Eating foods rich in protein and carbohydrates is key, but it’s not the only important thing to consider when choosing what to eat. Heavy training, prolonged exercise and high-intensity workouts deplete vitamins and minerals in your body as well. It helps to think of filling your plate with all the colors to the rainbow:

• Log Information:

  Log information is data about your use of the Service, such as IP address, browser type, Internet service provider, referring/exit pages, operating system, date/time stamps, and related data, and may be stored in log files.

• White:

  Cauliflower, bananas, onions, potatoes

• Green:

  Broccoli, lettuce, green apples, grapes

• Blue/Purple:

  Blueberries, plums, grapes, raisins

• Orange/Yellow:

  Carrots, apricots, peaches, oranges, cantaloupe, mangoes

• Red:

  Tomatoes, watermelon, cherries, berries, apples, peppers

Include fruits and vegetables in every meal to help replenish these levels and refuel your body after hard efforts.

Many power and sprint athletes believe that increasing their protein intake is the key factor in enhancing muscle mass and strength. This is not necessarily true. The best way to maintain and achieve this goal is by eating a mixed diet of proteins, carbs, and fruits and vegetables.

If you are a thrower, your body mass or body fat may be higher than other athletes and vary with each individual. The goal is to be at your most functional, high performance body weight to achieve a power to weight ratio. If you need to reduce your body fat levels, do so reducing simple carbohydrates, while still maintaining a nutrient-rich diet.

Think of carbohydrate-rich foods as the fuel that gives your body the energy it needs to workout. Protein-nutrient foods give your body something to build on. If your diet lacks either of these, you will not achieve the power and speed needed to improve on the track, the runway or in the ring. It is also important to stay away from foods and drinks that contain excess fat, sugar, or alcohol.

Some throwers (and even some sprinters) have been known to cut their carbohydrate intake during the track season. Some cut out carbs completely or eat it only before a competition. Those who have done it properly have seen their results improve dramatically. If you are considering trying this out, do it with the guidance of your couch and the support of a sports nutritionist! He or she will be able to help you do this in a safe way. Do not practice this on your own!

HOT TIP: LESS IS NOT MORE

Some distance athletes are overly concerned about a low body-fat count and think lighter is always better in the endurance events. This can be a very dangerous obsession—too few calories result in muscle fatigue, nutritional deficiencies, injury, illness, and hormonal imbalances.

Middle-distance runners do both endurance and resistance types of training and need to find the balance between their protein and carbohydrate intake. They also need to frequently restore their glycogen levels. It can be hard to eat before or after workouts because of the intensity of the training, but it is also one of the easiest things a middle distance athlete can do to optimize recovery.

Middle distance runners should also pay extra attention to their iron levels—especially if you are a woman. It is important to eat red meat, liver, seafood, iron-fortified breakfast cereals and green leafy vegetables are at least two to three times per week to keep or restore high iron levels.

Distance runners need to eat more carbs than most athletes since endurance training quickly depletes glycogen levels.

Meals and snacks should be carbohydrate-rich, including breads, pastas noodles, whole grains, fruits, legumes, and starchy vegetables. Protein-rich foods and vegetables should also be consumed to balance all other nutrition goals.

If you know that your workout or race is going to be tough, schedule your meal about three to four hours before practice. A high-calorie meal is hard to digest, and if you don’t give your body enough time, you may feel uncomfortable at practice.

Snacking is one of the most valuable nutritional strategies for track & field athletes. Snacking does not mean grabbing cookies or candy—it means eating throughout the day (every 2-3 hours) to ensure portion control at mealtime, maintain balanced blood-sugar levels, sustain energy, and reduce cravings. Whenever you snack, aim to eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.

Here are some examples of good snacking choices, broken down by timing:

• Before your workout:

  Eat or drink something high in carbs 60 to 90 minutes before practice. You can also eat something with some protein to curb hunger. Some good examples are fruit with cottage cheese, fig cookies, energy bars, bagel with peanut butter or jam, dried fruits, nuts, or a sports drink.

• During your workout:

  Keep an energy bar or sports drink handy in case you feel sluggish. It may help give you that extra boost.

• After your workout:

  Eating or drinking something soon after a workout will help tremendously in the recovery. The optimal snack is general thought to have a ratio of 4:1 carbohydrates to proteins and should be eaten within 30 minutes of practice. Chocolate milk, half a turkey sandwich or a fruit and yogurt smoothie would all work well in this situation.

• Before dinner:

  Sometimes you may not be able to eat dinner right away. If you want to snack before the main meal, make sure it is loaded with fiber and protein. Vegetable soup, salad, hummus with vegetables or yogurt with berries and almonds are all great things to eat shortly before a meal; they’re very healthy, and won’t fill you up.

• Before bedtime:

  Some nights you may need a bedtime snack, so make sure to choose a food with protein and complex carbohydrates (like high-fiber cereal). Try not to eat sugary foods, since they can interfere with your sleep. A frozen yogurt bar, cereal with milk, instant oatmeal or low-fat cheese and crackers would all work to this end.

On the day of a competition, don’t try anything new or drastically change your eating habits. Find what foods and drinks work best for you by testing them out during tough workout days or more low-key meets, then stick to what works the day of real competition.

• Some nights you may need a bedtime snack, so make sure to choose a food with protein and complex carbohydrates (like high-fiber cereal). Try not to eat sugary foods, since they can interfere with your sleep. A frozen yogurt bar, cereal with milk, instant oatmeal or low-fat cheese and crackers would all work to this end.

• Drink water throughout the day. Don’t wait until practice to get hydrated—try filling a water bottle at least halfway and make it a goal to drink the whole thing gradually before the workout.

Consuming both water and a sports drink will help to quickly replace your electrolytes. And when the weather is warmer, drink more fluids to minimize dehydration.