Special Edition

This newsletter is brought to you in partnership with Prisma Health.

Here’s how you can enhance your athletic performance with your diet

A woman drinking a smoothie while throwing up a basketball. — What you eat before training can make a big difference in energy, stamina, and motivation.
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Photo by @hannahbboyles

Ready to rev up your workout, COLA? If the upcoming Summer Olympics have you inspired to take things up a notch and revisit some of the health goals you set at the beginning of the year, you may want to take a look at what’s on your plate.

“Think of it this way: if you don’t have the right type of gasoline or you don’t have enough gas in your car, you’re not getting anywhere — it’s the same with nutrition,” says Lisa Money, RDN at Prisma Health’s Apex Athletic Performance.

Below, Money gives us three tips for eating to improve your athletic performance.

A breakfast plate from Small Sugar — A solid meal to start to your day can help reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness or inflammation.
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Photo by the COLAtoday team

Start the day with a balanced breakfast

Did you know? While you’re sleeping at night, your body goes through a “digest and rest” period. That means when you wake up, there is no food left in your system, making it extremely important to replenish those nutrients with a well-rounded breakfast.

Short on time? Check out these smoothie recipes to fuel your fitness goals.

Keep yourself hydrated

It’s not just about what you eat — what you drink also matters.

“Water makes up over 70% of the human body and impacts every bodily process. If you lose 2% of your body weight because of dehydration, it causes 20% loss in performance,” says Money.

Struggle with drinking “plain” water? We love adding lemon, berries, or a bit of mint — it’s H2-oh so delicious.

Pay attention to pre- and post-workout snacks

When you take the time to pick the right fuel before, during, and after workouts, you’ll improve your athletic performance by keeping your body nourished and fueled for fitness.

5 pre-workout snack ideas

News Notes

Eat

Thinking about integrating more protein into your meals? Lisa Money gives us more info on high-protein diets, including how much protein you should have and a list of the best protein sources.

Wellness

Want to start the day strong? In addition to setting the tone for your day, your morning routine can have a lasting impact on your mental health. Check out three positive habits to add to your routine.

Fact or Fiction

There isn’t a specific exercise that will help increase your strength — it’s the intensity of the movement that matters. Find out if this is fact or fiction, plus, learn what counts as exercise + see an example workout.

Active

Feeling knee pain after your workout? Even if it’s mild, you shouldn’t ignore it. Learn more about knee pain and ways to prevent common knee injuries.

Cause

Enjoy a fun evening of fundraising and honoring cancer survivors during Rosé Resilience: A Toast to Cancer Survivors tonight from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Test your knowledge with trivia while sipping wine, savoring small bites, and enjoying giveaways throughout the night. Learn more + register.

Outdoors

Hitting the water is the best way to beat the famously hot summer heat. Check out our how-to guide for tubing down Columbia’s rivers. Pro tip: Don’t forget the sunscreen.

Pro Tip

And just in case you do leave home without sunscreen (it happens), here’s how to treat a bad sunburn, rashes, and more.

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