Written by: Sydney Beach; SLU Dietetic Intern
My name is Sydney and I am a dietetic intern at SLU! My passion lies with athletes and learning how to fuel them not only for their individual needs but their sports and competitions as well. Here is an athlete I worked with over the course of a season, it was a very rewarding and eye opening experience! I went over with him what his needs were as well as his increased energy needs during the season and came up with a meal plan that he would find not only appealing but realistic to his lifestyle. Here is my analysis report for how the whole experience went.
Nutritional Analysis of a Division III Baseball Player
Sports Nutrition Research Paper
Sydney Beach
Baseball: America’s Pastime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interview with the Athlete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Estimated Energy Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MyDietAnalysis Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Meal Plan Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Baseball: America’s Pastime
Baseball is a sport known to many as “America’s favorite pastime.” This game has
molded and changed since it first became popular back in the 50s. It is an interesting
sport because it has many components involved within it. There is sprinting, running,
jogging, throwing, tossing, catching, jumping, turning, diving, fielding, among many
other actions. There is more of emphasis on anaerobic energy sport in the actual game.
The aerobic energy system also plays a role but is not the main focus. Knowing that is
helpful when planning a diet for a baseball player because it is very unique from other
sports. The athlete that is my main focus is a baseball player whose main position is a
pitcher. He is 6’0 and 190 pounds. His diet, for three days, was analyzed by a program
called MyDietAnalysis and taken into consideration was his height, weight, age, and
activity level. Based off of the results I found from his previous diet and eating habits I
configured a two day meal examples for his competition days and also two day meal
examples for training days to help fulfill what he was missing from the analysis. I also
took into consideration his position and how much activity he was doing as well as his
fluid consumption as well. Based on the findings, I made many notes on what my
athlete needed to improve to help improve his performance and his overall mood. My
notes were as follows:
● Decrease calories from fat and sat fat● Increase caloric needs● Lower protein intake● Increase carbs● Increase fiber● Lower Cholesterol intake● Increase water intake● Increase Vitamin A, all the B vitamins, Vitamin C, D, E, and Folate● Increase Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Zinc● Decrease Iron and Sodium
Also to go along with his diet I wanted to include how much fluid he needed to drink
based on his physical activity. I determined his fluid needs by doing a simple calculation
during a sweat trial. I weighed him before and after a 50 minute weight lifting session. I
included all the fluids he took in and subtracted them from the weight gained. The
results showed that he gained 0.25 pounds. Meaning he needs to intake about 23.80
ounces per hour at the rate at which he was lifting weights that day, to get a more
accurate number this trial would be repeated to get a more fitted number to the athlete.
Drinking water and electrolytes to replenish the body is extremely important and I took
that into account as I designed my meal plans. My biggest tip to athletes is to always
carry a water bottle with you so you are always drinking fluids and staying hydrate.
based on his physical activity. I determined his fluid needs by doing a simple calculation
during a sweat trial. I weighed him before and after a 50 minute weight lifting session. I
included all the fluids he took in and subtracted them from the weight gained. The
results showed that he gained 0.25 pounds. Meaning he needs to intake about 23.80
ounces per hour at the rate at which he was lifting weights that day, to get a more
accurate number this trial would be repeated to get a more fitted number to the athlete.
Drinking water and electrolytes to replenish the body is extremely important and I took
that into account as I designed my meal plans. My biggest tip to athletes is to always
carry a water bottle with you so you are always drinking fluids and staying hydrate.
Many common ergogenic aids in the world of baseball are a creatine powder that is in
compliance with the NCAA or energy drinks, Monster for example is a very popular one.
The energy drinks I see athletes using are not my favorite thing to see because of all the
bad side effects that come from energy drinks, the two big ones being jitters and crash.
The pre-workout powder has positive effects on your body and has been proven to be
very effective for athletes to use and be safe.
