Professional Development

NFHS: Sports Nutrition

Notes by Coach JB

Justin Matthew Brandt

CoachJustinBrandt@gmail.com
215-817-8565
CoachJB.weebly.com
NFHS: Sports Nutrition
Objectives
Highlight nutrition key points to help improve physical performance.
Emphasize the importance of proper fueling for physical activity, pre and
post workout.
Provide real-world effective advice for helping your students to make better
food decisions.
Underscore male and female-specific issues surrounding the topic of
nutrition.
Clarify the warning signs for eating disorders and disordered eating

Unit 1 General Nutrition

Nutrition Conversation Check List
o Stay hydrated
Students should drink enough fluids so that they are not losing
more than 2% of their body weight during activity
To figure out the proper amount of water needed on a daily
basis take your body weight and multiple it by .65
Athletes need an additional 24oz of water for every 30 minutes
of exercise
o Fuel up before training
Focus on eating lean proteins, fruits and vegetables and whole
grains to ensure the body is prepared for training.
Emphasize the importance of not going into a training session
with an empty fuel tank.
Eat a meal 3-4 hours before practice or competition and an
easily digestible snack 60-90 minutes before activity.
o Limit Fats
Eating a diet high in saturated or trans fats is unhealthy and
may limit athletic capacity.
These types of fat are found in higher fat dairy products, meats,
fried food and processed foods/snacks.
Choose primarily unsaturated fats such as olives, avocados,
nuts, seeds and salmon.

Justin Matthew Brandt

CoachJustinBrandt@gmail.com
215-817-8565
CoachJB.weebly.com
Unit 1 General Nutrition (continued)
Nutrition Conversation Check List
o Eat to recover
To help the body recover faster, choose carbohydrate-rich
foods with some protein within 30 min of finishing a training
session or competition (e.g., chocolate milk, protein bar/shake)
o Limit the use of pre-packaged sports nutrition foods as a supplement
to a healthy whole food diet
Carbs used to fuel the muscle.
o Should make up the majority of the athletes diet
o Whole grains, rice, pasta, fruits, vegetables
Proteins used to rebuild the muscle tissue.
o Does not HAVE TO be from animal products
o Most athletes will need 0.5-1g per pound of body weight
Pre-Workout Meal
o Should be high in complex carbohydrates
o Small in lean protein
o Minimal in fat
Team Tip
o Have team leaders organize pre-game meals for the whole team
o Have high-energy foods such as breads, cereals, rice, fruits and
vegetables
o Have lean high-quality sources of protein (chicken, turkey, low-fat
yogurt).
o Students should fill 2/3 of their plates with high-carbohydrate options.
In general
o Should be consumed 3-4 hours before an event, while lighter meals
and snacks may be consumed 1-2 hours before the event.
Post-Workout Fuel
o Replenish glycogen
o Decrease muscle breakdown
o Promote muscle protein synthesis
o Re-hydrate the body

Justin Matthew Brandt

CoachJustinBrandt@gmail.com
215-817-8565
CoachJB.weebly.com
Unit 1 General Nutrition (continued)
Post-Workout Fuel
o Have parents provide snacks, protein shakes and sports drinks
Great recovery foods:
Granola
Energy or Protein Bars
Bagels with Peanut Butter
Sub Sandwiches with Lean Meats, like Chicken and
Turkey
Crackers and Cheese

Unit 2 Changing Eating Habits

Three Ways to Change Eating Habits
o Get Support
Set team goals
Get support from athletic director, assistant coaches,
PARENTS and teachers
o Get Real
Suggestions should be relevant and applicable
o Get Specific
Give options of specific guidelines, dont just say healthy this or
healthy that.

