3 Nutrition Tips for Softball Players
The key to being a successful softball player focuses around what you do on the field – whether it’s hitting, pitching, fielding, or base-running. Those are all important and obviously vital parts to any player’s overall success in the sport, but the preparations happen way before you strap your cleats on and hit the diamond.
We’re not just talking about having a regimented workout program, either (although that’s also important). The basis for everything – how you feel and how you eventually play – is impacted by your diet. What are some simple nutrition tips that all softball players should follow? Here are three important ones to always keep in mind on a daily basis.
Get Enough Calories!
Not consuming enough calories on a daily basis is a common mistake with a lot of softball players. You’re exerting a lot more energy than the regular person – especially during the season – because of all the practices and games you’re partaking in on any given day.
Getting enough nourishment is actually pretty simple math, too. If you’re not consuming more calories than you’re burning off, it’ll be really hard to build muscle, strength and power to help you take your game to the next level. And possibly even more importantly, not fueling your body with the right kind and amount of food won’t help your body recover as quickly as it should be.
So, in addition to not making any physical progress, you’ll be stuck feeling tired and unable to reach the levels of physical fitness you thought you were already at.
Prioritize Protein
Probably the most important nutrient when it comes to building muscle involves consuming enough protein. Foods rich in this will help your body accomplish three things: build muscle, help your body recover, and also keep any infections at bay.
Having a balanced diet is obviously an important piece to the puzzle here, but it’s important that you’re prioritizing protein because it can be such a helpful nutrient for your body and muscles.
Always Have Water With You
You don’t even realize it, but you’re probably always dehydrated. It’s an easy thing to do, especially since you’re preoccupied with a softball game and don’t have any feeling of being thirsty. The key here, though, is to make sure you keep drinking water, even when you’re not thirsty! That’s because once you feel like you need some water, you’ve already reached a certain level of dehydration.
In order to combat this on game day, formulate a hydration plan that includes you drinking water at certain times prior to, during, and after a game. When you’re not getting ready for a game, it’s a good idea to just always have a water bottle nearby and consistently take sips throughout the day.
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