Sports Nutrition from an NCAA College Athlete’s Perspective

My name is Ellie O’Mara, and I am on the Varsity Women’s Rugby team at West Chester University. I am studying Nutrition Dietetics and Spanish. Being a college athlete comes with a lot of other challenges than the sport itself. Proper nutrition directly correlates to athletic performance. In 2022, I wasn’t fueling my body properly which led to being malnourished and underweight. I was playing rugby at the time and I didn’t realize how important it was to eat enough. I was warming up for a rugby match and we were doing some tackling drills. I ended up getting hit in a weird way and fell on the side of my shoulder. Right away I felt something was wrong. My shoulder felt weak and I couldn’t feel my fingers. I was taken to the hospital to get an X-ray. I dislocated my right shoulder which had caused nerve damage. I was put in a sling and had to do physical therapy for months. Two years later and I still struggle with an impingement in my shoulder and have to wear a brace every time I have a game. Eating enough food is so important because malnutrition can lead to an increased risk of injuries and longer recovery time. Now in 2024, I have learned how important sports nutrition is for athletes and mental health. Due to the busy schedule of being a student-athlete, sometimes it’s difficult to fuel myself properly, but over the years I have learned a few tips and tricks to help keep my nutrition a priority on and off season.

First, prepacking snacks to eat throughout the day. When I have early classes, sometimes it’s difficult to make sure I eat a proper breakfast because I’m typically not hungry first thing in the morning. Because it is very important to eat breakfast, I’ll pack a protein bar with some fruit, a bagel with cream cheese and a banana, or I’ll make a smoothie to drink throughout class. This is extremely important because skipping breakfast will hurt you more than help you. I typically have 2-3 back-to-back classes, so I don’t have time to get lunch somewhere. Snacks I like to pack in my bag are cheese cubes, apple sauce, Clif bars, pretzels, yogurt smoothies, fruit, and hummus with veggies.

Next, always eat before practice. Sometimes my teammates and I struggle with eating before practice because of the vigorous workouts we go through. I have eaten too close to practice and have thrown up, but I’ve also not eaten before practice and have felt super weak and dizzy. It is important to fuel yourself three to four hours before practice. If you can eat during that time, focus on high carbohydrate, protein, and fat. For example, having a turkey and cheese sandwich with 1% chocolate milk, fruit, and pretzels. If you only have time to eat one-two hours before practice, it is important to focus on carbohydrates like Gatorade, fruit, or pretzels.

Third, hydrate hydrate hydrate!!! Drinking water is something athletes forget to do but it can be detrimental to performance. Dehydration can lead to reduced endurance, focus, dizziness, cramps, and overall performance. I increased my water consumption by getting a 32-ounce water bottle.  Typically, I try to finish a full bottle before practice and one after practice. During practice, I will either have a Gatorade or sports drink with my water, or I will bring some coconut water and add lemon juice and salt.

Once practice is over, it is important to get some carbohydrates, proteins, and salt.  For example, dairy products, meat/poultry, chocolate milk, whole grains, pickles, or salsa and chips. I’m typically not very hungry right after practice so I will either have some chocolate milk or a smoothie before I shower or while I’m preparing dinner. Then for dinner, I will tend to eat a bigger meal. Making sure you fuel yourself with whole foods is so important but can be difficult in college especially when you must make your own food. I had an apartment with one of my teammates so we would hold each other accountable and make eating the proper nutrients fun. A few of our favorites are sweet potato nachos with ground turkey, pasta with chicken and broccoli with a pasta sauce, and stuffed peppers. Finally, the favorite part of everyone’s day, dessert! Dessert can get a negative reputation, but everything is good for you in moderation. Some desserts I would always keep on hand are homemade banana bread, dates with almond butter and chocolate, and banana oat cookies with chocolate chips.  

The most important tip I have is to listen to your body. If you are thirsty, drink water, if you are hungry eat food. Your body sends those signals to your brain for a reason. Under-eating and under-hydrating can be detrimental to your athletic performance along with your brain function and can increase risk of injuries. When I was having trouble, I would turn to my close teammates because everyone will have your back. My teammates help motivate me every day to stay on top of my health so we can have the best season we possibly can.