Nutritional Considerations for the Power Athlete

Nutrition is a significant factor in a power athlete's ability to achieve hypertrophy, strength, lean body mass, and overall performance goals. Optimizing an athlete's macronutrient balance, timing of intake, and hydration is essential for advancing performance and should be fluid as the athlete transitions between cycles of training, matching nutrient requirements to intensity of training throughout periodization. Supplement use can help athletes meet their performance and nutrition goals when used as an adjunct to a well-chosen diet, both by direct ergogenic effect and by reducing risk of illness or injury. Educating athletes and coaches on an optimal nutrition plan to support training, performance, and health is critical to prevent the negative effects that may come from poor diet, dangerous weight cutting practices, and relative energy deficiency in sport.