Cam High athletes have been lectured, given suggestions, and in some cases, forced to discuss the topics of a balanced diet, weight maintenance, and healthy nutrition.

Scorpion volleyball players were given the opportunity to meet with a professional nutritionist to learn about their calorie intake, amount of sugars, protein, and fat needed to stay healthy and energized while being an athlete. Athletes are expected to still maintain a healthy diet while injured or in the off season.

According to an article by the NCCA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), having a balanced diet during recovery can have an impact on how fast the healing process will take. “Poor nutrition can lead to conditions that increase the risk of injury.” Furthermore, the article explains that female athletes are more susceptible to problems than males, and therefore, must be more alert to their nutrition needs.

“Eating clean, and eating right based on if you’re a female gives you the energy to think, to do, to create, to act, to compete. It makes for an accomplished athlete,” said Mrs. Tawney Safran, head girls swim coach and AP European History teacher.

The Cam High wrestling team constantly has to watch their weight to make sure they make the weight class in which they compete. In order to make weight, wrestlers usually have to consume more protein if they wish to go up a weight class. To move down in weight class, however, they curtail their fluid intake and exercise and sweat more, which can cause dehydration.  “Dehydration can result in decreased muscle function and blood flow and the decreased ability to regulate your body temperature,” according to an article by Livestrong.com.

Senior and former wrestler, Trevor Rush said, “When [athletes] are in high school it is the prime of our lives, but when we pretty much go anorexic or bulimic or we don’t eat healthy […] it destroys your body, and it ruins your metabolism. There have been reported cases of students that have gone to an extreme, and they don’t eat, yet keep working out and they die,” said Rush.

Not all sports push the boundaries on healthy nutrition. Cam High swimming coaches Safran and Mr. Colin Hedrick both promote a well-balanced diet and drinking the required amounts of water daily.

Safran believes that by showing and doing she will influence her swimmers to have better nutrition. “Sometimes [athletes] just don’t know how to eat,” said Safran. “It’s about fueling your body the right way.”