Fuel Up with Amanda Chidester

Learn how Amanda Chidester approaches nutrition and the demands of playing for USA Softball.

You’ve seen the results – now learn about the process. No one takes their training approach more seriously than Amanda Chidester. Read on as the USA Softball star and former NPF Player of the Year shares more about the lessons she’s learned over the years that led her to such a successful career.

I started to really focus on my nutrition way too late in my career. I unfortunately did not have the knowledge I do now when I was growing up playing. I wish I did. I had some, but the access we all have now with the Internet is amazing. The problem we run into is what is true and what is not. I also struggled with that. I am still learning every day. It’s hard to find good information for athletes.

After college is when I really started to learn more about food, my relationship with food and how it can help me or hurt me in my performance. Being aware of what is going in our bodies is step number one. Step two, we must understand what fuels us. Once we have an idea of the right foods we need and like, the timing of when we eat them is huge.

Nutrition can be overwhelming. My tip is to ease into it. Check out different Instagram pages. Read different articles. As athletes we NEED food. We NEED to fuel. Even if we are trying to lose a couple pounds we have to eat more than the average human.  I believe in eating whole foods. I stay away from sugars and processed food.

Again, timing is EVERYTHING. We all workout at different times of the day and need to fuel according to what our needs are. We also have to remember that our needs are all different. My height, age, weight, sport, and workouts are my own. I need to be specific to me. What I need may not be what my teammates need because we all train differently and we are all different heights and weights. This is important.

Planning ahead is the best for proper nutrition. My workouts are typically in the morning. I know that I need enough fuel to last me a two- and half-hour intense workout. A good meal for me is about 45min before my workout and a good amount of calories. I make sure that my breakfast is high in protein, veggies and good carbs. It is not easy to get high protein for breakfast but egg whites and turkey bacon do the trick.

"AFTER WORKOUTS IT IS IMPORTANT TO FUEL FOR RECOVERY. I ALWAYS HAVE A PROTEIN DRINK WHEN I AM FINISHED. I BELIEVE IT REALLY HELPS ME RECOVER AND GET READY FOR WHAT IS NEXT."

We do not realize how important hydration is before, during, and after out workouts. I have my water bottle everywhere with me drinking water. Just drinking water is sometimes not enough. I have a hydration drink that I have every day during my workout to help me stay properly hydrated. Sometimes I will have another later in the day as well. Sugary drinks are not proper hydration.

After workouts it is important to fuel for recovery. I always have a protein drink when I am finished. I believe it really helps me recover and get ready for what is next. If you do not have protein you can always have 8oz of chocolate milk after.

My lunch is later in the day. This meal is also high in protein, lots of veggies, and some good carbs. Depending on my day depends on the size of my lunch. I try to listen to my body as much as possible.

Depending on how I am feeling and what is going on I usually will have a snack between lunch and dinner. I love smoothies. I love bars. I love rice cakes and peanut butter, I love apples/bananas with almond butter or peanut butter. I enjoy turkey jerky and beef turkey.  Veggies with hummus.

Dinner will also depend on the day. Typically, I do protein and veggies. I love vegetables. I include them at every meal.

Late night snack would be hot tea and dark chocolate.