New nutrition center opens for USUE athletes

A new opportunity has sprung up for USU Eastern athletes. A brand-new nutrition center has opened in the Bunnell-Dmitrich Athletic Center.

The idea was first proposed by coaches and USU Eastern’s Athletic Director, Jess Brinkerhoff, as a way to improve the nutrition of our athletes to help in their athletic performance. The nutrition center has replaced the old conference room which is located down the main hall of the BDAC, the same hall where the weight rooms are.

The nutrition center also hopes to prevent injuries and make recovery from injuries easier and faster. The nutrition center plans to educate USU Eastern athletes on sports nutrition through workshops, to help them understand what foods to eat and what foods to stay away from. It also offers protein supplements such as protein bars, shakes, and protein powder. The room is accessible by the coaches so after a long practice, training, or lifting session athletes can go with their coaches to access these supplements.

Tanner Hallock, one of the trainers at the BDAC, is over the nutrition center. He went to Colorado Mesa University in 2015 where he got his undergraduate in kinesiology. Tanner is also a certified EMT, meaning that he can respond to a medical emergency that an athlete may have. Last year Tanner got his masters in athletic training, so we congratulate him on his accomplishments. Tanner hopes that through the workshops that he will be leading, athletes will ask for personal training. This will help an athlete get a more personalized nutrition and training plan based on their goals.

It is common knowledge that athletes need to eat more than the average human because they are expending a massive amount of energy almost every day. According to SuperHealthyFood, the recommended approximate caloric intake of an athlete should be between 2,700 to 2,900 per day for a male athlete, while female athletes are recommended 2,000 to 2,100 calories per day. Athletes also need nutrients to keep their bodies at their peak performance such as protein, fats, and carbs. Every athletic body is different though, so it is essential to know what your body needs according to your weight, height, gender, energy expenditure, etc. Through this program, it should help athletes know exactly what they need.

As of right now the nutrition center is only for the varsity athletes of USU Eastern, but no athletic team is excluded. All USU Eastern athletes should be excited about this new opportunity, not only will it help them keep their bodies in shape for their sport, but it can also be applied to them in the future whether that be by going professional in their sport or just living an everyday, healthy life.