Macronutrient Guide

Georgia Southern University Athletics

Macronutrient Guide

The mission of Georgia Southern Athletics is to support student-athletes through proper nutrition and hydration. Adequate fueling is a key component in helping student-athletes to achieve optimal game day performance. Dietetic interns work with student-athletes and collaborate with coaches to promote nutrition education.

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Macronutrient Guide
• Carbohydrate Sources
Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel for an athlete. Consuming adequate carbohydrates allow athletes to maintain intensity, prevent muscle breakdown, and assist in maintaining hydration. If carbohydrate intake drops too low, strength, stamina, and energy levels may suffer during workouts and competition! Consuming adequate carbohydrates throughout the day will make a huge difference in training, performance and overall athletic success. Some carbohydrates provide a quick source of fuel like white bread/rice/pasta, pretzels, and sports drinks, while other carbohydrates provide long-lasting fuel like oats, whole grain rice/pasta/bread, and low fat granola.

• Healthy Fats
Not all fats are bad! Fat has many important functions in the body including cushioning and protecting organs, maintaining body temperature, assisting in vitamin absorption, and supporting immune function. There are healthy fats and unhealthy fats that you need to be aware of. Healthy fats are known as unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats include foods like olive/canola/peanut oils, avocado, nuts, eggs, and fatty fish. These fats help keep cholesterol and blood pressure under control and help reduce inflammation. Saturated fats are the fats we want to limit. Saturated fats are found in dairy products, fatty cuts of meat, chicken skin, margarine, deep fried fast foods, commercially baked pastries/pies, biscuits, etc. These types of fats increase your risk for heart disease and elevated cholesterol levels. Choose unsaturated fats more often than saturated fats!

• Protein Sources
Proteins make up tissues, hormones, enzymes, and antibodies that are all necessary for proper body function. During intense exercise, these proteins are broken down and therefore need to be replenished. Protein is most efficiently utilized in the body when it is spread out over multiple meals, instead of one or two large meals. Protein also takes a bit longer than carbohydrates to digest, thus creating a feeling of fullness

Reference: Chan, Lisa (n.d.). Macronutrient Foundations. Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association.
Retrieved from: http://www.sportsrd.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Macronutrient-Foundations.pdf