registered dietitian nutritionists to use medical nutrition therapy that includes review of medical diagnosis, lab results, food allergies, and gastrointestinal diseases or concerns (such as lactose intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome) among many other medical conditions. Using medical nutrition therapy helps with determining goals for the client or patient. This in-depth medical approach to care can provide athletes with the nutrition goals, knowledge and implementation they need not only for a healthy, fueling sports career, but a healthy life.
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How do I work with a Sports Dietitian?
Having a sports dietitian on your side during your most difficult years is going to save you time, avoid confusion which could result in nutrient deficiencies or other medical problems or injuries, and ensure you are fueled properly for optimal performance and your body is growing appropriately.
Emily Richters Fasciana, LLC Sports Nutrition & Wellness offers the following virtual Sports Nutrition Packages:
- On-the-Go Package
- Beginner Athlete
- Skilled Athlete
- Elite Athlete
- Individual Sessions
- Team Talks
- Booster Club/Church/Group Presentations
- Workshops
- Cooking Demonstrations
Not sure which may be the right fit for you?
Schedule a 15-minute FREE, no obligation Warm-Up Call with Emily!
For additional information:
ERF NUTRITION
Emily Richters Fasciana, MS RDN LDN
Website: https://www.erfnutrition.com/services
Telephone: 484-352-3906
Email: erfnutrition@gmail.com
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*Information provided does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to assist in the diagnosis, treatment or alleviation of any medical condition. Persons seeking to address a medical condition should consult with a qualified medical professional. Emily Richters Fasciana LLC will not be liable for any damages, losses, injury or liability suffered as a result of reliance on the information provided on this website.
