We have provided some very general guidelines about nutrition, but suggest you use the myriad of information that is available to you. There are six basic nutrients in the food you eat and they are divided into 2 groups: Macronutrients and Micronutrients. Macronutrients are made up of Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, and Water. Micronutrients are made up of Vitamins and Minerals.

In general, as a strength/power athlete, we recommend the following guidelines:

1) Eat whole foods.
2) Eat every 2 to 3 hours. This will ensure proper caloric intake, and prevent overeating as well.
3) Eat fruits and/or vegetables with every meal. These are essential for overall health, and ensure adequate vitamin/mineral intakes that are essential in all metabolic functions in the body. This is CRUCIAL for the strength/power athlete.
4) Eat a protein source in every meal. Lean sources are preferred. Refer to suggested foods section.
5) Ensure your carbohydrate sources are from complex grains, vegetables, and fruits. Processed foods are NOT adequate sources and should be only utilized after workouts. See suggested carbohydrate foods section.
6) Ensure your fat sources come primarily from oils, nuts, and red meats. We want you to strive for roughly 25-30% of your daily caloric intake from these sources of food. See suggested fat foods section.
7) Drink non-calorie containing drinks such as water. Reserve your caloric intake for foods.
8) Do not skip meals. Treat your body like a constantly running machine. To continually run, it needs energy to maintain its functions. Take the same approach with your nutritional regimen as you do with the other aspects of your training.
9) Adequate caloric intake is based on needs of the exercise program, and your body weight needs. If you are in need of losing weight, consume below maintenance calories, and if you are gaining weight, consume no more than 500 kcals above maintenance.

Calculating Caloric Needs without Considering Activity:

Males:
BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age)
Ex: 20 year old power athlete of 220lbs (100kg) at 6' (183cm) equates to:

BMR = 66 + (13.7 x 100kg) + (5 x 183cm) - (6.8 x 20yrs old)
BMR = 66 + 1370 + 915 - 136
BMR = 2215 calories per day

Females:
BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.7 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age)
Ex: 19 year old endurance athlete of 120lbs (54kg) at 5'5" (165cm) equates to:

BMR = 655 + (9.6 x 54kg) + (1.7 x 165cm) - (4.7 x 19yrs old)
BMR = 655 + 518 + 280 - 89
BMR = 1364 calories per day

Activity Level:

Sedentary: Nothing all day
Very light: Working a desk job, not performing any type of physical activity during the day period
Light: Working a desk job, but performing some physical activity during the day, but not hard
Moderate: Working a desk job, but perform some physical activity during the day, plus a daily workout session
High: Physical job, or non-physical job but training twice-a-day
Extreme: Physical job plus hard training

Caloric Needs Including Activity:

For our 220lb Male power athlete that is classified as having a high activity level we use the following equation to determine the number of calories he will need to maintain his weight:

2215 calories x 1.8 = 3987 calories

For our 120lb Female endurance athlete that is classified as having an extreme activity level, we use the following equation to determine the number of calories she will need to maintain her weight:

1364 calories x 2.0 = 2728 calories

Note: These calculations are based on a very general equation and will not be perfectly accurate for all individuals. A 120 pound female endurance athlete may need to consume upwards of 4,000-5,000 calories a day to maintain her weight (opposed to the 2728 calories calculated above). Caloric needs are relative to the individual.