An athlete’s diet and training method is as important as how they perform on game day. If you want to play at the highest level, it isn’t all about one thing, it’s everything put together. There’s a saying, “you are what you eat,” and for an athlete that is especially true.

Fitness Magazine says that there are a few key components to staying in top shape throughout the season: do not skip the most important meals of the day, stay hydrated and stay consistent in the gym. Additionally, do not overwork yourself, but do not undervalue your workouts either.

Sadie Mensing, a senior guard for CWU women’s basketball team, is someone who takes her training regiments very seriously and, even at this point in her career, hasn’t had any serious injuries.

“I go to our athletic trainers a lot, and just make sure I am listening to what they are telling me,” Mensing said. “I make sure I’m always listening to my body and what its telling me.”

According to BetterHealth.com, there is a real need for finding balance between what you’re putting in your body and what you’re taking out during your workouts. Good nutrition can substantially enhance an athlete’s performance on gameday. A well-planned-out and nutritious diet should meet most of an athlete’s vitamin and mineral requirements and provide enough nutrients to promote muscle growth.

If you are pushing your body through rigorous and demanding training, but fail to put enough of the right nutrients into your body, then you can over-exert yourself. This can put your body in danger. Most athletes load up on the carbs before an event or activity, which is also known as carbo-loading, because carbohydrates can be burned off as energy.

“I usually load up on pasta the night before games, or anything with a lot of carbs,” Mensing said.

So what should you be drinking before games or during training? Men’s Fitness tells us that water is the most beneficial choice for the human body. You should hydrate as much as you can before and after a workout or an event. Other things that can be very helpful are sports drinks and juices that give you electrolytes and help burn off carbohydrates in a healthy and efficient way. Ways to dehydrate yourself include drinking caffeinated beverages and/or alcohol in place of water. These actions will cause you to lose water quicker. Sophomore distance runner for CWU Track and Field Nicole Soleim knows that a good diet diet is extremely important to the body of an athlete.

“I drink two huge water jugs a day, and on very hot days, I drink three to keep my body in top shape,” Soleim said.

Men’s Fitness points out that it is very important for athletes to know their body and how far to push it. Everyone is different and this knowledge is critical for those who are looking to get the most out of their exercise.

“When I got to CWU, I saw girls running almost twice the distance I would in practice,” Soleim said. “I learned that it wasn’t actually what my body needed.”