Female athletes need to ensure they eat enough nutrients to maximize performance, recovery, and keep a healthy menstrual cycle. As a rule of thumb, a female athlete needs to eat at least 20 calories per pound per day if not more. Then athletes need to eat over 3 grams of carbohydrates per pound per day. This should be divided to 50-60% of your meal. Female athletes should eat 0.7-0.8 grams of protein per pound per day. That is about 25-35% of your meal. And finally, you should eat fats, they should be around 20-30% of your total calories. 

 

Carbohydrates are important to provide long-lasting energy. There are two types of carbs, simple and complex. Simple carbs are broken down quickly to be used as energy. They come in the form of fruits and milk. They are most prevalent in processed foods with refined sugars. Any food with high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup is a simple carb. Not all simple carbs are bad. Ones like fruit are good to provide vitamins and sugar quickly. Complex carbs are made of long chains of molecules. They take longer to break down and turn into sugar, therefore, providing slow-release energy. These come in predominantly natural foods like potatoes, whole grains, brown rice, and nuts. 

 

Protein is important to help build muscle. Athletes need to eat more protein than the average adult. Protein is found in black beans, fish, meat, nuts, 

 

Many people are scared that fats will cause them to gain weight or that all fats are bad. In reality, fats are vital to providing nutrients and aid in digestion and absorption of nutrients. Fats that come from natural sources are generally better to eat. Processed fats are bad fats. Fats are especially vital in a female diet as it helps maintain good, healthy estrogen and energy levels. Good sources of fat are meat, natural oils (olive, coconut, palm), butter, avocados, seeds, and nuts. 

 

Many females are more prone to certain vitamin deficiencies. The most common among female athletes are iron, calcium, and vitamin D. Athletes can take supplements and eat more foods rich in the vitamins that they lack to compensate. 

 

In daily eating, you should eat about seven different fruits and vegetables every day. Different vegetables and fruits provide different nutrients and vitamins therefore you should eat different ones each day to get a good balance. The biggest thing about eating well is balance. Food groups need to be balanced, the intake versus output of energy needs to be balanced. 

 

Hydration is key in properly fueling the body. It helps the body to regain the fluids lost in training or to prepare it for the fluids it will use. Hydration should come from water, milk, or 100% juice. Sports drinks are not the best for normal hydration, they are best used in competition. 

 

Eating well should happen in the time leading up to the competition, not just on the day of competition. When eating on the day of a competition, never try new things. Try it in training and then use it for competition. 

 

 

Use these sources to learn more about athlete nutrition

Eating for Peak Athletic Performance

Nutrition for Sport and Exercise