Florida State University Football Case Study

Case Study Description The particular individual chosen for this case study is a former National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II football player. He is now attempting lose weight in order to become a marathon runner. This has been difficult for him because of the differences in diet and his portion sizes. For the majority of this individual’s athletic career he was on a very high calorie diet due to switching positions after his first year in college. He initially entered the program as a linebacker at 210 pounds and after his first fall season, where he redshirted, and entering the spring season he was asked to move to defensive end. With this athlete being 210 pounds, he sought out his strength and conditioning coach …show more content…
This will allow 1/3 of the plate to be filled with lean proteins, another 1/3 filled with fruits and vegetables, and the final 1/3 consists of carbohydrates, starches, and whole grains7. In order to improve the athlete’s performance during marathon training sessions the energy provided to the body through food consumption is critical. Although the Florida State program suggests 1/3 of the diet should be carbohydrates, a recent study evaluating the dietary practices of 28 NCAA Division I football players consists of 47% of their diet comes from carbohydrates, 22% comes from protein, and 24% comes from total fat consumption2. Of the total fat consumed 11% comes from saturated fats and 9% come from monounsaturated fatty acids2. This individual will also need to cut their caloric intake so they are expending more than they are ingesting. A great way to do this is to cut 400 calories from the daily caloric intake and slowly progress to cutting 750 calories from the daily caloric …show more content…
Carbohydrates are essential to the fuel the muscles and replenish the glycogen in order to allow the muscle to perform at its best4,8. The diet of an individual preparing for a marathon should consist of 55% to 65% of carbohydrates, 10% to 35% of lean protein, and 20% to 35% of unsaturated fats4,8. The increase the amount of carbohydrates consumed by 22-32% will allow for a replenishment of muscle glycogen and more glycogen storage within the muscle and liver to prolong exercise and improve performance4. Exercise performance will improve because carbohydrate utilization during a marathon is present in those who maintain their VO2peak at or above 60% in a race lasting longer than 200 minutes4. Runners who maintain at least a 10 minute per mile pace will remain above the 60% of their VO2peak and will lead to 81% of the energy used by the body coming from