There is a big myth surrounding the sport of baseball, mostly in the pitching
world of baseball, that if you are using resistance training to improve your performance
it is considered taboo because players believe that they will lose mobility and speed on
their pitches. This is a big fat myth, of course! Resistance training doesn’t always have to
be rigorous and it can also be very light weight. It can be used to train the arms and to
train the muscles to act how you want them to when you need them.
There is a lot of general knowledge about athletes and competition days that can
be applied to baseball players with pre and post game meals or snacks. Positions might
vary in what kind of macronutrient percentages they need because a first baseman is
going to be more active throughout the entire game than a pitcher that is not in the
hitting rotation. Being mindful of what position you are catering to will get you a more
precise and accurate measure of the exact kind of calories they should be consuming.
Injuries are going to occur in any sport, it is inevitable because we are only
human. Typical baseball injuries include many shoulder injuries, hip injuries are also
very common. There are many during game problems that may come up like running
into a wall, going for a fly ball or foul ball, getting cleated by a runner, getting hit by the
ball either live off the bat or from the pitcher. Baseball also requires a lot of hand eye
coordination and quick reaction time. If a ball is hit and you cannot react quickly to it
you can seriously get hurt. All of this needs to be taken into consideration for all the
players’ safety and well being.
compliance with the NCAA or energy drinks, Monster for example is a very popular one.
The energy drinks I see athletes using are not my favorite thing to see because of all the
bad side effects that come from energy drinks, the two big ones being jitters and crash.
The pre-workout powder has positive effects on your body and has been proven to be
very effective for athletes to use and be safe.
There is a big myth surrounding the sport of baseball, mostly in the pitching
world of baseball, that if you are using resistance training to improve your performance
it is considered taboo because players believe that they will lose mobility and speed on
their pitches. This is a big fat myth, of course! Resistance training doesn’t always have to
be rigorous and it can also be very light weight. It can be used to train the arms and to
train the muscles to act how you want them to when you need them.
There is a lot of general knowledge about athletes and competition days that can
be applied to baseball players with pre and post game meals or snacks. Positions might
vary in what kind of macronutrient percentages they need because a first baseman is
going to be more active throughout the entire game than a pitcher that is not in the
hitting rotation. Being mindful of what position you are catering to will get you a more
precise and accurate measure of the exact kind of calories they should be consuming.
Injuries are going to occur in any sport, it is inevitable because we are only
human. Typical baseball injuries include many shoulder injuries, hip injuries are also
very common. There are many during game problems that may come up like running
into a wall, going for a fly ball or foul ball, getting cleated by a runner, getting hit by the
ball either live off the bat or from the pitcher. Baseball also requires a lot of hand eye
coordination and quick reaction time. If a ball is hit and you cannot react quickly to it
you can seriously get hurt. All of this needs to be taken into consideration for all the
players’ safety and well being.
Interview with the Athlete
Playing since he was very young, this pitcher has been playing the game for 17years and counting. Currently, he is playing at a division three school in the Old
Dominion Athletic Conference. His training consists of six to seven days of field
practices, usually lasting somewhere between two and three hours, a 50 minute lift three
times a week, and because he is a pitcher he is required to do a lot of running outside of
practice, including short distance sprints, mid distance sprints, and long distance runs
as well. He is also required to throw six times a week, including games that they have an
bullpens he throws. This athlete does use an ergogenic that goes by the name of Spark.
This is an energy drink that is consumed every day before breakfast. This is said to aid in
energy and concentration levels and for the most part this has been working for this
particular athlete. Eating healthy has been shown to directly affect an athlete’s
performance and this athlete does know that, but he is very 50/50 on eating nutritious.
Before this report he never really thought much about what goes into the food that he
was eating. He would just crave certain things or just grab convenient things and not
think much of it. His coach doesn’t do any kind of check ups with what his athletes are
eating and the options he has on the road are not always the greatest. He does give a
brief general talk to the athletes here and there that they should be eating healthy to be a
better athlete, but my athlete doesn’t pay much attention to it because he really just
doesn’t think much of it. Vegetables are something that he has never really been a fan of,
and now with the exception of broccoli, carrots, green beans, and cucumbers, he does
not eat them. With no food allergies, I tried to expand this athlete’s diet to get the right
number of calories while he is getting all the minerals and vitamins that are essential.
