Ask a hockey player what his or her nutrition goals are during the season and you’ll likely hear answers that focus on performance and injury prevention or recovery.
Summer nutrition is different, though. Instead of fueling with a primary focus on performance, players tend to think more about tissue recovery, body composition changes such as gaining lean functional muscle or reducing body fat, overall health and preparation for training camp. Some also might use the offseason to experiment with new foods, brands of supplements, emerging diet trends or nutrient timing.
Access to different foods also varies between the offseason and in season. For example, high school students who are away at boarding school probably aren’t offered wild caught salmon. College players eating from the dining hall might not have all of their preferred choices or brands.
