Participating in sports requires a great deal of energy, and healthy food is the best source of fuel. Whether you’re a color guard performer, a baton twirler or a football player, certain foods can help you prepare for the big day. As the game approaches, consider smaller meals packed with nutrients. The following foods can help you improve your overall athletic performance: Protein When some people hear “protein,” they picture huge plates of processed meats like bacon and burgers. Some sources of protein are better than others. These healthy protein sources will benefit you as gameday approaches: Eggs Greek yogurt Lean meat like chicken breast Fish Hummus / chickpeas Healthy Fats Fats in foods have a reputation for negative health outcomes. However, healthy fats create much-needed, sustained energy. To perform at your peak, consider the following sources of healthy fats: Avocado Peanut butter (watch out for sugar content) Nuts Olive oil Flaxseed Carbohydrates There’s a trend going on in the diet world of eliminating carbohydrates altogether. This may be great for losing weight (and gaining it back again), but it doesn’t help with athletic performance. You may want to skip the white bread and white rice, but these carbohydrate sources can be beneficial: Brown rice Sweet potatoes Quinoa Oatmeal Fruit Hydration Drink plenty of water. You should drink at least an ounce of water for every minute of high-intensity exercise and two cups prior to exercising or practicing. Sports drinks can help replenish electrolytes, but you’ll want to look at the sugar content. Coconut water and fruit juice are other potential sources of electrolytes with less sugar than sports drinks. Eating the right foods is a great way to fuel sports performance. Star Line Baton offers high quality products for color guard, baton twirling, praise dance and more. If you have any questions or need more information, call us at 931-528-7829.

Posted: 10/15/2021