College athletics do not only entail playing a sport, as there are many additional responsibilities to follow. Maintaining a healthy physique is one of the most important things for a college athlete. This does not only come in the weight room, as many people will say it all starts in the kitchen. Eating proper diets while bulking up or putting on lean muscle can be an essential aspect in college sports.
Working out and staying fit is important for many athletes because they need to be ready for anything. While one athlete takes a day off, another may be achieving a personal record. Some athletes may be eating junk food while others are following strict diets to become a better athlete. Sophomore Thomas Schuyler has experienced this first hand, seeing amazing results last winter. He looks to continue his growth throughout high school and onto his collegiate career.
“The diet I follow has helped me stay energized throughout the day and has helped me gain a good amount of muscle,” Schuyler said. “I have gained 25 pounds in a year with this diet and I’m hoping to keep climbing.”
Being a younger athlete, Schuyler has received a lot of attention from colleges. He received an offer from Indiana University-Bloomington in September, 2019 and later made the decision to commit to the university in November. Since then, he has strictly focused on working out, dieting and practicing many hours a week.
Some athletes may overlook diets because they decide they do not want to commit to healthy meals. Some colleges may not require a diet, but coaches will see if an athlete is putting in the work that they expect.
Antioch alumnus Andrew Deboer decided to continue his football career at Clarke University. Deboer looks to be better everyday and prove that he can play at the collegiate level.
“At Clarke, we as athletes are not required to diet or follow a meal plan, but we are required to follow a hefty lifting plan,” Deboer said. “Over the summer I received a 10 plus page manual on workouts and field work to follow.”
College programs are always looking for the top athletes. Looking for the athletes who will put in the work, the ones that can be trusted to follow their process. College athletes often follow voluntary regimens because they want the best opportunity for success in bringing home a national championship.
Professional bodybuilder and author of the Anabolic Cookbook Greg Doucette is known for stating his opinions on other bodybuilders. In many videos, Doucette goes in depth on what he thinks about other athletes’ progress and whether they are building naturally or with some form of substance.
Doucette has been a professional bodybuilder for many years and in multiple videos he states that athletes who seem to be natural all come from a very good line of genetics. As he does his research, Doucette looks up other family members and when he sees an entire family of muscular and fit people, it shows that certain athletes come from a healthy genetic standpoint.
Doucette explains coming from a healthy genetic family they may never need to follow a strict diet. People could sit and eat a lot of food and never gain an ounce, that is the benefit to having good genetics in the fitness world.
For some athletes, dieting may not be needed. These Athletes are able to lose weight and gain muscle with no diet needed, but for others that may not be the case. Gaining muscle mass or losing body fat can all come down to the genetics of the athlete. Dieting plays a big factor in most athletes’ lives when they want to continue their sport at the collegiate level.
