The Power of Food: Why Athletes’ Nutrition Needs to be Different from the Average Health Plan

Athletes operate at a level that goes far beyond the everyday demands of fitness or basic health. For them, food is not just fuel—it's a strategic tool that can elevate their performance, sustain endurance, and speed up recovery. While common dietary advice revolves around eating balanced meals with a focus on fiber, protein, and vegetables, the dietary needs of athletes are vastly different. As they push their bodies to the limit, the typical "healthy eating" guidelines simply aren’t enough. Understanding these differences can help anyone, from seasoned athletes to recreational fitness enthusiasts, optimize their nutrition for better performance and overall health.

Why Athletes Need More Carbs: The Role of Glucose in Performance

When it comes to fueling the body for intense physical activity, carbohydrates emerge as one of the most critical macronutrients. While protein often steals the spotlight in the health and wellness world, athletes—especially those involved in endurance sports—rely heavily on carbohydrates for sustained energy.

Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, the body’s primary energy source during high-intensity workouts. Glucose is stored in muscles and the liver as glycogen, which athletes tap into during long training sessions or competitions. For endurance events such as marathons, triathlons, or cycling, the body requires vast amounts of glucose to avoid fatigue and maintain performance over time.

For a female athlete weighing 140 pounds and training for a marathon, the carbohydrate intake should range between 382–636 grams per day during peak training. This intake is significantly higher than the average person's carb needs, underscoring the importance of proper fueling for peak performance. Foods like pasta, rice, and potatoes—often demonized in mainstream diets—become essential components of an athlete's nutrition regimen. As registered dietitian Stevie Smith, M.S., RDN, CSSD, CDN, emphasizes, the more intense the training, the more carbs the athlete needs to replenish muscle glycogen stores and ensure effective recovery.

Quick-Digesting Carbs: The Unsung Hero of Performance Nutrition

The world of sports nutrition isn’t always about whole foods or "clean" eating. During workouts, quick-digesting carbohydrates—those that are primarily sugar-based—are the ideal fuel for athletes.

In sports like gymnastics, tennis, and running, intense training sessions can last several hours. During this time, the body's ability to digest food efficiently is compromised due to reduced blood flow to the stomach. This makes it essential for athletes to rely on quick-digesting carbs, such as fruit snacks, sports drinks, or even gummies, which provide immediate energy without taxing the digestive system.

Christina Anderson, M.S., RDN, CSSD, CSP, explains that high-intensity sports require athletes to refuel every 1.5 to 2 hours during long practices. Although many people consider foods like sports drinks or gummy candies to be "unhealthy," they serve a specific purpose in sports nutrition: providing fast-digesting energy that helps athletes sustain peak performance. Ignoring the need for such fuel can lead to poor performance and energy crashes, making it clear that in the world of sports, timing is everything.

Balanced Eating vs. Clean Eating: Why Moderation is Key

When it comes to nutrition for athletes, it's important to distinguish between "clean eating" and "balanced eating." While clean eating emphasizes eliminating processed foods and sticking to whole, natural ingredients, balanced eating is about ensuring the body receives the proper fuel at the right times.

Athletes need to strike a delicate balance between their food choices—neither overindulging in highly processed foods nor completely restricting them. Anderson suggests that athletes can absolutely enjoy treats, including candies or desserts, without guilt. The key is moderation and ensuring that these foods don't crowd out the necessary macronutrients that the body requires for training and recovery.

Rather than adhering strictly to the "good food vs. bad food" narrative, athletes should focus on creating a healthy relationship with food, where treats are seen as part of a balanced lifestyle rather than a forbidden indulgence. This perspective not only supports physical health but also fosters mental well-being, preventing issues like disordered eating or food guilt that can arise from overly restrictive diets.

The Surprising Truth About Vegetables: Why Overloading on Veggies Can Backfire

While vegetables are undoubtedly nutritious, athletes may not always need to fill up their plates with them at every meal. In fact, consuming large amounts of vegetables can leave little room for the carbohydrates and protein needed for optimal performance and recovery.

Smith advises that athletes should aim to fill just one-third to one-quarter of their plate with vegetables, especially on training days. By prioritizing carb-rich foods like grains and starches, athletes can ensure they get the necessary energy for their workouts without feeling overly full or sluggish. Though vegetables should still be part of the diet, they should not be the main focus when an athlete’s energy needs require more substantial fuel sources.

Breaking Free from Calorie Counting and Macro Obsession

In the world of fitness, it's easy to get caught up in tracking every calorie and macro. However, for athletes, this approach can often backfire. Rigidly counting calories or obsessing over macros can lead to underfueling, over-restriction, or even disordered eating habits—issues that can negatively impact health and performance.

Instead, athletes should focus on listening to their bodies and fueling according to their activity level and energy demands. Smith notes that many of her clients have come to her after obsessively tracking macros, only to find themselves feeling underfed and experiencing poor health outcomes. Rather than focusing on perfect numbers, athletes should work with nutrition experts to tailor their diet to their specific training schedule and performance goals. This personalized approach ensures that athletes are eating enough to fuel their workouts and recover effectively, without creating unnecessary stress or guilt around food.

The Impact of Underfueling: Why Energy Availability is Crucial

Perhaps one of the most important takeaways from the expert advice shared by Smith and Anderson is the concept of energy availability. Athletes, especially those in high-endurance sports, are at risk of underfueling—eating too little to meet the demands of both their training and recovery.

Underfueling can lead to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), a condition that affects a significant number of elite athletes and recreational sports enthusiasts alike. REDs can lead to a variety of issues, from increased risk of injury and bone-related problems to poor recovery and compromised performance.

As endurance sports grow in popularity, particularly among adults new to fitness, understanding energy needs becomes paramount. Athletes must match their nutrition with the stress and strain they place on their bodies through training and competition. Ensuring that meals and snacks provide enough energy is crucial to maintaining health and performance, and a diet that is low in carbohydrates or calories can lead to long-term negative outcomes.

Conclusion: The Need for a Personalized Approach to Athlete Nutrition

The nutrition advice tailored for athletes is contextual and personalized—there is no one-size-fits-all approach. For athletes, the right kind of food—carbs, quick-digesting sugars, balanced meals, and sufficient calories—is integral to both short-term performance and long-term health.

By understanding the unique needs of an athlete’s body, we can better appreciate how food functions not just as fuel, but as a strategic tool to maximize performance, recovery, and overall well-being. Whether you’re an elite competitor or a weekend warrior, approaching nutrition with an open mind and a flexible mindset will help you achieve your best physical and mental state.