By Mindy Pierce, Sports Editor
Getting a balanced diet is crucial for any college student, but balancing class work, practice for about 18 or more hours a week, and somewhat of a social life is nonexistent without the proper nutrition Not getting the proper nutrition can go a number of ways, so the purpose of the speaker was to give the correct information to all Saint Leo student athletes and to make informative decisions about eating correctly.
Tim Wierman, M.A. was the speaker whose slogan was “EAT TO COMPETE.” He has 15 years of experience and comes from Nutrition Education Services Inc. To mention just a few, Tim has spoken to schools and organizations like Harvard University, Kansas University, and the World Swim Clinic. Saint Leo University was Wierman’s next stop.
On October 4 when Tim Wierman, M.A. spoke to two large groups of student athletes: the female athletes and the male athletes. Men and women require different amounts of calories with different questions and concerns that may arise during training. Each group was allotted ample time to ask in depth questions concerning nutrition while competing.
Wierman stressed the importance of getting enough calories throughout the day and emphasized the right nutrition athletes need in order to perform at peak levels. For those athletes who practice at least 12 hours of conditioning a week need an extra 7,000 to 9,000 calories a week compared to a non-athlete. Recovering from a workout was also a big topic of conversation during the nutrition session. It is absolutely necessary to recover within 30 to 60 minutes after one’s workout with a minimum of 240 to 400 carbohydrates consisting of 80 grams of carbs and 20 grams of protein. Recovery is so crucial because one needs to repair the broken down muscles they just used during the workout session. A great and quick recovery that can be found in the cafeteria is chocolate milk. It is an ideal recovery because it contains 315 calories with 16 grams of protein and 52 grams of carbs.
Many students enjoyed the nutrition speaker even though it was mandatory.
Transfer student and swimmer Carlos Araque said “I learned a lot and all the guys took the speaker seriously and asked some insightful questions. A lot of people have taken the chocolate milk advice and have been using it regularly.”
Freshman Bianca Muniz learned a lot of new information also.
Muniz said “I didn’t know you could make your own Gatorade at home and eat the night before a morning practice.”
Eating the right foods is a key point for athletes to master to perform at their best levels. There are three types of fuel: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Carbohydrates are important for medium to high intensity activities, proteins are for building and repairing, and fats are good for low to moderate and steady state activities.
Wierman offered a sample breakfast with a much nutritional value. It included 2 eggs, toasted whole wheat bread, breakfast and energy bars, and fruits. For lunch or dinner, whole grain sandwich breads, rice and pastas, low-fat dairy, corn and beans, fruits and vegetables, and baked potatoes were highly recommended.
Although the nutrition speaker was mandatory, the general consensus of the event was that most athletes enjoyed the speaker and gained a lot of valuable information to make smart decisions for the future. All athletes were taught to eat several times a day and to not worry about the calories, but to eat the right kinds of calories with the essential vitamins and minerals needed to have a successful season of training and competition.
