Posted Dec 15, 2011
Catch Kevin Attila at the Student Union Building, and he might be snacking on almonds or finishing a bowl of oatmeal.
Over the summer, the sophomore guard for the College of SouthernIdaho men’s basketball team realized how important diet is for his training. Since then, he’s dropped weight and become lighter and more agile on the court, said assistant coach Ryan Devlin.
For athletes, body builders and other fitness buffs, high-performance diets mean more than watching calorie intake. Every bite counts, whether it’s lean protein for building muscle or the right kind of carbohydrates for energy.
At the beginning of summer, Attila decided he wanted to lose about 15 pounds. He signed up for personal training sessions at Johnny’s Fitclub Fitness in Boise.
There, a personal trainer helped him develop a strict, high-performance diet tailored for his particular needs:oatmeal, four egg whites, a yolk and a glass of 1 percent milk for breakfast; a sandwich with wheat bread and extra turkey for lunch; almonds and protein shakes for snacks; and a grilled chicken breast with broccoli and brown rice for dinner.
“That was my diet every single day,”Attila said.
After one month, Attila reached his goal weight. His performance improved, and Devlin noticed.
“I’ll be dead honest with you. His shots are better. His footwork’s better. He’s so much quicker on the court, “Devlin said. “He’s a helluva player.”
Attila eats a bit more now that he’s trying to maintain his weight, but he’s still strict about what goes on his plate.
CSI basketball players aren’t required to adhere to a strict diet, said women’s head coach Randy Rogers. Part of the reason,Devlin said, is the team doesn’t have resources for dieticians or trainers, like Boise State or University of Idaho do.
Another factor:The entire women’s team lives in the dorms, Rogers said, and relies on cafeteria food. He can encourage the players to stay away from pizza and burgers but can’t force them.
“For the most part they do (listen), and most don’t drink pop anyway,”he said.
Student athletes aren’t the only ones who treat food as precision fueling. Twin Falls fitness model, personal trainer and figure competitor Geri Helm eats according to a calibrated formula, too.
Figure competitors are comparable to body builders, with a bigger emphasis on muscle tone instead of size. That means staying slender so judges can see their muscles.
Figure competitions take place between April and October. During that time, Helm sticks to a strict diet before performances.
“To give you enough time to get you into the right physical condition, you need a minimum of 12 weeks,”she said. In that time, her diet consists of lean protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. She stays away from simple starches like pasta and potatoes and avoids alcohol and sugar.
Helm has always eaten healthy, so this isn’t a huge shift for her. Still, “sometimes it is a little tough,” she said. Cravings can get bad when she strays from her regimen or isn’t getting enough nutrients.
YMCA fitness director and triathlete Eric Snow watches his diet while training for triathlons, consuming plenty of complex carbs, protein and healthy fats. He pays even more attention the week leading up to a race.
“Right before it, like the week of, you’re probably going to include some additional carbohydrates in your diet, cutting down on the amount of protein and the amount of fiber in your diet,”he said.
Like Helm, he sometimes gets cravings, but said it’s natural. And the dietary restrictions are worth it.
“It’s more than just having a specific diet during the training season,”he said. “For me personally, it’s more of a lifestyle thing.”
©2011 The Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho)
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