Ensuring a nutritious diet is a well-known tactic for staying in shape and maintaining good health. Snacks are also essential to provide that extra boost of energy needed for a workout, and drinks during practice are fundamental for staying hydrated. Nevertheless, it is always important to know which foods are most beneficial, whether it be before or after a workout, or just during a daily meal. A multitude of CHS students are involved in sports where a healthy diet is the most ideal.

“I normally eat lots of fruit, like bananas and apples,” Robert Delaware, senior and member of the JV swim team said. “ It [eating healthy] is a good idea, but it’s sometimes hard to implement.”

For healthy drinks, it is typical to hear about the great debate between the benefits of Gatorade and other energy drinks versus the advantages of water. While in most cases water is recommended for daily workouts, surprisingly, Gatorade is suggested for more strenuous training. This energy drink would be beneficial if an athlete is preparing for a particularly hard bout of exercise, such as long-distance running or other strenuous activities. This drink might be better to provide more energy and quickly replenish burned-out electrolytes.

The electrolytes and carbohydrates found in energy drinks that claim to give athletes ‘a boost’ during exercise are not always needed though. This is because most individuals do not typically train hard enough to necessarily need that lift in energy gained from electrolyte-powered energy drinks. However, while both pre and post-workout drinks are typically limited to energy drinks and water, snack options are more broad. Superfoods that are most typically recommended are peanut butter, bananas, or a combination of the two, and yogurt, fresh berries, and tuna. Even though there are many foods that are beneficial, some should be avoided, including sodas and other highly carbonated drinks, candies, and foods that are deep-fried.

Eating healthy foods are a good way to maintain the stamina and strength for exercising or playing sports. Understanding the difference between such foods and other unhealthier substances is essential to having a good workout.