MACRONUTRIENT TRACKING: HELPFUL OR HARMFUL
By Kate, Cochran, NCAA Division III track and field athlete.
I often get asked my opinion on “tracking macros” and whether or not I do it as an athlete. While I think tracking your macronutrients as an athlete can be a good tool to ensure you’re eating enough to improve performance, I personally do not do it.
Sample presentation for high school athletes
These slides are examples from a presentation designed for high school athletes, highlighting key topics such as a performance plate, nutrient timing and hydration. They provide a preview of the type of content that can be shared in a team or classroom setting, offering practical, age-appropriate guidance that athletes can easily apply to their training, competition, and daily routines.
Fuel up: Power-Packed Meal Ideas for Athletes
My favorite meals for athletes! Refuel your energy with this list below.
How to know when your fueling plan is working
Written by Kate Cochran, Nutrition Intern
Fueling properly for your sport can feel both straightforward and surprisingly complex. For endurance runners, a solid baseline is three balanced meals focused on carbs for energy, protein for recovery, and fats for satiety, with snacks in between.
Gut Training Essentials for Athletes
By Amy Stephens and Kate Cochran, Nutrition Intern
Many endurance athletes avoid fueling during long runs or rides because it feels uncomfortable or causes gastrointestinal (GI) issues. But often, that discomfort isn’t due to fueling itself—it’s because the gut hasn’t been properly trained. Being able to ingest carbohydrates during an endurance event will improve performance. It will enable you to exercise at a higher intensity for longer without running out of energy.
How to Fuel Your Best Workout
By Sonia Parashac, Intern
In this post, Sonia shares how she balances a busy college schedule while staying committed to daily movement—whether it’s a long run, a quick strength session, or a walk. She highlights the importance of fueling properly before, during, and after exercise to support energy, performance, and recovery.
Easy Nutritious College Athlete Meal Ideas
In college, when focusing on countless things such as school work and athletics, it can be difficult to find nutritious balanced meals on campus and time consuming to take all that effort to cook something complicated.
7 Nutrition Myths Every Athlete Should Stop Believing
By Kate Cochran, NYU Cross Country Athlete. As an athlete, I often come across all kinds of advice—on how to eat, train, and recover—and it can be hard to know what really works. With social media playing such a big role in how we share and learn information, especially from influencers and fitness personalities, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content out there.
Lost Your Period? Here’s How Low Estrogen Could Be Impacting Your Performance
If you’re a female athlete, getting your period is really important. There are many ways that you can use your cycle to your advantage in your sport and in life. When I started running in high school, there was this widespread belief—one that I hope is starting to fade—that losing your period was a sign of being in “peak fitness.”
Iron for endurance athletes
Iron is essential for endurance athletes because it supports oxygen transport, energy production (ATP), cognitive function (including decision-making), and a healthy immune system. Without adequate iron, the body struggles to deliver oxygen to muscles and produce the energy needed for optimal performance. Our bodies cannot make iron, it must be obtained through the diet.