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Nutrition for Human Performance

Posted: Thursday, February 9th Filed in: Training & Nutrition

Nutrition for Human Performance 

By: Alexandra Kleinhuizen, CSCS

Everyone has heard the phrase, ‘Practice like you Play;’ and this is true, if you desire to consistently play your best, you have to practice that way. You do not want to guess or hope you are going to have a good game; you want to know and be confident in it. Why should nutrition be any different? If you ‘Practice like you play,’ ideally giving your all in every moment, sacrificing, focusing, etc., you will use the same amount of energy as if in a competition.  Your nutrition and eating regimen should be the same for both practice and competition. The ultimate athlete can output maximal force repeatedly while having optimal recovery. This is the goal of nutrition: to promote consistent optimal performance and optimal recovery. You cannot have ideal performance without recovery.  If your nutrition habits change day to day or change between practice and competition you are setting yourself up for mediocrity, inconsistency, and injury. You would not be training yourself to give your all every moment. You will also not be able to predict your performance or recovery. Inconsistent nutrition is inconsistent performance.  To be the best takes sacrifice not only in training, but in nutrition as well. Nutrition is fuel and recovery, and you need it to perform.  

Now, the question is what is appropriate nutrition? The first thing one has to understand is that we must eat for human performance not sport performance. If you eat for sport performance, you will be lacking in your sport and other areas of life. Treat hockey like a skill, just like anything else: academics, other sports, how you interact with the people around you, music, etc. Develop optimal human performance so you can display any skill you choose. Eat for human performance so you can optimally display any skill you choose.  

It is very important that when you are fueling your body, you begin from the moment you wake until the moment you go to sleep. A meal, or ratio of nutrients, every three hours is ideal and sums up to six meals. When you wake up in the morning, you want to jump start your metabolism in order that you can use your energy efficiently and optimally throughout the day. Fruit is a great jump start. Those who do not eat breakfast will have a slow and inefficient metabolism. When you sleep, optimal recovery takes place. Protein is the nutrient that builds and repairs tissue and new living cells, and this is the ideal macronutrient before sleep.  

Meals during the day must encompass the three macronutrients, carbohydrates, protein, and fat along with vitamins and minerals. Carbohydrates are the immediate energy source of the cell. Protein is the building block of the body. Other than water, it is the most abundant cell in the body with numerous essential purposes, not limited to tissue repair and building. And fat; people fear this nutrient and have negative connotations to it, but it is so important.  Not only does it provide a long-term source of energy, it allows your nervous system to work efficiently. Your brain controls everything you do. The signals created by your brain and the nervous system control every movement, every thought, etc. It is so important that these signals are efficient and fast. Just like an electric circuit, if your nerves have ideal, appropriate insulation (myelin), you will have a strong, consistent signal; and, if it is lacking, your signal will be lost. This is a huge role of fat. In terms of vitamins and minerals, the biggest thing to focus on is an appropriate ratio. Too much of one vitamin or too little in relation to everything else in the body can lead to poor human performance.  

There is so much information related to nutrition and I challenge everyone to take an initiative and educate themselves on these things. Remember human beings are wonders. In fact, the potential of a human being has never been reached. Individuals continue to get faster, stronger, smarter, etc; so, always shoot for the stars. If you sacrifice and give your all in every area of life, including nutrition, you can reach and even surpass your goals. It takes optimal effort in all areas and an initiative to grow.  

Alexandra Kleinhuizen, CSCS

Director of Girl’s MAP and Human Performance for FHIT Players                                                               
Bachelors Degree in Physiology from the University of Minnesota
Played DI Women’s Hockey for the University of Minnesota from 2006-2010