In order for an athlete to train at the highest level, they need to keep their energy up. For the pros of Minnesota United, that means meeting with Head Sports Dietitian Dr. Renee Korczak to work out pre- and post-training nutrition. Maintaining healthy consumption throughout the week allows players to build muscle and work harder for an extended period of time. Anyone looking to live a healthier lifestyle can benefit from creating a nutrition plan and sticking to it.
One, Two, Three, With Dr. Renee Korczak
Q: How important is proper nutrition?
A: Proper nutrition, I can't stress enough how important that is for our players as you can imagine food is our fuel so when you implement a proper nutrition plan that can carry our players a very long way. It can get them through the game with sustained energy levels and help prevent injury. It can help them recover from injury and I think for the general population it can help prevent diet related diseases.
Q: What steps should I take to maintain a nutrition plan?
A: So some of the main keys I consider to be consistent and have a health lifestyle and nutrition plan is number one to have a nutrition plan and that's why it's so important to work with a dietitian like myself to really help you understand what a proper diet looks like. One of my other key components is to get back in the kitchen so if you're not already cooking, you should be. I think when we purchase our own ingredients, we cook, we tend to be very conscious of what we're putting in our bodies and choosing nutrient-dense foods. And, I think finally especially this time of year I've been stressing to our players and to people in general is just stay hydrated. We want to make sure we're preventing things like dehydration which can cause fatigue and also can be more serious.
Q: What will a proper nutrition plan do for me?
A: By focusing on nutrition and optimal lifestyle that includes a good nutrition plan people generally see increases in energy, so they have more energy to exercise or to perform at their job. Proper nutrition can also help prevent diet related diseases so it's so important to make good food choices and also just to help recover from training. Whether you're a professional athlete, or just an every day active person.
