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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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? - Energy Drinks
Red Bull, Cocaine, Full Throttle, RockStar, Blak, Monster... Hype or Harm?
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.
June 2011 - The power of exercise and Nutrition for injuries
“Exercise is better than medicine” We know that exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers, dementia, and other diseases of aging. Unfortunately, part of living an active lifestyle seems to entail being injured; no fun. Athletes with injuries should pay attention to their diet. If they are petrified of gaining weight, they may severely restrict their food intake. Injuries heal best with proper nourishment. Read More...
May 2011 – For Athletes with Food Cravings and "Sugar Addictions"
"If I crave a candy bar, should I eat a candy bar?" That’s the title of one of my most popular blog posts! Clearly, food cravings and sugar addictions are a source of concern and frustration for many athletes who believe that eating one chocolate bar (or whatever food they crave) will lead to eating ten of them, expand their waistlines, and ruin their health. Read More...
April 2011- Carbs, Proteins, and Performance
What percentage of my diet should come from carbohydrates? … Should I exercise on empty? ... How much protein should I eat after I lift weights? ... Is whey the best source of protein? Read More...
March 2011- When Food Has Too Much Power
This article can help food-obsessed athletes take a step towards transforming their food fears into peaceful fueling patterns and better quality of life. Read More...
February 2011- Dreaded Diarrhea: A Stinky Topic
Some athletes call it runners’ trots; others call it diarrhea. Whatever the name, few athletes openly discuss the topic yet many secretly suffer. Read More...
December 2010- News from the American Dietetic Association
The American Dietetic Association (the nation’s largest group of food and nutrition professionals) recently convened in Boston (Nov., 2010). The following are just a few of the highlights from that meeting. Perhaps the information will help you enjoy a high energy, high quality, health-promoting sports diet. Read more...
November 2010- Commercial Sports Foods: A Source of Confusion?
Have you have ever wondered which is the best sports drink, energy bar, or gel? The answer is the best choice is the product that pleases your taste buds and settles well in your stomach. You simply need to experiment to determine which products (if any) work best for your body. Read more...
October 2010 –Sports Snacks: Food Suggestions for Fueling Hungry Athletes
What should I eat before I exercise?” That’s a key question—as well as what to eat during extended exercise—that athletes commonly ask me, a sport nutritionist. While they know the words carbs, proteins and fats, they often don't know how to translate those words into food choices. Hence, the goal of this article is to offer specific food suggestions to fit a variety of sports situations. This is far from a complete list! Please be sure to experiment with new pre- and during-exercise foods to learn which ones settle best in your gut, don’t “talk back” and enhance your performance.Read more…
September 2010 –Training for Competitions
Athletes of all sports and abilities commonly ask me what they should eat before, during and after a competitive event. Read more…
August 2010 - Undesired Sideliners: Side Stitches and Runner’s Trots
Transit troubles and gastrointestinal (GI) concerns are common among athletes, particularly those who run and jostle their intestines. If you are among the many active people who fear side stitches, loose stools, and GI distress, keep reading. The goal of this article is to offer some information and advice that can help you manage, if not reduce, your transit troubles. Read more…
July 2010 - 2010 Sports Nutrition News from the American College of Sports Medicine
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is the world’s largest sports medicine and exercise science organization. At ACSM's annual meeting in Baltimore, June 1-5, 2010, over 6,000 exercise scientists, sports dietitians, physicians and health professionals gathered to share their research. Here are a few of the nutrition highlights. Read more…
June 2010 - Chocolate: Is It a “Health Food”?
“Chocolate! I try to stay away from it!!!” commented my client, a runner who described herself as having a rampant sweet tooth. For her, chocolate fits into the categories of junk food, guilty pleasure and ruiner of good intentions to lose weight. Yet, she also recognized there is potentially a happier side of the story. Ads for (dark) chocolate suggest chocolate is good for us. Chocolate comes from plants and contains the same health-protective compounds that are found in fruits and vegetables. Read more…
March 2010 – Figuring Out Your Sports Diet: Tips for Label Readers
If you are like many active people, you feel totally confused
about what to eat. You listen to a plethora of nutrition
experts, read food labels, and then try to piece the information
together to build a better sports diet. Yet, you end up
with lots of questions, like what percent of calories should
come from carbs, protein and fat: 40-30-30% or 60-15-25%? Read more...
February 2010 – Dieting Gone Awry: When Food Is Foe
Too many athletes are at war with food and their bodies. In their quest to attain the “perfect body” that is leaner, lighter and presumably faster and better, they have developed atypical eating patterns that are far from peaceful. As one client reported, “I'm trying so hard to lose five pounds but I'm getting nowhere. In fact, I'm even gaining weight. I'm “good” at breakfast and lunch, but after I get home from the gym at night, I end up devouring everything in sight. On weekends, my eating is even crazier.” Sound familiar? Read More...
