Nutrient Timing

As an athlete, you’re likely bombarded by advice from coaches, trainers at the gym, and teammates and friends about what you should be eating, how much, and when. You probably even get advice from people on social media who have never even met you!

Whether you’re an endurance runner, a team sport competitor, or a strength and power athlete, Nutrient Timing: Fueling Strategies to Unlock Peak Performance gives you science-backed advice that has been translated into practical recommendations to help optimize your training, boost performance, and accelerate recovery.

Learn why nutrient timing matters and how to identify your specific timing needs. Find carb, protein, fat, fluid, and supplement recommendations—for before, during, and after training or competition—that are specific to your situation, activity level, and sport. Use the sample nutrition plans and case studies for various sports and situations to help facilitate the implementation of those recommendations. Get time-saving food prep and meal planning tips to help keep your unique nutrition plan on track. And if your goal is to gain muscle, lose fat, or recover from an injury, that’s covered as well.

If you want to train hard, perform to the best of your ability, recover quickly, and maintain a competitive edge over your opponent, let Nutrient Timing be your guide. It will give you insight into the ideal types of nutrients to consume, their quantities, and their timing to enhance your performance and achieve your goals.

Earn continuing education credits/units! A continuing education exam that uses this book is also available. It may be purchased separately or as part of a package that includes both the book and exam.

Audience

High-level, motivated athletes looking to maximize their performance as much as possible through nutrition; reference for nutrition professionals, personal trainers, and performance coaches working with these athletes.

Part I. Foundations of Effective Fueling
Chapter 1. Not What, but When? Why Nutrient Timing Matters
Chapter 2. Identify Your Timing Needs
Chapter 3. Go Harder for Longer With Carbohydrates
Chapter 4. Recover Faster With Protein
Chapter 5. Meet Energy Needs With Fat
Chapter 6. Elevate Performance With Vitamins and Minerals
Chapter 7. Sustain High Performance With Hydration
Chapter 8. Gain the Edge With Supplements

Part II. Fine-Tune Your Fueling for Any Schedule
Chapter 9. Strategies for Training and Competition
Chapter 10. Endurance Training and Competition
Chapter 11. Strength, Power, and Team Sport Training and Competition
Chapter 12. Special Considerations
Chapter 13. Prep and Plan Ahead

Lauren Link, MS, RD, CSSD, is an assistant athletics director and the director of sports nutrition for Purdue University Athletics, where she oversees the sports nutrition program and works with football, men's basketball, volleyball, and women’s soccer. Her primary duties include providing individual and team nutrition education; providing counseling and medical nutrition therapy as needed; evaluating supplements for legality, safety, and efficacy; assessing body composition and identifying athletes at high risk for bone injury using Lunar iDXA technology; overseeing the fueling stations and athletic dining hall; and managing a seven-figure budget to provide all teams with appropriate nutrition.

In addition to fueling her athletes for success on the playing field, she is also passionate about helping athletes successfully navigate the transition into the real world. She has led multiple initiatives to this end, founding the Purdue student-athlete community garden and spearheading a program called BLAST—for Boiler Life After Sport—designed to help address key components of athletes' transition to “normal” life. In 2017 she published her first book on the subject: The Healthy Former Athlete.

Link graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor of science degree in dietetics and health, nutrition, and fitness (December 2011) and a master of science degree in health and kinesiology (December 2019). She was a member of Purdue women's soccer team from 2007 through 2011 and was part of the 2007 Big Ten tournament championship team. She is a registered dietitian (RD) and holds the Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) credential. She is active within the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) and is a member of the Sports and Human Performance Nutrition (SHPN) practice group.

“As a sports dietitian with experience working with athletes of all ages, I often get asked for recommendations for a book that summarizes what athletes need to know about nutrition, and Nutrient Timing is it. Grounded in science (with practical application strategies to back it up) and written by a veteran sports dietitian, this is information you can trust and begin applying immediately to help you fuel to win!”
—Amy Culp, RD, CSSD, LD, CEDS-S, Assistant Athletics Director for Performance Nutrition & Clinical Wellness at the University of Texas, Past President of the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association, and Owner of Amy Culp Nutrition

“Being able to readily implement solid nutrition strategies is critical to unleashing peak athletic performance. However, there is often a lack of evidence-based sports nutrition books and resources that provide these strategies in a format that is easy to follow, with actionable takeaways. In Nutrient Timing, athletes can tap into the essential knowledge they need to excel. This book is your comprehensive guide to fueling your body effectively, with a focus on science-supported, actionable solutions. Whether you're seeking to optimize energy, enhance recovery, or simply build better nutrition habits, this book provides the tools and insights to take your performance to the next level.”
—Jessica Isaacs, RD, CSSD, Private Practice Sports Dietitian With Experience in Collegiate and NBA Basketball

“Lauren always keeps it real. Buying in to what she told me and trusting her as the expert in nutrition is a big part of what helped me be successful in college and take my game to the next level in the NFL.”
—Rondale Moore, Wide Receiver for the Arizona Cardinals
 

Identify Your Timing Needs
Individualizing Your Hydration Plan
Supporting Injury Recovery