Justin Matthew Brandt

CoachJustinBrandt@gmail.com
215-817-8565
CoachJB.weebly.com
Unit 3 Special Diets and Issues
Male Student Athletes
o Generally have a desire to become stronger, bigger and more
muscular
o Be aware of nutritional habits and look for warning signs of
intentionally contaminated supplements or APEDS.
Female Student Athletes
o Encourage good nutritional habits but be careful not to foster the
development of eating disorders
o Need adequate amounts of carbs
o Need adequate amounts of iron to avoid anemia
o Female Athlete Triad
Low bone mass
Amenorrhea
Disordered eating
o Females MUST know it is NOT normal for them to stop having their
periods during sports seasons
Female Athlete Triad Key Points
o Low energy availability (prompted by restricted dietary intake and often
excessive energy expenditure) is the key factor in the development of the
Female Athlete Triad.
o For prevention and early intervention, education of athletes, parents,
coaches and administrators is a priority.
o Girls must be aware that it is abnormal and unhealthy if they stop
menstruating during the sports season.
o The treatment team should include a physician or other healthcare
professional, a registered dietitian and a mental health provider.
o The first aim of treatment for any component of the Female Athlete Triad is
to increase energy availability by increasing energy intake and/or reducing
energy expenditure.
o Athletes with disordered eating should be required to meet established
criteria to continue exercising, and their training and competitions may
need to be modified.
o No pharmacologic agent adequately restores bone loss or corrects the
metabolic abnormalities that impair health and performance in athletes
with amenorrhea.
o Emphasis or pressure to achieve unrealistically low body weight should be
avoided by coaches, parents, administrators and health professionals.

Justin Matthew Brandt

CoachJustinBrandt@gmail.com
215-817-8565
CoachJB.weebly.com
Unit 3 Special Diets and Issues (Continued)
Eating Disorders
o Anorexia Nervosa a condition where the individual uses starvation
as a means to control body weight.
o Bulimia Nervosa characterized by a cycle of binge eating followed
by purging to try and rid the body of unwanted calories.

Justin Matthew Brandt

CoachJustinBrandt@gmail.com
215-817-8565
CoachJB.weebly.com
Unit 4 Supplements
Research shows widespread use of dietary supplements by high school athletes. Often
dietary supplements and performance enhancing drugs are seen as an easy way to
enhance athletic performance, increase energy levels, lose or gain weight and feel better.
If taken to an extreme, this can create a culture more concerned about quick fixes,
rather than hard work, development of good nutrition practices and overall long-term
health. Coaches and other school personnel must develop comprehensive strategies to
address the growing concerns of using intentionally contaminated dietary supplements
and performance enhancing drugs. Athletes should be encouraged to pursue their goals
through hard work and good nutrition, not shortcuts.
Approximately 65% of US adults describe themselves as supplement users
Supplements are designed to help assist in a proper healthy diet, NOT as meal
replacements.
There is minimal scientific evidence that proves dietary supplements actually help
athletes
2007 study conducted by HFL Sport Science tested 58 supplements produced in
the US and found that 25% contained unlisted anabolic agents and/or stimulants
Supplements are considered to be foods not medications so they are not
required to be screened by the USFDA
Check for NSF International or HFL Sports Science logos on supplements to
ensure they have been tested for purity
3 Major Classes of APEDS for the APEDS notes Click Here
o Stimulants
o Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids & Growth Hormones
o Blood Doping

Justin Matthew Brandt

CoachJustinBrandt@gmail.com
215-817-8565
CoachJB.weebly.com
Nutrition Resources
Click the links below
Where do your Favorite Foods fit?
A TO Z Healthy Snacklist
Eating on the Run
Eating Breakfast
Gluten Sensitivity In Athletes
The Female Athlete Triad
Eating Before Exercise
Portion Distortion
Gaining Weight Building Muscle
Dining Out the Healthy Way
Healthy Snacking
Lets Eat For The Health Of It
My Pyramid Poster
Dietary Fat and Cholesterol
Vegetarian Eating for Athletes
Vegetarian Food Guide
Disordered Eating in Adolescent Athletes: Prevalence and Risk Factors
Eating During Exercise
Eating for Recovery

Justin Matthew Brandt

CoachJustinBrandt@gmail.com
215-817-8565
CoachJB.weebly.com