Haleigh Miller

NUTR 407
April 25th, 2019
Athlete Profile
It is important to note that there may be several faults with this athlete’s profile. First,
there may be misreporting in the dietary recall. This method relies on memory and candor, so it
is possible that my athlete may have not reported correctly, which can alter his diet and exercise
profiles. He also takes many breaks while lifting and running, so the duration and caloric loss
reported by the website probably does not accurately reflect this. Further, he admitted that the
day he recalled was not a typical day for him in terms of both diet and exercise, although the
questionnaire reflects many of his normal views and routines. However, the analysis of this
particular recall and profile reveals several great takeaways and recommendations that could
really benefit the athlete, even if they are not always applicable to him. He is very open to any
nutritional recommendations he can receive, as he believes this is a key factor in achieving his
fitness goals.
Problem: Athlete does not regularly consume fruits.
Recommendation: You should consume at least 2 servings of fruit per day. Fruits provide
fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and vitamins and can even contribute to fluid intake.
In particular, bananas can provide simple carbohydrates and fuel for an upcoming
workout.
Problem: Athlete does not regularly consume vegetables.
Recommendation: You should consume at least 3 servings of vegetables per day.
Vegetables can be accumulated into pre-exercise meals (about ¼ of plate) and can be
consumed as snacks in between meals. Try to vary the veggies by eating different colors
like red, orange, and green.
Problem: Athlete avoids carbohydrates as much as possible
Recommendation: Carbohydrates are an important fuel source for the body, especially for
an active person. The athlete mentioned that he thinks carbs are bad for you, especially
when trying to lose weight and build muscle. Because of his body composition goals, we
could try implementing a lower-carb diet. However, because he exercises a lot and tries
to improve his performance, he still needs a substantial amount of carbs before and after
workouts to help with glycogen stores and recovery. Half of the plate should be carbs
pre- and post- workouts. Snacks between meals should be low in carbs, or contain mostly
fat or protein. Alcohol consumption should be cut back. Carbs are vital for his muscle
health and endurance, so it would be beneficial to discuss his negative view towards
them.
Problem: Athlete usually only has eggs for breakfast. (m, v, b)
Recommendation: He chooses eggs every day for breakfast because of their protein
content. He should try to vary his diet by consuming other sources of protein for
breakfast. This can include meats, dairy, or peanut butter. Further, his breakfast is
 unbalanced as it is mostly just protein. Because he works out a couple hours after
breakfast, he should consume more carbohydrates, such as a bagel. Healthy breakfast
fats can include nuts, oils, avocado, or cheese.
Problem: Athlete occasionally overconsumes alcohol on the weekends.
Recommendation: He engages in binge drinking on occasion, usually 3 or 4 times a
month. An overconsumption of alcohol provides a lot of empty calories to the body.
Since he is trying to lose weight, this can be holding him back. The athlete profile does
not accurately represent his alcohol intake, as he only had 2 beers within the 24-hour
recall. Given that he is young and has a social life, it is understandable that he wants to
drink with his friends; however, it would be wise for him to not drink too much within a
given night.
Problem: Athlete has a large caloric deficit, but sees no weight loss. (muscle gain)
Recommendation: The large caloric deficit could be due to misreporting and recalling a
day that is unusual in terms of diet and exercise, as stated above. However, this issue
could still be plausible. Since he is working on increasing muscle bulk, the more muscle
he gains the more he will weigh. He may not be losing much fat, which is why he can’t
visually see himself gaining muscle, and that might skew his perspective towards the
aesthetic of his body. It would be beneficial to discuss this concept with him. In terms of
his diet, he should watch what kinds of fats he’s consuming, since he mentioned that he
goes out and eats unhealthy foods a lot. These often contain unhealthy fats. He should try
ordering more healthy foods, or staying home and making his own meals. If he ever
consumes a lot of carbs in a day, he should make sure that he couples that with exercise
instead of being sedentary. If he plans to continue with a diet with a large caloric deficit,
he should be consuming less empty and unhealthy calories and focus more on fueling his
body with some of the recommendations that I have made throughout this report.
Problem: Athlete consumes more protein than necessary
Recommendation: In one day, he consumed about 180g of protein. If he were to consume
between 1.6-1.8g/kg bodyweight, he should be consuming between 142g and 160g. After
discussing, he admitted that he sometimes consumes even more than what was recorded.
He needs to incorporate both moderation and balance in his diet, since he overconsumes
protein and under-consumes carbohydrates. He should consider a 2:1 ratio of
carbohydrates to protein, given his exercise routine.
Problem: Athlete does not meet recommended Vitamin D intake. (12.6 v 15)
Recommendation: Vitamin D is an important factor in maintaining bone health, among
other benefits such as immune, nervous, cardiovascular, and brain health. Bone health is
especially important since his physical activity makes him more susceptible to injuries.
He consumed 12.6g whereas it is recommended for him to eat 15g. He can incorporate
more vitamin D in his diet by eating fish, milk, cheese, egg yolks, and fortified foods.
Problem: Athlete should hydrate more.
Recommendation: During his recall, he reported drinking about 81 fl oz of water. For a
male, it is suggested to drink at least 125 fl oz of water per day. This number should be
increased since he usually exercises twice a day. He mentioned that he sweats a lot and
often gets cramps, so improving his hydration status could help these issues by promoting
thermoregulation and muscle recovery. Incorporating more electrolytes in his body will
also help improve hydration, so he could consume more salt, potassium, and sports drinks
such as Gatorade.
Problem: Athlete has insufficient post-workout refuel/ recovery. Not enough carbohydrates are
included in the post- meals.
Recommendation: After his morning lift, he consumed a salad with grilled chicken. After
his nighttime run, he consumed macaroni and cheese and beer. Although the macaroni
provides carbohydrates for post recovery, the meal itself is processed and therefore is
rather unhealthy. He can choose healthier options such as whole wheat pasta or bread to
have instead, accompanied with protein like 6oz. of chicken. He should consume more
carbohydrates with these meals to promote muscle recovery and protein uptake. This can
include foods such as whole grain bread, pasta, and rice.
Problem: Athlete does not properly fuel before and after running. Not enough carbohydrates are
consumed, and there is too much protein being eaten shortly beforehand.
Recommendation: Long-distance running is highly aerobic, requiring carbohydrates as
stored muscle glycogen for energy. A low carb diet will hinder his performance when
running, since the body will quickly deplete the energy stores. He should avoid eating
too much protein and fat in the hours before exercising, since these nutrients take longer
to digest, creating digestion problems and GI distress during activity.