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The NFL preseason is underway and already players are getting accustomed to the daily grind that comes with playing in the NFL. With team meetings, two-a-day practices, and film study sessions, the life of an NFL player during training camp can be taxing.
However one of the most important aspects of an NFL training camp that never gets talked about is the dieting that is involved with getting NFL players into shape. Steve Weatherford breaks down some of the common questions about NFL nutrition.
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Is the goal of an NFL training table diet to lose weight?
This is perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions of what an NFL training table diet is. Many people make the mistake of assuming that the word diet is related to weight loss. A diet is about consuming a specific group of foods that will have a specific effect on the body. This could range from a diet that could cause one to lose weight, to a diet that is designed to help promote weight gain. When it comes to an NFL training table diet, this reality could not be more true.
Every player in the league comes into training camp in different shape from one another and with different physical goals that they need to achieve by the end of camp. This means that NFL training table diets are specific to each player and are determined by what they need to eat in order to get themselves into the best shape possible in order to perform to the best of their abilities as soon as the NFL season kicks off!
What does a typical NFL training table spread look like?
For those who are unaware, NFL training tables are meal tables that consist of the foods that the coaches have deemed most healthy for the players and they provide those foods as options to eat at the training tables. Now you are not necessarily required to eat from the training table. I personally have my own prepackaged pre-portioned, healthy food company to keep me in shape, (Elite Lifestyle Cuisine) but eating from the training table is recommended. The food is pretty good as well. An NFL training table will usually consist of foods like chicken, rice, fruit, eggs, and greens. The idea being to provide as much lean muscle building proteins as possible, while also boosting the bodies energy with the consumption fruits and greens.
So how would a player eat at training camp in order to gain or lose weight?
The process of gaining or losing weight while at training camp is broken down to almost an exact science. This is due to the fact that every NFL team has some of the top nutritionist in the country working for them and are members of the coaching staffs. Having played on multiple NFL teams, each team’s nutritionist has their own unique approach to monitoring and adjusting every player’s physical condition, however while the techniques might be slightly different, the principles remain the same.
Players who are in need of gaining size and strength, will be required to consume large amounts of protein and carbohydrates. These players can expect to consume a lot of chicken, eggs, beef, and pasta. Meanwhile players who are in need of lowering their weights so that they can remain light on their feet, can expect to see a lot of fruits and vegetables while at training camp. While the diets and conditioning goals may vary from player, the goal of the training table remains the same: Eat what you got to eat so that you can be game ready!
What does your diet look like right now while you are at training camp?
As you may have guessed, my diet is a little different from some of my fellow NFL punters! I have placed a big emphasis on extending my career as long as possible and that has included making nutritional sacrifices so that I can perform at my very best. However, as time has gone on these sacrifices do not feel like sacrifices anymore!
As I mentioned before, I personally don’t use the Giants training table because I eat prepared prepackaged meals. These meals are calibrated to provide me with exactly the nutrients needed to keep myself fueled and keep me going while I am out there on that field! They consist of small portions of meats and veggies, ranging from spinach and meatballs to tilapia and tomato salad.
