Athletes, coaches, and even sport psychology consultants sometimes focus so narrowly on developing physical or mental skills only to realize they’ve overlooked a major problem interfering with sport performance – the lack of adequate nutrition. This sometimes seems surprising if a common implicit bias is operating – that athletes look fit and healthy, therefore they are. Physically and behaviorally, athletes can actually be undernourished. How widespread of a problem is this?
One study found that 91% of female college athletes failed to get adequate energy intake from food, the majority skipped breakfast, and only 16% monitored their hydration1. Athletes are also at a higher risk of eating disorders2, particularly in lean sports, those in which athletes believe that weight impacts performance, whether or not it actually does. Dieting can also increase the risk of eating disorders. Not only does the lack of energy impact performance, but efforts to improve performance without addressing eating first may prove fruitless.
Depending on the sport, athletes may need a much larger amount of calories than they realize. Michael Phelps reportedly used to consume 12,000 calories a day, but he later reported the true amount was lower. His revised amount was still something between 8,000-10,000 calories.
Working with a registered dietician or practicing principles of intuitive eating can help athletes make sure they avoid energy deficiency, giving them energy to perform, focus, think clearly, and make the best decisions. Only after this are athletes likely to profit the most from physical and mental skills training. Use these links to find a registered dietician, learn about intuitive eating, or learn more about eating disorders.
References
1Shriver, L. H., Betts, N. M., & Wollenberg, G. (2013). Dietary intakes and eating habits of college athletes: are female college athletes following the current sports nutrition standards? Journal of American College Health, 61(1), 10-16.
2Sundgot-Borgen, J., & Torstveit, M. K. (2004). Prevalence of eating disorders in elite athletes is higher than in the general population. Clinical journal of sport medicine, 14(1), 25-32.
