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Christopher Sauceda

Dr. Sharity Nelson

ENGL 1302

16, September 2022

The importance of Nutrient Intake and Eating Patterns for Adolescent Athletes

Introduction 

People tend to believe that students, teachers, nurses, or etc., should be eating around 2-3

meals a day, but we have found certain research that individuals construction workers, truck

drivers, or especially college/professional level athletes should be eating around 4-5 meals a day.

This is to say that when it comes to college athletes it is so indispensable to be able to eat 4 to 5

meals a day, but this is where many athletes have trouble getting those 4-5 meals a day. In

addition of schoolwork, side jobs, etc., this keeps athletes from being able to get those nutrients

in. This experiment aims to show the importance of eating through the day for athletes. Records

show that eating affects the way a player performs on the field or court and in the classroom as

they go on with their social life or work life. This will determine, through 5 student athletes, the

results of eating 1-2 times a day, 2-3 times a day, and around 4-5 meals a day, how they are

playing or succeeding in the classroom. 

Experiment/Methods 

The procedure taken for this certain experiment was data taken from trials of 5 Student

athletes at Texas A&M International. The data mentioned the results of all 5 athletes starting

with eating 1-2 meals for 3 days on top of having a game the third day and a test after the three

days were over. It continues with them eating 2-3 meals with the same routine afterwards hitting

that 4-5 meals a day. Monitoring side factors like stress, additional hobbies, sleeping habits, etc. 
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During the first days for the athletes, was something uncommon for some of them since it's hard

to think and do physical activities with just two meals per day. Most of the people that were

around the athlete noticed right away that they were doing something to their bodies.

Results 

The results were recorded in two different methods. For all three trials, the student

athletes had to tell researchers how they felt in terms of awareness in the classroom and in

practice and the ability of self-motivation throughout the day. The second method was for after

the third day where results of game performance and test were taken into stats that were

compared side by side. For the first three days, athletes explained how they could already tell

their moods were off to a bad start. They felt very grumpy and felt that need for the extra meal

without feeling of fulfillment. They continued to explain the feeling of sleepiness and laziness.

When it came to the second trial there was definite improvement. Athletes started to explain the

removing of that non-fulfilment feeling and felt like they could go through their day easier

without that constant feeling of needing extra energy.

Additionally, they threw in the feeling of readiness for practice or a game. The third trial

was that extra kick in to show the full potential for a student athlete and its ideal meal plan with

practices and classes included. For the third trial things reached an astronomical point passing

way beyond the first and the second trial. Athletes describe their days like no other, meaning

they felt at their best when it came to staying awake, energy boost, and emotions. Regarding

their games and final exam, it all showed how it was mainly processed. First game was

monitored by pace, intelligence in the game and ability to push through the entire game. How it

was imagined they were not able to succeed at all three let alone even play a full game. When it

came to the second and third trial performance, it was improved by more than 50%, stats showed
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more than doubled the amount of stability, intelligence, and pace. Next, their exams, we had ⅗

students were not even be able to finish their exams which showed research came from the lack

of food provided which affected mood, sleeplessness, etc. In other words, the second and third

exam showed great improvement. Test went up by 75% by the simplicity of being able to eat the

right foods. The experiment showed all the signs that the end results were supposed to show. It is

common for athletes to have to eat those 3-5 meals a day to keep them moving.

Women in college in athletics are more susceptible to developing eating disorders that

prevent them from reaching their full athletic ability. There are a lot of restrictions as to what a

female athlete can and cannot eat. Emphasis on proper nutrition in college athletics is imperative

because athletes should be informed how to fuel their body properly to perform at their highest

ability. It is not just about eating 3 to 4 meals a day, but aslo eating nutritious that aid in the

athlete’s recovery as to serve as fuel for their next workout. Nutrition is a vital part in an

athlete’s life, therefore proper eating patterns should be introduced or taught in schools to

educate athlete’s how to properly fuel their bodies.

Conclusion

The data gathered from this experiment helps determine that most of the college’s

athletes have been expose to an eating disorder throughout their colleges career. The study

projected that on their different days that the colleges athletes ate their 3 to 4 meals it’s a big

change for the athletes in their performance. The information gathered from this experiment is

important because it reveals outcomes for the college’s athletes on their eating disorders and

consequences for no creating a habit to eat. Although colleges athletes try their best in trying to

intake the best possible foods for their body, athletes nowadays have to track their calories and

constantly be on the lookout for what they put inside of their body. The importance of this plays
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a huge part in their success on and off the field. Athletes that don’t eat enough or don’t eat

correctly aren’t able to compete at the same level the well-fed athletes are.
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Work Cited

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recommendations for prevention and treatment.” European Journal of Sport Science, 2013

Vol. 13, No. 5, 499􏰀508, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2012.740504

McArdle. Siobhain. “Exploring attitudes toward eating disorders among elite athlete support.”

Scand J Med Sci Sports 2016: 26: 1117–1127 doi: 10.1111/sms.12515.

Thompson, A Ron. “Management of the Athlete with an eating disorder: Implications for the

sport Management Team.” The Sport Psychologist, 1987, 1, 114-126

journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/tsp/1/2/article-p114.xml

Tiffany, C. “Clinical and Subclinical Eating Disorders: An Examination of Collegiate Athlete.”

JOURNAL OF APPLIED SPORT PSYCHOLOGY, 17: 79–86, 2005 DOI:

10.1080/10413200590907586