Performance nutrition seems to change so fast. With an eye towards the ‘next thing’ to be stronger, faster, leaner, the one downside is that we forget that many athletes need to get the basics right before being able to progress onto the ‘sprinkles, glitter, 1%, or finely tuned Ferrari stuff or however we like to phrase it for athletes. Performance also does not exist in isolation away from the general health and well-being of an athlete, so while these nutrition points may be more concerned with performance outcomes, nutrition is still a component of health behaviours as well.

It has been shown consistently over time, that knowledge does not directly equal behaviour – so in spite of the research – it is also worthwhile to keep looking for ways to turn these points into achievable and actionable behaviours for each athlete. This is where much of the skill will lie for the practitioner to improve and keep athletes progressing.

In order to achieve the best nutrition for an athlete, periodize and individualise and then specialise.

Regards,

Sarah

(aka Food Ninja)