We went behind the scenes with Alyssa Resnick (@alyssamresnick), Director of Performance Nutrition at Army West Point Athletics, to uncover how she and her team manage nutrition for 23 teams and keep their cade-athletes fueled for 18-hour days!
Q: What does a typical training day look like?
A: Due to the athletes also being cadets our schedules look a little different. Athletics, the academy and the military all get a part of our cadet-athletes. We will have some lifts starting at 5:45am prior to the cadets needing to be a formation at 7:25am. They will then have breakfast and classes all day. We are not able to schedule any team lifts, practices, or events during the time of 9am – 2pm, that is their academia time. Starting around 2pm we will have our athletes filter into our three weight rooms so complete their lifts for the day. Our last lift typically ends around 7pm. During that time my nutrition interns are constantly restocking our fueling pit, making fun snacks, providing drive by education to the athletes and this is also a time where we will schedule any teams talks that we have with teams either before or after their lifts/practices. All cadets in the corps including athletes have a buffet dinner available in the mess hall from 5:45pm to 8pm, however many NCAA teams will provide dinner for their teams if their practices run late. Football has practice in the evenings and prior to practice we will ensure our halftime snacks are ready, our pre practice supplements are handed out to the guys as they leave the locker room to the field and then all supplements for the guys are filled for dinner which is catered in, so they can continue to recover!
Q: What does a typical game day look like?
A: For a typical game day for Football, myself and my staff will get in around 7:30am to begin prepping for the game. We will stock up the half time snack cart and make sure all of our halftime fuel is prepped and ready. As well as our specific hydration and our post game recovery snacks. We also do a lot of recruiting here so it is important that our fueling pit is completely stocked and ready to be presented to our recruits. Around 10am I will provide a quick tour of our fueling station to anywhere between 50 -150 recruits and their families teaching them what types of resources our athletes are provided and what I do as a sports dietitian here. Around the 90 minute mark to kick off the athletes will take the field and I will join them in providing hydration to ensure they are preventing any cramping. During the game I am responsible for hydration and any fueling issues that may occur on or off the field. Post game recovery is provided and then we all go home!
Q: How does being at Army change your approach to preparing your athletes for competition?
A: Being at Army has given me an even further appreciation for college athletes. Our cadet-athletes have a schedule that is unlike any other college. Many begin at 5:45am and do not end their day until 11pm. In addition they are not permitted to use any bikes, e-scooters, or electric forms of transportation so it is completely up to them walking to get to their classes, practices, and lifts and West Point is positioned in a very mountainous area. Due to these additional needs the energy intake of our athletes intensely surpasses a typical person. In addition there are other barriers to nutrition and recovery that athletes face here, such as busy schedules, increased energy needs, inability to fuel as efficiently due to the schedule and the added stress of military classes that can increase the risk for injury should the athlete not recover correctly. As a dietitian, I have had to think outside the box, truly meet the athlete where they are at, and highly consider all the other responsibilities the athlete has as a cadet that could interfere with their training or recovery.
Q: What drives you everyday?
A: Seeing an athlete learn something new, put it into practice and it working for them to improve their performance. Being able to be the dietitian for 23 different teams is a challenge however it is something that I do truly enjoy because I am presented with the ability to work with so many different types of athletes and individuals with differing needs. Each time I meet a new athlete and their performance is impacted positively due to something we’ve been working on confirms everything I love about this field. Some think feeling a certain way or playing a certain way is how it will always be, however having the opportunity to make their life easier or help their performance and seeing the joy they feel is priceless. You never know what one simple change or small conversation can do for a person and how it can impact them.
Q: What would be your walkout music? Favorite pregame snack?
A: Bring Em Out – T.I. [As for snacks] I am all about the candy or fruit snacks for quick pre-game fuel – specifically nerds clusters!
