4. Never Eat Between Meals
Speaking of consistent eating, “Oh, I’m hungry all the time” is a common sentiment among clients of Nancy Clark, RD, CSSD, a sports nutritionist in private practice and author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guide. “It’s probably because they’re hungry all the time,” Clark says.
That’s why it’s so important to eat often as well as consider calories.
People who are highly active should eat every three to four hours, while some athletes eat five to seven times a day, Clark says.
Clark says he’s found that a four-meal schedule works for many active individuals. If you have a day job and train after work, he recommends eating breakfast around 8 a.m., lunch, a second lunch around 3:30 or 4 p.m., before a workout around 5:30 p.m., and then dinner.
For morning trainers, he recommends eating a light breakfast before a workout, then eating the rest of breakfast, an early lunch around 11 a.m., a later lunch at 3 p.m., and then dinner. He doesn’t call the fourth meal a snack because he thinks that word might involve too much self-judgment.
5. Don’t Eat Before Bed
Athletes may also want to try ignoring the old adage about not eating before bed, says Max Deutz, a predoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois at Champaign who studies nutrition and exercise performance. Deutz says research on this question is ongoing in his lab, but he believes that eating a small piece of protein (a glass of milk, cottage cheese, or yogurt) before bed may help muscle recovery.
6. Reduce Salt Consumption
However, if you sweat a lot, you may need extra salt in your diet. Moody says insufficient sodium can cause cramps and contribute to dehydration.
Depending on how damp your clothes are post-workout can help you gauge how much sweat you lose during exercise. If your clothes have a white color, you may be a salty sweater.
“Some runners or elite athletes who go out for long runs may notice that they can see and even taste the salt on their clothing, especially during the summer months,” Deutz says. “It appears as white.”
Deutz adds that college or professional athletes can use a variety of other tools or approaches to measure sweat loss, from wearable sweat loss meters to weighing before and after exercise.
Moody says that athletes who train at high altitudes in sweltering weather may lose more salt due to excessive sweating during training.
If this sounds like you, taking in about 500 milligrams of sodium an hour before exercise can increase hydration levels, Clark says, and sports drinks with electrolytes can help with this during prolonged exercise.
For non-elite athletes, there’s probably no need to deviate from this advice: “As long as you’re out there sweating for more than three hours, it’s usually not a problem,” says Clark.
7. Eat Only Unprocessed Foods, Not Supplements
Smith-Ryan, like most nutritionists, emphasizes the need to eat “real” or unprocessed foods as often as possible. But sometimes, especially for a person who engages in intense physical activity, natural foods may not be enough and supplements may be helpful.
Many supplements aren’t worth the money, but some are essential for athletes, especially those containing protein, vitamin D, iron and omega-3 fatty acids, Smith-Ryan says.
Talk to a registered dietitian nutritionist certified in sports dietetics to determine what supplements, if any, may benefit you.
8. Plant-Based Milk is Better Than Cow’s Milk
Plant-based milks are popular and often gain a health halo. But Moody and some other dietitians aren’t fans of these cow’s milk alternatives for athletes.
“If we neglect any of these nutrients, there will be consequences,” says Deutz.
“Milk is a very complete protein, and skim milk provides all the macronutrients together, not to mention fat and carbohydrates,” says Deutz.
This doesn’t mean you can’t go vegan or vegetarian if you want to run a marathon, Moody says. But if you’re considering following a plant-based diet and participating in serious athletic activities, she recommends working with a registered dietitian nutritionist who is a certified expert in sports dietetics to make sure your dietary needs are met.