Clif Bar

Clif Bar has substance, but can often feel overly filling. Its coarse texture makes it difficult to chew, and over time can become distasteful. Clif Bars come in a variety of flavors, many of which are quite decent.

Flavor Recommendation: Cranberry Apple Cherry

ThinkOrganic

ThinkOrganic is a mixture of fruit and nuts. It has a clean, healthy taste without seeming sterile in the way “healthy” foods sometimes do. ThinkOrganic’s admirable ingredient list contains nothing except what is absolutely necessary. It is, in every way, the perfect energy bar.

Flavor Recommendation: Chocolate Coconut

Odwalla

Odwalla is a satisfying energy bar with well-rounded taste and texture. It is filled with whole grains and solid pieces of ingredients, but has a soft texture that makes it easy to chew. It has a fruity taste that adds to the nut and chocolate flavors. Its only downside is that it is a tad too sweet.

Flavor Recommendation: Choco-Walla

PowerBar

PowerBar is overall not a good choice for any athlete. Its yeasty texture alone is enough to induce nausea. Its flavor seems like a synthetic combination between coffee and chocolate. However, if calories are the main point of eating an energy bar, it is a good choice.

Flavor Recommendation: Chocolate Peanut Butter.

With senior Zack Blumenfeld

Wrestlers are constantly trying to balance between being in the right weight class and being physically fit. Senior Zack Blumenfeld says he drinks more water than his body can retain to maximize his hydration.

However, the weight factor associated with wrestling can lead some wrestlers to rather extreme diets. “You’re trying to manage your weight to where its going to be at competition,” Blumenfeld said. Wrestlers will go 16 hours without eating for the weigh-in, then load up on water, sports drinks and sugary energy bars before wrestling for a fast energy boost. Some will try not to drink water before the tournament. The effects vary. Although the wrestlers may have energy to perform, “you feel pretty bad afterwards,” Blumenfeld admitted.

With juniors Riley Weinmann and Tyler Ziebelman

According to Weinmann, it is important to stay healthy and hydrated during football season. The football team has a protein-filled dinner together prior to each game. “We normally have meat and lots of carbs like pasta or bread,” Ziebelman said. During the game, the team has water and Gatorade on the sidelines to keep them hydrated.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recommends hydrating with sixteen ounces of water two hours before a practice or event, and an additional eight to sixteen ounces fifteen minutes prior to and after excercising. According to the NCES, sports drinks work for athletes who are exercising more than an hour a day because they replenish electrolytes and provide sugar.

It is important for athletes to eat three meals a day, not skip breakfast and eat from all five major food groups, including fats in controlled quantities.

Volleyball

“My athletic diet is slightly different than my ‘normal’ diet,” senior volleyball team co-captain Lauren Ding said. “My athletic diet usually consists of a lot of fruits, granola, loads of water and protein.” According to Ding, an occasional deviation from a healthy diet is good during a sports season. “It’s nice to take a break from your regular diet and get a taste of some junk food. But that’s only once in a while.”

Cross Country

Senior cross country co-captains Tara Saxena and Allegra Mayer both run year round, which means the high calorie intake of a sports season diet is a regular part of their individual lifestyles. According to Saxena, having more than three meals in one day is normal for her. Some of her usual sports season foods include banana bread, yogurt, Goldfish and pretzels.

In addition to eating properly, Mayer believes that for female athletes to excel, they must have a regular daily intake of calcium to strengthen our bones to protect from stress fractures and osteoporosis.