For many athletes, preseason is one of the most physically demanding times of the year. Practices get longer, conditioning ramps up, training intensity increases, and for many fall sports, athletes are also battling hot and humid August weather. Add in early morning workouts, lifting sessions, meetings, travel, or two-a-day practices, and it’s easy to see why preseason can leave athletes feeling completely exhausted.

While coaches are focused on preparing athletes for the season, nutrition plays just as important of a role in determining how well athletes perform, recover, and adapt to training. One of the biggest mistakes I see during preseason isn’t a lack of effort – it’s athletes trying to fuel the same way they did during the summer, even though their training demands have dramatically increased.

If you’re feeling fatigued, struggling to recover between practices, or noticing your performance start to decline as the week goes on, your nutrition may be part of the equation.

Your Body Needs More Fuel Than You Think

As training volume and intensity increase, so do your energy needs. Longer practices, multiple daily training sessions, conditioning workouts, strength training, and exercising in the heat all require significantly more energy than a typical off-season workout.

The challenge is that your appetite doesn’t always increase at the same rate.

In fact, many athletes find they’re too busy, too tired, or simply not hungry enough to eat what their body actually needs. High-intensity exercise, heat, and even the stress or excitement of preseason can suppress appetite, making hunger a poor indicator of whether you’re fueling adequately.

This is why many athletes unintentionally underfuel during preseason.

Instead of waiting until you’re hungry, focus on eating consistently throughout the day. Skipping meals or waiting several hours between eating opportunities often leads to low energy, slower recovery, and feeling like you’re constantly trying to play catch-up.

For example, an athlete with an early morning lift followed by an afternoon practice may need:

• A quick breakfast before lifting
• A recovery snack after the workout
• Lunch
• A pre-practice snack
• A recovery snack after practice
• Dinner
• A bedtime snack 

During preseason, three meals per day usually aren’t enough.

If your appetite is lower than usual, don’t force yourself to eat huge meals. Instead, make fueling easier by choosing foods that are less filling and easier to tolerate. Smoothies, chocolate milk, yogurt, fruit, applesauce, or other cold foods are often more appealing after hot practices. Eating smaller meals more frequently can also feel much more manageable than trying to eat large portions all at once.

Fuel Before Every Practice

One of the most important nutrients athletes should prioritize during preseason is carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred fuel source for moderate- to high-intensity exercise. They provide the energy needed to support speed, power, endurance, and quick decision-making throughout practice. When carbohydrate stores begin to run low, athletes often notice fatigue, slower reaction times, and a decline in performance.

A helpful guideline is to include a source of carbohydrates before every practice, while adjusting the size and composition of your meal or snack based on how much time you have before training. When you have several hours before practice, you can enjoy a more balanced meal that includes carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. As practice gets closer, shift toward smaller, carbohydrate-rich foods that are lower in fat and fiber so they’re easier to digest and provide readily available energy.

If you have 2-3 hours before practice:

Aim for a balanced meal that includes carbohydrates, protein, and fluids.

Some examples include:

• Oatmeal topped with fruit and honey alongside Greek yogurt
• A bagel with cottage cheese and fruit
• Turkey sandwich with pretzels and fruit
• Grilled chicken sandwich with sweet potatoes and fruit
• Rice bowl with lean ground meat and salsa 

If you only have 30-60 minutes before practice:

Choose foods that are lower in fat and fiber so they’re easier to digest while still providing a quick source of energy.

Good options include:

• Banana
• Grapes
• Dried mango
• Applesauce pouch
• Graham crackers
• Pretzels
• Toast with honey
• Granola bar
• Sports drink if solid food isn’t appealing

Early morning practices can make pre-workout fueling feel especially challenging, particularly if you don’t wake up hungry. Rather than worrying about eating a full meal, focus on having something small. Even a quick carbohydrate-rich snack can provide your body with energy to support your training and is often better than heading into practice on an empty stomach.

Fuel & Hydrate Well for Long Training Days

During preseason, many athletes aren’t just completing one workout each day. It’s common to have extended practices, two-a-days, conditioning sessions, or even a lift immediately following practice. These longer training days place even greater demands on your body, making both fueling and hydration important for maintaining performance throughout the day.

Fuel During Longer Training Sessions:

For practices lasting longer than about 60-90 minutes, particularly when training is intense, performed in the heat, or part of a multiple-session day, fueling during exercise may help maintain energy levels, delay fatigue, and support performance. Easily digested carbohydrate sources such as sports drinks, chews, gels, gummies, or other convenient carbohydrate-rich foods can help provide energy when your body needs it most.

