Nutrition & Female College Athletes

Nutrition:

Noun: The act or process of nourishing or of being

nourished

Definition found at www.dictionary.com

A nutritious lifestyle Includes:

A balanced diet

And regular exercise

Athletes get the exercise…

But what about their diet…?

Roughly 200,000 women can call themselves a NCAA athlete

These athletes play:

Volleyball

Basketball

Swimming

Soccer

Track & fieldwater

poloGolf

Cheerleading

Lacrosse Field Hockey

Softball

GymnasticsIce Hockey

RowingDiving

How many “daily-sports” calories are they burning?

Basketball:350 calories per

hour

Volleyball:489 calories per

hour

Swimming:630 calories per

hour

Softball:279 calories per

hour

Golf:244 calories per

hour

Appears healthy…

But what are they eating?

Away games means lots of time on the

road.

Time on the road, usually means “Fast Food.”

Caloric Representation:

• 1 Large fries= 1.5 hours of basketball• 1 Nachos Bel Grande= 3 hours of golf• 1 Whopper= 1.5 hours of volleyball• 1 Tuna foot long= 3.7 hours of

softball

What they drink also

Matters.

Soda & alcohol inhibit play and health!

For every female athlete

who over indulges…

There is one not eating enough.

Eating disorders are an increasing concern for

female athletes.

Female Athlete Triad

Why do so many female athletes want to lose

weight?

DistortedSelf Image

Insecurity

Improve performance

To look like the “typical” athlete.

Insecurity or fear over

mandatory weigh-ins.

Pressure & insecurity from required team

uniform.

How do we encourage female athletes to be healthier?

Have Nutritionists/Nutrition information readily available

Provide healthier food options for the

athletes

Be aware of the language you use

Language to UseHealthy

EndurancePerformance

Body Mass IndexFit

Personal-best

Language to AvoidFat

OverweightEat-lessLackingFailing

Cellulite“Look like _________”

Compare

Make females aware-Seminars

-Presentations-Pre-season

meetings-Pamphlets

-TALKING about it

Be someone they can talk to

If you are, or know a female athlete, know local resources and where to find help!