Fuel Like a Champion: Building Habits to Maximize Your Performance
When you're a young hockey player chasing your dreams, your fueling habits — not your "diet" or "eating" — are what will give you the edge over your competition.
Think of yourself like a high-performance car. Without the right fuel, you won't drive as fast, as hard, or as long as you need to. Fueling is about preparing your body to perform at its best before, during, and after every practice, workout, and game. It's one of the little details that separate average players from great ones.
Today, let's build your fueling system.
Pre-Session Fueling: Get Ready to Perform
Before you hit the ice, you need to load your tank with high-quality fuel. This gives your body the energy it needs to push hard, recover faster, and perform better.
2-4 Hours Before a Session:
You want a bigger meal with slow-digesting carbs, protein, and a little bit of healthy fats.
Good options:
Chicken, rice, and vegetables
Pasta with tomato sauce and ground beef
Turkey sandwich on whole grain bread
Oatmeal with peanut butter and a banana
Greek yogurt with granola and berries
1 Hour Before a Session:
You want something lighter and easier to digest, focusing mostly on fast-digesting carbs with some protein.
Good options:
Banana and a small protein shake
Granola bar and a hard-boiled egg
Apple and a few slices of turkey
Rice cake with peanut butter
Fruit smoothie with protein powder
Post-Session Fueling: Repair and Grow
After your session, it's GO TIME for recovery.
You aren't just refueling for today — you're also pre-fueling for your next session tomorrow.
Immediately After (within 30 minutes):
You need fast-digesting carbs and protein to kickstart recovery.
Good options:
Chocolate milk
Protein shake with a banana
Turkey wrap
Yogurt with honey and granola
1-2 Hours After:
Time for a full meal to continue recovery.
Good options:
Chicken stir-fry with rice
Salmon, sweet potato, and green beans
Ground beef taco bowl
Pasta with meat sauce
Easy Fueling Guide: Carbs, Proteins, and Fats
NutrientWhat It DoesExamplesCarbsMain source of energy (fuel for your body)Slow-Digesting: Oats, whole grain bread, brown rice, quinoa
Fast-Digesting: Fruit, white rice, white bread, granola barsProteinBuilds and repairs muscle tissue (essential for recovery and growth)Chicken, beef, eggs, fish, Greek yogurt, protein shakesFatsSupports long-term energy, hormone health, and brain functionAvocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, peanut butter
Simple rule:
Carbs = Energy
Protein = Repair and Build
Fats = Long-Term Support
Why Fueling Gives You the Edge
When you fuel properly:
You have more energy during practices and games.
You recover faster, meaning you can train harder the next day.
You build more strength and muscle.
You stay healthier and avoid injuries.
Meanwhile, the players who skip meals, don't plan their snacks, or just "eat whatever" — they'll burn out faster, get injured more often, and miss the improvements you're making every single day.
The little things matter.
How to Build Muscle and Get Stronger
If you want to gain muscle mass and strength, remember these keys:
Eat more calories than you burn.
(If you're not gaining weight, you're not eating enough.)Aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight every day.
(Example: If you weigh 150 lbs, aim for 150 grams of protein.)Eat 4-6 meals a day, with 20-30 grams of protein in each meal.
Consistency beats everything.
Showing up to train is easy. Fueling your body the right way, every day, is the hard part — and the real secret to getting bigger and stronger.
Training breaks your body down.
Fueling builds your body up.
If you stay committed to your fueling habits over time, you'll not only get bigger, stronger, and faster — you'll build the kind of body that wins games and creates opportunities.
My Challenge to you
Make fueling a part of your training — just like skating, shooting, and lifting.
Master it early, and you'll be ahead of the pack forever.
Start with your pre and post session fueling strategies and then build out from there once you have established that habits. This means, you may have to bring a lunch bag to the rink with you…