When to use this
Any week where practice time moves or an athlete keeps arriving flat — timing is the first thing to audit before changing the food itself.
- An athlete gets stomach trouble before practice or heavy legs halfway through it.
- Lunch ends before noon and practice starts at 4 with nothing planned in between.
- Morning workouts or double days just entered the schedule.
Advanced lab
The fueling detail behind the clock
The sheet gives the timing windows and food ideas. A bit more detail on sizing each window sits here, so a coach can match portions to the athlete instead of guessing.
This guidance comes from adult sports nutrition research, so growing athletes should keep it food-first and let appetite and training response set the fine-tuning. For an athlete with GI trouble, low energy availability, or a restrictive eating pattern, individualize the plan with a sports dietitian.
Evidence sources
These references support the handout’s general education. Individual medical, supplement, laboratory, or injury questions should be handled by the appropriate qualified clinician.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28202564/
Where to go next