Even knowing what to eat and being mindful of what you are putting in your body, it
still can be hard for athletes to find time in their day to sit down and have a good,
healthy, and filling meal. That is what my athlete says he runs into every day. He has a
very busy practice and game schedule that typically does not leave him enough time to
prepare his meals at home, and really only makes one to two meals at home, if any. He
has ten meal swipes at his cafeteria at school that he will take advantage of and use eight
or nine in one week. He does find himself skipping some meals at times because he
overslept in the morning or it is just more convenient because of a time crunch. Grocery
shopping is only available to him if there is time in his week to go and get groceries,
typically that is a quick trip once a week. There have been no injuries that have altered
his eating. He is very superstitious when it comes to preparing for competitions. Being
an athlete and being involved with baseball and on a team for so long has taught him
leadership and life skills that he says has been very valuable in his life every day. He has
also taken other life skills like responsibility, organization, being timely, and listening.
Another huge takeaway that my athlete has learned from this sport is the social aspect
and gaining new friends and meeting new people all along the way. He said he has
opened up more and has more of an open mind to try most anything because of it. On a
scale of one to ten, one being not interested at all, five being neither interested nor not
interested, and ten being extremely interested, my athlete is at about a seven wanting to
change his eating patterns if it will help him improve his sports performance. He says it
is just hard for him to completely commit to change his eating and diet because of the
time restrictions, it is hard to keep a consistent eating pattern with the kind of schedule
he has, and also commitment in general and keeping himself disciplined on his own is
difficult also.
Estimated Energy Requirements
Mifflin St. Jeor Equation:
Athlete Statistics
Wt = 200 lbs or 90.10 kght = 6’0” or 182.88 cmage = 22 years
Men: RMR (kcal/day) = (9.99 x wt) + (6.25 x ht) – (5 x age) + 5
Where wt = weight (kg)ht = height (cm)age = age in years
Calculate Formula:
RMR (kcal/day) = (9.99 x 90.10) + (6.25 x 182.88) – (5 x 22) + 5
RMR (kcal/day) = (900.09) + (1,138.875) – (110) + 5
RMR (kcal/day) = 1,933.9
EER (kcal/day) = RMR x PAL
where RMR = resting metabolic rate
PAL = physical activity level
EER (kcal/day) = 1,933.9 x 1.9EER (kcal/day) = 3,674.41
MyDietAnalysis Report
Meal Plan Recommendation
Training Day One -
Breakfast:
3 eggs over hard (1 egg= 70 cals, x3 210 cals)
shredded mozzarella cheese on top, 28 g (80 cals)
Whole grain bagel (340 cals)
Banana (105 cals) with yogurt, 6 oz (90 cals)
Orange Juice, 8 oz (110 cals)
Snack:
Granola protein balls, with peanut butter, chocolate chips, raisins, & crasins (350 cals)
Water, 16 oz
Lunch:
Double cheeseburger, with cheese,lettuce, ketchup, onions (552 cals)
Salad with lettuce, spinach, carrots, peppers, onions, sunflower seeds, shredded cheese,
chia seeds, tortilla strips, and lite ranch dressing (240 cals)
Water, 24 oz
Snack:
Gatorade, 12 oz
Peanut butter crackers (190 cals)
Apple (60 cals)
Dinner:
Grilled Chicken breast, 6 oz
Brown rice
Lettuce
Corn salsa (corn, onions, lemon juice, cilantro)
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Whole grain tortilla chips
(1,235 cals)
Total Calories: 3,562
Training Day Two-
Breakfast:
Avocado Bacon Toast (380 cals)
2 Eggs over hard (1=70, X2 = 140 cals)
