By Morgan Armitage
Sports Editor

Diet is an ever-debated topic in media. There’s always a new fad to follow, whether it be praising protein or demonizing fats. This is especially prevalent amongst collegiate athletes. Turns out, the diet of an athlete is just as important as their training regimen. 

And more than that, each sport has its own dietary needs to go along with it. 

Gavin Russell, a javelin thrower at Clackamas Community College, said that as javelin is an explosive sport, carbohydrates are a necessity. 

Gavin Russell. Photos by Max Coleman

“I eat a lot of protein and carbs is like the main thing, especially before competing, a lot of simple carbs,” said Russell.

Russell’s main meals consist of chicken and rice. Pre-workout, he’ll have simple carbs like Fruity Pebbles. Mid-workout, he’ll have a protein shake. And post-workout, he’ll have his standard chicken and rice meal.

“I’d say I probably eat 210-230 grams of protein every day, and then like, 500-600 carbs. The rest is fat,” Russell said.

Javelin throwers Izzy Wellhouser and Avery Barnhart seem to have similar goals to their male counterpart, Russell. 

Izzy Wellhouser (left) and Avery Barnhart (right) smiling for a photo.

Firstly, they drove home the importance of eating breakfast.

“Your body is in, like, fight or flight when it’s hungry, so it’s like, if you’re working out to get gains but your body isn’t getting the nutrients then you don’t get any improvement,” said Wellhouser.

Wellhouser and Barnhart agreed that breakfasts involving eggs and avocados were the ideal way to start the day. Barnhart opts for eggs and a breakfast meat, whereas Wellhouser generally goes for some form of avocado toast.

They also echoed Russell in the idea that carbs and protein is their priority. 

“During the season, getting protein is essential for like, actually seeing results with practicing and lifting and stuff,” said Wellhouser. 

Barnhart and Wellhouser weren’t the only athletes to recognize the importance of eggs, sprinter Chazz Rockett also incorporates them as part of his dietary regimen. 

“For me, we run a lot. So just calories, too, and high protein. A lot of eggs too, I eat a lot of eggs,” said Rockett. 

He aims to consume anywhere from 3,000-4,000 calories a day.

“During the endurance days, it’s definitely like, more calories, more everything,” said Rockett.

He aims to have around 100 grams of protein a day. His meals consist mainly of chicken and potatoes, and things like protein bars and yogurt post-workout. He also prioritizes hydration. 

“Staying hydrated too, is a big part, so a lot of water and stuff like that. Just gallons of water,” said Rockett. 

Wrestling coach Brett Sanchez also noted the significance of water in the wrestlers’ diets.

Brett Sanchez.

“We try to get protein early in the week, and then we dial it back down a little more on the veggie side and water side,” said Sanchez. 

The diet of the wrestlers is a little more strict, and really emphasizes protein. They also eat a lot of eggs, and a lot of brown rice. 

“A lot of protein. We really strict our guys to be really organically grass-fed. So a lot of them do a good job with their nutrition, and going to the meat market to get grass-fed steaks,” said Sanchez.

In season, wrestlers do a lot of calorie counting. They either need to stay in their weight class, or make one. Depending on their goal, their nutrition goals shift, but the fundamentals of it stay the same.

Pre-match, they’ll eat things like rice cakes, honey and blueberries, and bagel sandwiches packing nothing more than ham and mustard with a Liquid IV on the side. Carbs are important for them before games.

“We still need to get our carbs in as well, to be able to have that energy, to be able to push ourselves to another level when there really isn’t that much left in the gas tank,” Sanchez said.

Different athletes have different needs, but the main objectives of these athletes are incorporating protein and carbohydrates into their diets. While the focus is different, the idea is the same. 

If athletes get the right fuel, they can push their bodies a lot farther.

“If they can do that consistently, they’ll definitely get the most gains that they want to as a student athlete,” said Sanchez.