How many additional calories should an athlete consume if they work out twice a day?

Question

Leslie Bonci, RD, CSSD · Answer

If you're working out more than once a day, you might be thinking hmmm. I have to eat a lot more calories. Well, let's put this in perspective. First of all, it's not just about the calories or the energy. You consume is the quality of if the timing of is the quantity of that. Make a really big difference. So, here's what I say to my athletes all the time, if we look in the middle. So in the middle of might be a workout, it might be a practice. It might be conditioning or it might be an event. Depending upon the day on either side of that is your and post what you were doing before, to prepare for activity, and what you're doing on the back end to repay her from what you did. So you can do it again. So, if we think about parenthesize in our bouts of physical activity, if you're going to work out in the morning, perhaps you're splitting breakfast. So you're having part of your breakfast before and part after you're done, if you're going to work out again in the afternoon, maybe you have lunch in the middle of the day and then in the afternoon, maybe you're doing a snack before that afternoon work out and eating something. After that might be dinner or it might be something lighter and you have your dinner later. So starting to be strategic about what it is that you do. Help you to stay energized throughout the day and help you to maximize strength stamina and speed. The other part of that is we can do the makeup on the back end. And what I mean by that is after a day of rigorous training or two a day, then think about what you do before bed, because when you sleep, that's the time to restore. They help your body recover and refresh. So you can do more the next day. So, ending with a nightcap, so to speak. And maybe that might be a bowl of cereal. It might be a yogurt parfait, it might be a smoothie, it might be a good old fashioned, peanut butter, and jelly with a glass of milk. All those types of things. Help your body come back to Baseline, so that you are recovered and renewed and refreshed.

Swimming

Strength

Triathlon

Photography

Track & Field

Nutrition

Physical Therapy

Running

Pets

Cycling

Podcasting

HealthCare

Musculoskeletal

Hockey

First Responders

Integrative Medicine

Chiropractic

Cross Country Skiing

Adaptive Sports

Climbing

Mental Health

Surfing

Tennis

Military

Mind Body

Scholars

Criminal Justice

Liquor

CrossFit

Golf

Soccer

Pickleball

Hunting

Public Speaking

Venture Capital

"How many additional calories should an athlete consume if they work out twice a day?"