Hashed brown potatoes, 0.5 cups (59 cals)
Orange Juice, 8 ounces (110 cals)
Water, 8 ounces
Snack:
Banana (190 cals) with 2 tbsp of peanut butter (105 cals)
Fit crunch protein bar (190 cals)
Lunch:
Roasted Turkey and cheese sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and onion (420 cals)
Baked chips, 1 bag (120 cals)
Grapes, 1 cup (62 cals)
Water, 16 ounces
Snack:
3 turkey roll-up with lettuce and cheese (1= 44, X 3 = 132 cals)
3 hard boiled large eggs (1= 78 cals, X 3 = 234 cals)
Gatorade zero, 16 ounces
Dinner:
Grilled chicken breast, 6 oz (150 cals)
Steamed green beans, 2 cups (1= 35 cals, X 2 = 70 cals)
Mashed potatoes, 1 cup ( 268 cals)
Chocolate Milk, 8 ounces (208 cals)
Total Calories= 2,836 calories
Competition Day One
Breakfast:
Blueberry pancakes, 3 pancakes (260 cals)
Turkey sausage links, 2 links (70 cals)
Scrambled eggs, 0.5 cups (173 cals)
Water, 16 oz
Snack:
Greek yogurt with granola (230 cals)
Orange (62 cals)
Water, 8 oz
Lunch:
Ham and Turkey sub sandwiches with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions (390 cals)
Pretzels, 1 oz (110 cals)
Water, 16 oz
Snack:
Peanut butter & jelly sandwich, 2 oz (210 cals)
Grapes, 1 cup (62 cals)
Gatorade zero, 16 oz
Dinner:
Spaghetti with meat sauce, 16 oz (8 oz= 351 cals, X 2 = 702 cals)
Steamed broccoli, 0.5 cups (17 cals)
Garlic Bread, 1 slice (138 cals)
Banana (190 cals)
Total Calories= 2,424
Competition Day Two:
Breakfast:
Omelette with cheese, spinach, peppers, onions, and turkey sausage (257 cals)
Hashed brown potatoes, 1 cup (116 cals)
Fruit cup, 1 cup (70 cals)
Water, 16 oz
Snack:
Whole grain bagel (340 cals)
Banana (190 cals) with 2 tbsp of peanut butter (105 cals)
Water, 8 oz
Lunch:
Grilled chicken wrap, with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions (360 cals)
Baked Chips (120 cals)
Macaroni Salad, 0.5 cups (280 cals)
Snack:
Fit crunch protein bar (190 cals)
Apple (80 cals)
Dinner:
Steak and Cheese panini (360 cals)
Steamed green beans, 2 cups (1= 35 cals, X 2 = 70 cals)
Mashed potatoes, 1 cup ( 268 cals)
Chocolate Milk, 8 ounces (208 cals)
Total Calories= 3,014
If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me!
sydney.d.beach@slu.edu
References
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Knowledge among Mid-Major Division I University Student-Athletes. Journal of
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Crotin, R. L., Forsythe, C. M., Bhan, S., & Karakolis, T. (2014). Changes in Physical Size
among Major League Baseball Players and Its Attribution to Elite OffensivePerformance. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (Lippincott Williams& Wilkins), 28(10), 2705–2708.https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000000475
Jorge L. Ortiz, @jorgelortiz, & USA TODAY Sports. (n.d.). Trying to get into game
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Pawlak, R., Malinauskas, B., & Rivera, D. (2009). Predicting Intentions to Eat a
Healthful Diet by College Baseball Players: Applying the Theory of PlannedBehavior. Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior, 41(5), 334–339.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2008.09.008
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Effects of a Sports Nutrition Education Intervention on Nutritional Status, SportNutrition Knowledge, Body Composition, and Performance during Off SeasonTraining in NCAA Division I Baseball Players. Journal of Sports Science &Medicine, 16(1), 60–68. Retrieved fromhttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=121527720&site=ehost-live
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