Athlete Nutrition and Hydration Principles

Athlete nutrition and hydration means matching energy, carbohydrate, protein and fluid intake to the demands of training, so the athlete can train, adapt, recover and stay healthy.

For the sport and exercise medicine (SEM) clinician it matters because a recurrent bone stress injury or stalled recovery may have a nutritional cause.

The role is to recognise under-fuelling, give sound basic advice and involve a registered sports dietitian when needed. The aim is adequacy for the training being done, not a fixed number or a lower body weight.