This article was written by NCSA College Recruiting’s newest partner: Go Pro Workouts by their Featured Expert Gio Grassi.
Most important meals of the day:
Breakfast (within 30 min. of waking)
Pre-workout/practice (30 min. – 60 min. prior to exercise)
Post-workout/practice (< 30 min. post-exercise – MOST IMPORTANT)
Increases glycogen storage
Carbohydrates are the re-fueling nutrient for all athletes to prepare for the next bout/training session
During a workout you’re tearing your muscles up, allow them to recover by providing your body with proper food or fluid within 30 minutes after a bout or training session.
Feed every 2-3 hours (5+ meals/day)
Stimulates metabolism
Balances blood sugar
Improves health, body composition, and performance
Stay hydrated, a loss of just 2% of body weight can lead to:
Increases in perceived exertion and central fatigue
A reduction in plasma volume
Decreases in sweat rate and cooling
A decrease in mental performance
A decrease in fine motor skills and precision
A decrease in endurance and work capacity
Water in Human Organs (Organ Percentage Water)
Eat 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables/day
Fruits and vegetables are alkaline, which reduce the loss of bone strength and muscle mass
Contain more fiber
Have a high micronutrient/macronutrient ratio
Better management of blood sugar
Sleep 8+ hours/day
Major growth hormones are released at this time which aid in recovery
Learn to train like a pro, like the author of this article by visiting our partner Go Pro Workouts. The author, Giovanni Grassi, is a sports performance specialist at the Parisi Speed School in Fair Lawn, N.J.
New to the recruiting process? See what college programs you might quality for by creating your free NCSA College Recruiting profile.