Athletes strive for a lean, strong physique to maximize their performance. And the typical athlete diet isn’t what you think.
In many sports, more muscle mass and less body fat offer athletes a competitive advantage.
Physique goals vary between sports and positions, but all the best athletes rely on foundational nutrition strategies to gain an edge.
As a former college athlete and current competitive powerlifter, I’ve used these 5 keys to build muscle and stay lean for the past decade.
Here’s how:
1) Phases
The typical athlete diet uses a periodized nutrition approach, dedicating multi-week time periods to fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance.
Trying to lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously is a bit like walking on the treadmill while wolfing down a thick slice of coffee cake – counterproductive.
Fat loss requires a calorie deficit to reduce tissue mass. Conversely, muscle gains accrue fastest in a hypercaloric state.
2) Off-Balance
“Energy cannot be created or destroyed.” Remember this from high school physics?
The 1st Law of Thermodynamics explains why calorie balance dictates weight gain and weight loss.
All successful fat loss diets (and drugs) create a sustained calorie deficit, causing weight loss. Athletes manipulate calorie balance based on their goals.
3) Macros Dialed
Along with calorie balance, athletes prioritize eating the proper blend of macronutrients to optimize their body composition.
They consume adequate protein for muscle retention during fat loss and maintenance. And athletes prioritize high protein intake to maximize muscle gain during “massing” phases.
Athletes eat enough dietary fat (~20-35% of calories) to support cellular and hormonal health – but not too much because additional dietary fat has little benefit for athletic performance.
Smart athletes limit alcohol intake because alcohol adds non-nutritive calories and impairs recovery.
And here’s the thing about carbs…
4) High & Fast
Athletes know that carbs are fuel. So high-performers don’t follow low-carb, slow-carb or keto diets.
Carbs enhance training performance, recovery, and muscle gain. And the athlete diet doesn’t skimp on carbs – not even sugar.
For more, check out The Best Time to Eat Candy (According to Science)
5) On Time
Athletes prioritize nutrient timing around training sessions so they can train harder and recover faster.
Specifically, they consume high-carb, low-fat foods 1-4 hours before training or competition for maximum energy and focus.
Then, sugary high-carb foods take priority during and immediately after training, along with high-quality whey protein, which digests fast to kick-start recovery.
Further Reading
For more on nutrients (including where to find the most important one), check out this article: The World’s Best Nutrient
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