Baseball Nutrition Guidelines

GOAL: We will work to lower our body fat percentage while increasing our lean muscle mass.    

KEY: Increasing your body’s metabolism (rate at which calories are burned) throughout the day will help decrease body fat percentage and improve overall fitness.  

Metabolism can be increased by:
  1. Exercising 20-30 minutes a day, 6 days a week.
  2. Eating 4-5 smaller meals a day.
  3. Eating larger meals in the morning. Eat a great breakfast!
  4. Exercising more than once per day.  

Additional tips toward healthy nutrition:

  1. Increase carbohydrate and protein intake (see below).
  2. Watch your FAT intake.
  3. Reduce soda (caffeine) and red meat intake.  

BEST SOURCES OF CARBOHYDRATES

  • grains and breads - bagels, granola, pasta (noodles), rice
  • fruits and vegetables - apples, cantaloupe, cherries, grapes, celery, lettuce, broccoli, etc.  

BEST SOURCES OF PROTEIN

  • chicken or turkey breast
  • fish and seafood
  • egg whites
  • fat free cheese and cottage cheese
  • low-fat milk
  • yogurt  
STRENGTH AND MUSCLE-BUILDING TIPS
  • 1-2 Hour Pre-Workout Meal:  Eat a light meal, drink a meal replacement powder, or eat a large protein bar.  
  • 0-45 Minutes Post-Workout Drink: This is a critical time for proper recovery. Protein and carbohydrates need to be rushed into the body within 30 minutes of a workout. A delay of an hour or two can make a significant difference in recovery, muscle protein production, and glycogen replenishment. By taking a carb/protein drink immediately after a workout, amino acid uptake will be doubled and muscle protein synthesis increased by 25% when compared to waiting a few hours. Performance will also be increased in the next training session because muscle glycogen will be replenished more completely.  
  • 2-3 Hours Post-Workout Meal: After about 2 hours the body is primed to stimulate further muscle protein synthesis and recovery. This is the time to eat a regular meal.
  • Final Tip: Make sure to include PROTEIN with breakfast. A protein drink is an excellent choice for a quick, nutritious breakfast. Eating protein in the early morning hours will halt the muscle breakdown that begins to naturally occur during those hours while sleeping. If you wait to eat protein at lunch, the body will have broken down some of the muscle gains made during the previous day in order to fuel the brain and other parts of the body. Things like red blood cells and the immune system take priority over big biceps.