Sports Performance Nutrition
Q&A with Blaire Wolski, University of Florida Performance Dietitian
An important but often overlooked aspect of player development is performance nutrition. With the current athletic climate, we were able to catch up with University of Florida Performance Dietitian, Blaire Wolski.
Q: Why don't you start by telling us a little about yourself and your background. I appreciate you thinking about me to provide some nutrition education and tips for Cap City Athletic! I wanted to introduce myself briefly to those who may be reading. My name is Blaire Wolski, MS RD and I am currently a Performance Dietitian at the University of Florida (UF); I have been in this role for 2 years and work specifically with gymnastics, swim & dive, golf, and track. Previously, I received my masters from Kansas State University, while working as a Sports Dietitian with soccer, baseball, golf, and track. So, I have a few years of knowledge and experience with a variety of teams under my belt from across the Power 5 Conferences in D1 athletics. However, this journey all started at Michigan State University (MSU), where I played on MSU Women’s Club Soccer team for 4 years, including the 2012 National Championship team. Go Spartans! Soccer has been near and dear to me since childhood, and I am always excited to help along the next generation of passionate players!
Q: I think most parents have a good handle on proper basic nutrition. Why is important that we educate players/athletes and their parents and coaches about athlete or performance-specific nutrition? There are many factors that drive training and performance – physiological, psychological, social, emotional, environmental, etc. but nutrition is a very important factor. Nutrition is a piece of the puzzle that links directly with areas of sleep, hygiene, hydration practices, growth and development, injury prevention and recovery, immune function, energy availability, and mental health. All of which can directly impact sport and performance and overall health. I educate my athletes based on a quote that I’ve stumbled upon “Nutrition can make a good athlete great, or a great athlete good” (unknown). I tell them to treat their bodies like the most important machine that they will ever operate, and in order to operate efficiently, it needs to be fueled correctly.
Q: Could you outline some differences in the nutritional needs of in-season and out-of-season? The difference between in-season and out-of-season fueling is a very important distinction to make because training periodization changes. Generally speaking, when the training load decreases, the intake should decrease. Athletes should start by making small changes, like substituting chips/cookies with a piece of fruit or a nutrient-dense snack or reducing the portion of or eliminating a snack.
In the college setting, the off-season is when a dietitian would work closely with an individual athlete on any weight-based goals or with the team on nutrition education and lifestyle habits. In the youth sports setting, the adolescent athlete needs to maintain proper nutrition practices (consume enough calories) to sustain growth and development. In this case, I always preach mindfulness and intent when choosing foods to consume. I would recommend focusing more on the “what” vs. “how much” and trying to establish and trust hunger cues!
Q: Talk about pre-event nutrition? Are pasta parties or "Carb loading" necessary the night before an event? Carbohydrates are necessary to consume prior to an event, but newer research is emerging on the traditional “carb load.” It is recommended to start consuming a higher carbohydrate diet 3-4 days prior to a competition to maximize glycogen stores. Best carbohydrate choices include:
- Vegetables (a variety of colors and types; starchy vegetables include corn, peas, and potatoes)
- Fruit
- Legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- Whole grains (whole oats, quinoa, and brown rice)
Q: What about game day nutrition? We don't have much control over our schedules so could you touch on any difference in morning, afternoon, or evening games? My first piece of advice would be to wake the athlete up in the morning for breakfast, regardless of game time. Breakfast serves many purposes in the morning – athletes are coming off of a fasting state during sleep, so food will kickstart metabolism, fill up an empty fuel tank, and top of glycogen stores used during performance. It will also promote brain function so athletes can focus on the game and task at hand. Hydration would be my next focus! Consume fluids with all meals and carry a water bottle around throughout the day. Water is best for hydration, but a sports drink (G2 or Gatorade Zero) may be beneficial in hot, humid temperatures or if your athlete is a heavy sweater. Recommendation: drink 16 oz. 2-3 hours prior to competition/workout, drink 8 oz. 10-20 mins prior to competition & drink 4 oz. every 10-20 mins during activity (as able).
Best practice would be starting with breakfast and then consuming a meal or snack every 3-4 hours. Ideally, the pre-game meal will be 3-4 hours prior to game time. Due to the unpredictable game schedule, I would recommend keeping simple, shelf-stable nutrient-dense snacks on hand (i.e. granola bars, pb&j’s, fruit, trail mix, and tuna packets to name a few) and research the area when on the road for quality food options ahead of time! If able, I would avoid fried foods because they can cause inflammation and GI distress.
Q: And what about recovery and post-game? Recovery is one of my favorite topics because it is SO impactful. My first recommendation is to consume a quality protein source within an hour after competition or practice; this is your post/recovery meal. I would recommend a meal over any protein supplements because of the added nutrients consumed within a meal. A recovery meal should contain a source of protein to promote muscle protein synthesis for muscle building and recovery, a source of quality carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores, and lots of colors – fruits and veggies will provide vitamins and minerals to support bone health and immune function. Next, for adolescent athletes, I would also recommend a dairy source for the calcium content, again to promote and facilitate bone growth and health. Lastly, again hydration is so important. At this time, an athlete needs to replenish any fluid losses from competition. The general rule of hydration is ½ your body weight (lbs.) in ounces each day; however, you then need to allow for sweat losses.
Q: As we continue to see all of the various types of "diets" out there from vegetarian and/or vegan to ketogenic, can you touch on those as they relate to or impact young athletes? In my opinion, I would deter any young athletes from following any particular “diet” unless for medical necessity or religious purposes. Diet has a negative connotation in society and leads down a slippery slope to distorted body image and mental health concerns. Young athletes are so impressionable, and I think it is important to promote the idea of healthy lifestyles and consistent fueling.
Q: Understanding that parents have extremely tight/busy schedules, do you have any tips to help them while "on the go"? First of all, I admire all of the parents who take time out of their day to cart kids around, cook family meals, work full time or stay at home to nurture the family! Parenting is a hard job and it is not one size fits all. My biggest advice would be to find something that fits your routine – this increases the success of its application. Some ideas include meal prepping for a few days, researching recipes and building a grocery store list, determining meal menus ahead of time, ordering groceries online for pickup/delivery, or using a delivery meal service. Get your children involved with meal preparation as they are able, give them ownership and responsibility for packing their own snacks and lunches. Finally, utilize frozen and canned foods as needed for those times when you just need a break from the planning and preparation!
Q: Do you have any resources that we can point our parents to for help? Guides, recipes, technology? The following are reputable resources for Sports Performance nutrition education:
- Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitian Association (CPSDA) has several infographics on their website - https://www.sportsrd.org/downloadable-resources/
- United States Olympic Committee - https://www.teamusa.org/nutrition
- Gatorade Sports Science Institute - https://www.gssiweb.org/en/education-resources/All
- Gatorade - https://performancepartner.gatorade.com/athlete-tools/nutrition
Additionally, if your child is interested in playing collegiately, I would recommend searching the school’s sports nutrition department on social media, if available. For example, @mgofuel, @spartan_fuel, @longhornfuel, @lsunutrition, @uncsportsnutrition, and @tcufrogfuel are among some great accounts on Instagram.
For recipes, I find that the number of resources can be overwhelming so I choose one source (i.e. tasty website, food blogger,
allrecipes.com, recipe book, etc.) to work from. My goal is to try and find 2-3 new recipes to try each month. Currently, my favorite place to find recipes is
https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/category/main-dishes/ Others include:
https://www.skinnytaste.com/ https://gimmedelicious.com/recipes/ https://tasty.co/