Nutrition and Athletic Performance

Monica Salafia RD
Feb 13, 2017
2 min read

Nutrition is my first love but only a few know that fitness is what lead me to that. Here is a little story about how this whole thing began...

High school sports were fun but working out on my own felt more personally fulfilling. I wasn't sure where to start so I turned to my brothers who were already lifting regularly on Mondays Wednesdays & Fridays. They let their little 15 year old sister tag along. After a 20-minute warm up, I got under a barbell and did my first bench press. I was hooked.

I remember thinking one morning I could probably lose some weight if I ate a little less but still worked out. Whoops! Little did I know (at the time) that when you're doing an intense workout, we need those calories to power throught it. I also didn't realize that muscles need energy to grow and for me to get stronger. I can't recall what I ate that day, but it was probably no more than a salad and some eggs.

We got to the gym. I did my warm up and hit a seemingly endless sets of benching. After one really heavy bench, I stood up and something wasn't right. My brother's trainer and very good friend said "Have you eaten today?" I paused. I felt a little silly saying "not really" and he goes "Drink this Gatorade!". It was clear that my blood sugar plummeted and no way was I in any condition to keep pressing that much weight without some fuel or hydration. I never wanted to feel that weak during a workout (or ever) again. I wanted to know how to fuel my body so I could keep up with my workouts and lose weight in a healthy way and bought my first nutrition book.

This library has grown so much these last few years. Nutrition for Dummies was first!

Almost 10 years later, I am a Registered Dietitian and Chief Ambassador of FitLoDenver.com so I'm fueling myself with optimal nutrition for lots of group fitness classes, cycling, HIIT, Resistance, Barre yoga classes, runs at Red Rocks, and more... all at high-altitude! To help others who want to improve their sports or fitness performance, I am studying to be a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD).

My goal is to support every type of athlete--- from group fitness instructors working out 2-3 times a day, 5 days a week to those just getting started with new workout habits.

Nutrition directly impacts athletic performance. There is no denying that. Finding the optimal plan for you, your goals, and your nutritional needs should be handled by an expert Resgietred Dietitian Nutritionist (RD or RDN) or RD, CSSD. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recently published a position paper on the topic in partner with the American College of Sports Medicine & Dietitians of Canada.

Check that out here!

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