"I want to play in the NFL or MLB"
Great—your habits should match your ambition. Too many athletes skip breakfast, rely on junk, and get less than 6 hours of sleep.
Talent will only get you so far in sports and in life. If you see nutrition as punishment, it’s time to shift your mindset. Sleep and food are tools to build strength, speed, and stamina.
Mediocre habits won’t get you to the top—they’ll hold you back. The data doesn’t lie. According to statistics:
- Just 1.6% of college players will become a professional in the NFL. 10.5% of NCAA senior male baseball players will get drafted by an MLB team.
- Approximately 1 in 200, or approximately 0.5 percent of high school senior boys playing interscholastic baseball will eventually be drafted by an MLB team.
If you’re striking out on the field, it could be your fueling and recovery. Nutrition and sleep directly impact your focus, energy, power, and performance.
Start acting like your goals depend on it—because they do.
The tips I outline in this blog are going to HELP you gain the competitive edge you train so hard for. That means you can’t eat Skittles and 1/2 a sandwich at lunch and expect to be bigger, faster, or stronger.
Remember, athletes do not diet and exercise. Athletes fuel and train. You must eat early and you must eat often if you want to be your best!
Performance adaptations can’t occur if you’re not eating quality calories rich in vitamins and minerals as well as protein to repair and rebuild.
"Rule no 1: Aim for 7-11 hours of sleep"
Sleep is king. Student-athletes need more sleep. This isn’t new information. Sleep is king and nutrition is queen. Never stay up late for something you would not get up early for.
If you would not get up at 4 a.m. to scroll the news or social media why would you stay up till midnight doing such toxic things? Poor sleep habits hinder your health and performance. As a sports dietitian sleep is my first concern when speaking with a program, coach, athlete, or parents of young athletes. How much we sleep influences our appetite as well as testosterone levels. If you have time for social media you have time for sleep. If you want to get stronger and faster start getting your sleep!
“If you need a pre-workout for energy you likely aren’t eating enough, hydrating, or getting proper sleep.” Share this video with someone who needs to hear this message.
Feel free to share my sleep tweets with those who need a reminder on priorities. Do you want to be great? Get your sleep! If you can’t get the full 7 try adding in a nap. Research supports that a 20-90 min nap can improve performance.
BASEBALL PERFORMANCE TIP SHEET DOWNLOAD HERE
"Rule no 2: Test Don't Guess! Start logging your Nutrition"
How do you know if you’re eating enough protein, carbs, and calories to fuel your training? Most athletes don’t—until they track it.
We have our athletes log their intake so they can see what’s really going on. Many say they can’t gain weight, yet skip breakfast and barely hit 100g of protein.
Use MyFitnessPal, pen and paper, a Word doc—anything. You can’t change what you don’t measure. When an athlete realizes they’re eating 2,000 calories but trying to gain weight, the lightbulb goes on. If nothing changes, nothing changes.
📌 Check out my weight-gain tips blog, download my weight-gain guide, and grab this baseball grocery list + creatine monohydrate guide for practical help.
Nutrition Coaching and Presentations
Create a Habit Change for
Both Youth and Collegiate Athletes
- Sac State baseball athlete was able to add 24 lbs. to his frame in 5 months. Read here how Ryan gained weight in the off-season.
- 13 YO baseball athlete gains 58 lbs. over two years following the NWW fueling plan! Read how Eli added muscle and strength using our nutrition plan here.
- Texas HS baseball coach shares the benefits of my Baseball Nutrition 101 presentation to educate his athletes on pre-workout meals, recovery nutrition, and how to improve strength.
- Recently I delivered a baseball nutrition 101 to the Southern Baseball Academy. We discussed muscle gain, pre-workout, post-workout, fueling game day, and how supplements do not contain the same high-quality amino acids as whole foods. This is something I discuss in every single high school, college, and semi-pro presentation. If you’re not seeing strength or performance results you likely aren’t eating enough high-quality protein or sufficient calories. See the muscle gain dinner example here.
"Calorie, Protein, Fat and Carbohydrate Recommendations"
- Carbohydrate needs range from (3 to 5 g/kg/bw/day).
- Protein needs vary based on goals, training, and intensity but the right place to start is (1.4-1.8 g/kg/bw/day).
- Fat recommendations include 1.0 g/kg/bw/day).
This means a 150 lb. 68 kg athlete requires: 205-340 g of carbs, 95-122 g of protein, and 68 g of fat. It is quite simple to break this down into 3 meals and 2 snacks using the performance plate as a guide. All meals matter.
If you consume 3 meals per day at roughly 25-30 g of protein and 10-15 g of protein at snacks you’re meeting your needs. Fueling strategy!
"Rule no 3: Hydration, Pre-workout and Refueling Post-Workout"
- If you’d prefer to see percentages you can see my simple breakdown here.
