By Skylar Finkelstein
Cardinal Staff
Saint Mary’s University’s student-athletes take their sports seriously all across the board. Whether it is basketball, track and field or hockey, student-athletes take good care of themselves by maintaining high nutritional health.
Eating right and staying fit by completing workouts, stretching tight muscles and increasing flexibility and agility makes a student-athlete better prepared for his or her competitions. Many of SMU’s student-athletes share similar eating habits while in season.
“I try to eat quite a few calories the night before a game including pasta and carbohydrates,” said Haley Trom, a member of the women’s basketball team. Since carbohydrates have a lot of glucose in them, they increase an athlete’s energy level. Trom also said that she drinks a lot of water because staying hydrated is key.
LaMonte Hall, a member of SMU’s men’s basketball team, agreed with Trom’s statement on eating habits. He also stressed the importance of stretching before and after any type of workout, practice or game. Hall said that having a light, healthy meal before a game helps maintain a high-energy level.
Many student-athletes on campus ration out their food portions per food group in order to maintain a balanced diet. That way, they are ready to go on game days and can perform at their best.
Student-athletes, along with the entire student body, benefit from fueling their bodies with fruits and vegetables rather than chips and candy. This creates a sustainable natural energy that keeps them going longer. Enriching one’s body with vitamins and minerals, rather than artificial preservatives and unhealthy fats, builds and replenishes one’s body while building strength. Making healthy food choices throughout the day, working out and playing hard powers student-athletes ability to be successful.
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