Fuel Your Game, Ignite Your Potential!

These resources offer guidance for young athletes focusing on nutrition and hydration. Eating balanced meals and snacks is emphasized based on Canada's Food Guide, including vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates, and proteins.  Pre- and post-exercise meal and snack suggestions are included to optimize performance and recovery along with hydration strategies during and after physical activity. The documents also encourage the availability of healthy food choices at recreation centres and sports-related events.

We encourage sports teams to post the infographic at their recreation facilities and share the Fuel Your Sport Resource with athletes, teams, coaches and families!

• What to Eat Before Activity (Poster)
• Hydration for Activity - Fueling for Sports Nutrition
• What to Eat During and After Activity (Poster)
• Planning for Tournaments, Competition and Travel (Poster)

Create an environment that supports healthy eating habits.

Everyone can play a role in creating a healthy food environment in their community. Sports teams, sporting events and recreation facilities are an important place to adopt practices and policies that support healthy eating behaviours. Healthy food environments make it easier for people to identify, choose and enjoy healthy food and drink options.

As a community member you can:

• Ask for healthy foods to be sold or served at community events or spaces like your local recreation centre or at sports events. This lets those who buy the food know that there is an interest in healthy options.
• Find out about organizations and associations you can join that run events or programs, or oversee places where food is sold. Talk with other members about opportunities to offer healthier food and drink options. Share your ideas on how to include healthy choices.

If you are responsible for food at community events or spaces:

• make water easily available and free of charge
• make sure healthy foods are available and widely promoted
• consider reducing the number of highly processed foods or sugary drinks offered
• be aware that signage that promotes food or drinks can influence food choices think about the images on drink machines or billboards in community centre arenas

Listen to the Deep Dive here for an overview of this information.