Sports Nutrition
Eating well to fuel your body is an important part of training and competing. Individual nutrition counseling can help you maximize health and performance.
Individual nutrition counseling appointments are free to UNH students who have paid the Health Services Fee. All appointments are with Maria Larkin, R.D., L.D., or a graduate intern.
Sessions are designed to meet the specific nutrient needs of each athlete:
Topics typically discussed include:
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Wildcat Athletics Nutrition Game Plan Newsletter
Related Educational Information on Sports Nutrition and Fitness
- Food Guide Pyramid for Athletes
For optimal athletic performance, follow guidelines for a healthy diet in a food pyramid designed especially for athletes. - Are Muscle Spasms Cramping Your Style?
Muscle spasms often occur during or after prolonged exercise, but they can be treated with the right amount water, food and nutrients. - A Plan for Gaining Muscle
Strength training and eating well are the keys to gaining muscle. - Energy Bars
Energy bars are popular because they are easy to grab, carry and eat on the go. But which energy bar meets your nutrition and performance needs? - Finding Your Balance
Being an athlete in college requires the ability to balance athletics, academics and self-care. - Is Your Supplement Effective?
Knowing what supplements are effective and safe is important to collegiate athletes and those who like to work out regularly in their free time. - Eat to Compete, Maximize Performance
What you eat during and after the game is essential to performing you best. - Exercise for a Healthy Heart
Staying motivated and committed to an exercise program is essential to having a healthy heart. - Smashing the Myths of Sports Drinks
What you need to know about sports drinks and how to make your own? - Sports Nutrition Top Ten
Top 10 tips to eat well and perform your best. - Eat Smart for Morning Exercise
Eating before a workout performs two important functions: Your muscles receive a supply of needed energy for your workout and your body and brain get fuel and nutrients needed for daily living. - Nutrition Handouts
Pre-Exercise Meal and Snacks – Why Eat Anything?
The Athlete's Kitchen by Nancy Clark
Nancy Clark is an internationally known nutrition author and sports nutritionist trusted by many top athletes. She is a registered dietitian (RD) who specializes in nutrition for exercise and health and counsels casual exercisers and competitive athletes. Each month she publishes a newsletter called The Athlete's Kitchen.
May 2008 - The Beat Goes On: Heart Health and Nutrition
Although exercise is one of the best ways to improve heart health, even athletes are not immune from heart disease. To address the topic of heart disease among active people, the Sports and Cardiovascular Nutrition practice group of the American Dietetic Association featured heart health as the theme of their annual convention (April 2008, Boston). The following bits of information from that conference might inspire you eat wisely to keep your heart beating for a long and healthful lifetime. Read more...
April 2008 - Alcohol, Athletes & Pressure to Drink
College athletes are more likely to drink than non-athletes. Ask any coach or college athletic director, and you'll hear concern about alcohol and athletes. Alcohol abuse is rampant, as are negative consequences. Yet, tailgating before football games, quenching thirst at the pub after a team workout, and celebrating victories with champagne is perceived as the norm and gets perpetuated generation to generation. What can be done about this problem? Read more...
March 2008 - Athletes with Eating Disorders: Tips for Coaches, Family & Friends
Eating disorders can be devastating not only teams but also to families. Coaches and parents alike want their athletes to eat well and be healthy. The struggling athletes just want people to stop policing their eating and exercise. The athletes have difficulty talking about why they struggle with food; they instead communicate unhappiness by starving or stuffing their bodies. This distracts them from the pain of feeling "not good enough" and other hard feelings. Unfortunately, too many athletes struggle with food issues. Read more...
February 2008 – Do I Need So Many Vitamin Pills?
Question to Nancy: I am a 24 year old grad student who runs 6 miles a day. I take many, many vitamins each day, and am wondering if this is all a big hoax. I follow what books and doctors have told me along the way and am just trying to maintain my health. The pills are not only a hassle to take but are also expensive. Do I really need all of these? Read Nancy's response...
January 2008 – Strategies to Eat Better
More often than not, athletes ask me "What is a well balanced diet? What should I be eating to help me perform at my best?" They feel overwhelmed by the seemingly endless list of nutrition don'ts. If you want to eat better but don't know where to start, here's a nutrition strategy that can help you fuel your body with a well balanced sports diet. Read more...
December 2007 – Nutrition Confusion
Confused about what to eat? You are not the only one! Even I get frustrated with the changing landscape. One week medical reporters tout the benefits of taking a vitamin, and then the next week, they tell us it does no good. One week, the message is don't eat eggs; another week, eggs are OK. Aarrrgh! To help resolve some of this confusion, the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy gathered experts to speak at a conference held in Boston (Oct. 2007). Here are some highlights about nutrition confusion that might be of interest to you. Read more...
November 2007 - Winning Nutrition Books: Good Gifts for Good Health
Each year brings a holiday season filled with athletes searching for the "perfect gift" for a friend, relative, or teammate. To make your shopping easier, I'm sharing a list of winning book suggestions for active people. Read more...
October 2007 - Weight Reduction Tips from the American Dietetic Association
As an athlete, you are likely lean and fit. But with more than 60% of Americans being overweight or obese, you undoubtedly know someone who struggles with how to shed undesired body fat. At the American Dietetic Association's annual convention (October '07, Philadelphia), nutrition researchers presented alternatives to the standard "eat less and exercise more" diet advice. Here's some food for thought on non-dieting ways to tackle weight problems. Read more...
September 2007 – Protein: Pros, Cons, and Confusion
Athletes who want to build muscles and recover well from workouts often feel confused by ads for protein supplements. They wonder how much and what kinds of protein they should consume—and if egg whites or chicken can do the job. The following information can help you optimize your protein intake—and your peace of mind. Read more...
August 2007 – Nutrition Web Sites for Athletes
Whether you want to analyze your sports diet, get an answer to your questions about creatine, or find a new recipe for chicken, you can get an amazing amount of high quality food, nutrition and health information on the Web. The trick is finding out what's quality information and what's hokum? Read more...
July 2007 - 2007 Sports Nutrition News from ACSM
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is the nation's largest group of exercise scientists, sports medicine and sports nutrition professionals. Each year at the ACSM annual meeting, these experts present their latest research. Here's a small sample of the sports nutrition news for 2007. Read more...
May 2007 - Carbs: Quick, Slow, or Confusing?
Once upon a time, carbohydrates were referred to as simple or complex, sugars or starches. Today, the classification is more complicated; carbs are often ranked as quicker slow in a very complex system called the glycemic index. Read more...
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