Channel Your Inner Athlete

With Super Bowl LII just around the corner and the Winter Olympics right on its heels, there will be plenty of opportunities in the next few months to cheer on well-fueled, high-performing athletes. One could argue there's a little bit of athlete in all of us. Certainly some people seem to have more of that "DNA" than others, but according to Rasa Troup, the dietitian who for the past three years has fueled the Minnesota Vikings, everyone performs at some level. Taking a page from the athlete's playbook, we can all use food to achieve our personal best.

Besides helping the Vikings eat to compete, Rasa works as a dietitian for the University of Minnesota Women's Track and Field and Cross Country teams. She too ate her way to athletic success. At age 13 she represented Lithuania in the World and European Track and Field Championships. Years later she went on to compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"The main reason players see me is because they want to boost performance," says Rasa. "Depending on how an athlete eats, food will help or harm." She works slowly and steadily to gain player trust so she can uncover and adjust habits that may hinder performance. It can take awhile for athletes to understand how much food can affect:

• Energy levels
• Sleep
• Ability to adjust to altitude changes when traveling
• Speed of healing after an injury
• Recovery after stressful workouts or from an illness or surgery
• Ability to dodge illnesses that often get passed around a team

Best Practices

Many of the players and athletes Rasa works with have high calorie needs, but that doesn't mean they're eating well. "Our conversations are about what to do with those calories so that their bodies respond in a meaningful, positive way," she says. The same holds true for everyone, Rasa adds, athlete or not. "Anyone who wants to perform at his or her best can only do so if the best mix of fuel is used." The following are a few of her tips for eating to win.

1. Fuel your mornings. "Bodies perform better when fed earlier in the day. Interestingly, athletes are no different than the rest of us when it comes to eating breakfast. Despite morning workouts, some are afraid to eat or don't feel they're all that hungry at breakfast time, but once they experience the higher level of energy that comes from eating a morning meal, these athletes make the switch."
   
    
2. Distribute meals appropriately. Rasa recommends spacing meals evenly throughout the day, keeping in mind calories, carbohydrates, protein and fat content. Such patterns result in better muscle growth, increased energy levels, improved recovery after exercise and healthier sleeping patterns. The United States Olympic Committee created illustrations to support these outcomes. Their training plates show what proportions of foods you should eat as you pursue your "eating for performance" plans. Click here to view Easy Training, Moderate Training and Hard Training/Race Athlete Plate on the USOC website.

• Eat mindfully and with a sense of adventure. "So many of us, including athletes, are not connected with what we're eating when we're eating it or in tune with how we eat. If we aren't aware of what's on our plate, what fuel is going into our bodies, then we cannot change it for the better. Every food is fuel, but some foods are better providers than others. If you pay attention, your body lets you know what's working well." Benefits may or may not come about immediately. Adding a probiotic into your diet is a quick fix, while increasing vitamin D levels may take months. "Step out of your comfort zone to try new foods, too, so new benefits can be achieved." Rasa continually introduces athletes to foods with potential performance enhancing properties (see Emerging Food Trends below). The more foods you try, the more you will learn which foods promote your peak performance.
   
• Be skeptical about an easy fix. Athletes are easy targets for misinformation on how foods, supplements and nutrients can affect performance. The same can be said for most of us. Because everyone eats, everyone has ideas of what nutrition should look like, says Rasa. "We are built to want better, but better doesn't usually happen without effort. Before trying out trendy products and plans, talk with a trusted expert who cares about more than making a sale."