- See my student-athlete snack guide here.
- See a sample baseball athlete menu here.
- Gas station snacks for on-the-run here.
- Click here for SIMPLE team meal ideas to eat before a game or the night before games. For travel and dugout snacks click here.
- Eating out at fast food tips HERE.
- What about protein bars? Click here.
You have to PLAN! Do the planning in advance. Opportunity favors the prepared!! If you don’t prep meals and snacks, you’re less likely to fuel right—especially during long games or delays. Pack quick carbs + a little protein: dried fruit, fruit bar, ½ turkey sandwich, sports drink, ½ bagel. More options below!
- Hydration is one of the most overlooked aspects of health and performance. For every lb. lost during training and games replace with 16-24 oz. of fluid.
- Click here for my hydration recommendations.
- 1-2% of dehydration can result in loss of speed, power, strength, and agility. Click here for tips on preventing dehydration.
- 7 hydration tips here
- Fueling your workout
- NCAA regulations on pre-workouts?-learn more here
- Refueling post-workout and why you should use chocolate milk here.
- Baseball nutrition tip sheet
A 2006 study in Medicine and Science in sports and exercise found that proper nutrient timing, quality, and supplementation significantly increased strength, lean muscle, and fast-twitch muscle fibers—key drivers of performance.
- If you don’t understand how nutrition impacts strength, speed, power, and injury prevention, it’s time to look at the science.
- As your certified sports nutritionist and registered dietitian, I’m here to help you fuel right—at the right time, in the right amounts—for peak performance. Whether you run track, play football, baseball, or wrestle, nutrition is your edge.
- Nutrient timing combined with strength training will help baseball players throw harder, track athletes sprint faster, football players increase throw power, swimmers increase speed, and soccer athletes fatigue at a slower rate to name a few sport-specific examples.
Athletes NEED carbs, protein, quality calories, enough vitamins, and minerals to gain strength, speed, and power, adapt to training, and recover following tough training. If you’re struggling to improve as an athlete yet training consistently you need to dial in your nutrition and sleep. What are you waiting for?
In Summary
Want to Go Pro? Start with Your Daily Habits
Going pro isn’t just about talent—it’s about consistency. The habits you build now will shape your future performance. Here’s how to set yourself up for success:
Eat with Intention. Aim for 3–5 balanced meals daily with protein and produce. Carbs are essential for athletes—especially around workouts. Fuel before and after training with real food, not pre-workout powders.
Prioritize Recovery. Get 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night. Recovery is where progress happens, and sleep is the foundation.
Stay Hydrated. Drink 80–100 oz of water daily. Skip the soda and sugary drinks—they drag your performance down.
Supplement Wisely. Creatine monohydrate is one of the few proven, safe supplements. It helps build muscle, supports recovery, and reduces injury risk (Cribb & Hayes, 2006). Choose third-party tested products only.
Avoid Setbacks.Drugs, alcohol, vaping, and negative influences? They hold you back. Stay focused and protect your progress.
Be Intentional. Train smart, recover hard, and stay consistent. Every small choice adds up.
🎥 Hear from one of our athletes: Watch the testimonial
Use code WendiIrlbeck for 15% off Momentous supplements—trusted by sports dietitians and our own athletes.
Cribb, P. J., & Hayes, A. (2006). Effects of supplement timing and resistance exercise on skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 38(11), 1918–1925. https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000233790.08788.3e
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Fuel Better with Nutrition with Wendi Coaching Options
At Nutrition with Wendi, we offer a range of coaching services to help you or your team fuel smarter, feel better, and perform at your best.
- Family Coaching – Our Family Coaching program helps families establish healthy eating habits that actually work—with real food, flexible plans, and zero gimmicks.
- Student & Athlete Coaching (Our Specialty) – From fueling before games to recovery nutrition, sleep, hydration, and supplements—we guide students and athletes with practical, real-world strategies. Get started today
- Partnership Coaching – Teams, schools, and organizations: we offer tailored coaching programs to meet your group’s performance goals. Partner with us
- Not quite ready for individual coaching but still need direction? Our Membership Program offers three tiers—Starter, Elite, and Pro—designed to support your goals at your own pace.
Each tier includes:Monthly meal plans and recipes
A detailed creatine guide
Practical resources and tools …and much more.
- Wendi is a nationally recognized sports dietitian and speaker. Book a discovery call to bring her expertise to your team or event.
Health and performance guidebook HERE. In good health and performance,
Coach Wendi
Wendi A. Irlbeck, MS, RDN, LD, CISSN
Check out our elite services!
*Book a free call with a NWW sports dietitian
*Get in touch with Wendi for a team talk or partnership
*Enroll in 1:1 coaching or our elite membership
*Download Wendi’s health and performance playbook!
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