Proper Nutrition Improves Training
How Eating Well Benefits Athletes
By Grace Werle, Staff Writer
Training daily can be grueling task for athletes. For some, the additional layer of maintaining a proper diet is even more difficult.
For Lynn students, that process is about to get easier. The university just completed construction of the new Snyder Center for Health and Wellness, and because of its proximity to Mary’s Kitchen, it helps athletes easily achieve their daily caloric goals.
As the location of the new fitness center, the Snyder Center offers several amenities for both student-athletes and those looking to fit some exercise into their schedules. Lynn athletes also have access to qualified staff members that are there to help them realize their potential.
Zach Rowell is one of those staff members. Serving as the strength and conditioning coach for all of the sports teams at the university, his job involves tailoring workouts and creating various routines for the athletes to follow each day.
Because one of those routines is healthful eating, a large focus of Rowell’s role is helping maximize student-athlete nutrition. That is something that can be accomplished outside of the weight room and aids training and recovery while also helping optimize athletic performance.
“When eating the right foods, it allows your body to recover at a faster rate, so when you come back in the next day, you are able to move more weight at a much higher percentage,” said Rowell. “When you eat the right things at the right time, your body goes into a much better metabolic state.”
The human body is incapable from recovering from strenuous activity unless it is provided with enough nutrients to make up for what was consumed during heightened activity. Because of this, it is essential to maintain a proper diet when working out.
Rowell adds that maintaining a healthy metabolism can allow your body to perform in “a much higher state” than it otherwise would. While not all students are able to get their own personalized nutrition and exercise plans, the amenities at the Snyder Health and Wellness Center are available to all.