Stay on Top of Hydration:

Preseason in the fall often takes place during some of the hottest and most humid weeks of the year, making hydration one of the most important performance factors athletes can control. Even mild dehydration can negatively affect endurance, strength, concentration, reaction time, and overall performance, while more significant dehydration can increase risk for heat illness. 

During longer or more intense training sessions, athletes don’t just lose water – they also lose electrolytes through sweat. Sodium is especially important because it helps maintain fluid balance and supports normal muscle and nerve function. Replacing electrolytes may also become important, particularly for athletes participating in long practices, multiple daily sessions, exercising in the heat, or those who tend to be heavy or salty sweaters.

Some practical hydration habits include:

• Carry a water bottle throughout the day.
• Drink fluids consistently instead of waiting until you’re thirsty.
• Take advantage of every water break during practice.
• Replace both fluids and electrolytes during and after training.
• Include sodium-containing foods or sports drinks after long or particularly sweaty sessions when appropriate.
• Check your urine color throughout the day – it should generally be pale yellow.

Hydration isn’t something to think about only during practice. It starts when you wake up and continues throughout the entire day.

Recovery Starts as Soon as Practice Ends

The work isn’t over when practice ends.

Recovery nutrition isn’t just about helping your body recover from the workout you just completed – it’s also about preparing you for what’s coming next. During preseason, practices are often scheduled just a few hours apart, giving your body less time to replenish energy stores and repair muscle before the next training session.

A good recovery snack or meal should include both carbohydrates and protein.

Carbohydrates help replenish muscle glycogen, your body’s stored form of energy, while protein provides the building blocks needed for muscle repair and adaptation. Together, they help you recover more effectively than either nutrient alone.

Aim to eat within about 30-60 minutes after practice whenever possible.

If you’re participating in two-a-days or multiple training sessions, your recovery nutrition after the first practice also becomes your fuel for the next one. Think of your recovery snack or meal as the bridge between training sessions. Including both carbohydrates and protein helps begin restoring energy while supporting muscle repair so you’re better prepared for your next practice or even a lift immediately afterward.

Packing portable recovery foods can make this much easier on busy preseason days when time between sessions is limited. Chocolate milk, Greek yogurt, fruit, sandwiches, protein smoothies, trail mix, crackers, or cottage cheese are all convenient options to help you recover while setting yourself up for the next workout.

Simple recovery ideas include:

• Chocolate milk
• Greek yogurt with granola and fruit
• Protein smoothie with a banana
• Turkey sandwich
• Cottage cheese with fruit
• Eggs with toast
• String cheese, crackers, and an apple

Athletes with especially high energy needs may also benefit from a bedtime snack that includes both protein and carbohydrates. This can be a simple way to continue meeting nutrition needs while supporting overnight recovery and muscle repair.

Common Preseason Fueling Mistakes

Even experienced athletes can fall into habits that make preseason more challenging than it needs to be. Some of the most common mistakes include:

• Waiting until you’re hungry to eat.
• Skipping fuel before morning conditioning or training.
• Going several hours between meals because of a busy schedule.
• Not bringing snacks for breaks between practices.
• Drinking only water during long, hot training sessions.
• Saving all of your calories until after practice instead of fueling before and between training sessions.
• Skipping recovery nutrition because you’re tired after practice.

Fortunately, these are all habits that can be improved with a little planning.

Example Preseason Fueling Plan

7:00 AM – Pre-Practice Snack
Toast with honey and a banana

8:00–10:00 AM – Practice
Water during practice

10:15 AM – Recovery Snack (Carbohydrate + Protein)
Chocolate milk and a banana (or a protein bar with fruit)

11:30 AM – Team Lunch
Turkey sandwich, yogurt, granola, and fruit

1:00 PM – Pre-Practice Snack
Fig bar

1:30-3:30 PM – Practice
Water and sports drink during practice

3:30-4:30 PM – Lift
Applesauce pouch on the way to the weight room

5:00 PM – Team Dinner
Grilled chicken, rice, broccoli, fruit, and chocolate milk

7:30 PM – Bedtime Snack
Greek yogurt with fruit, granola, and peanut butter

The Bottom Line

Preseason places enormous demands on your body, and your nutrition should rise to meet those demands. The athletes who recover well, stay healthy, and continue improving throughout camp aren’t necessarily the ones training the hardest – they’re often the ones consistently fueling, recovering, and hydrating throughout the day.

Focus on eating consistently, prioritizing carbohydrates around training, recovering with both carbohydrates and protein after practice, and staying on top of hydration from the first workout of the day to the last.

The work you put into your nutrition during preseason doesn’t just help you get through camp – it helps lay the foundation for a stronger, healthier, and more successful season!