When it comes to sports nutrition, many coaches and players simply focus on weight and muscle gain.

How athletes get there, though, are the important steps.

Alex Rosencutter of Stack.com recently offered three areas of focus that coaches can share with players to help them improve weight, strength, energy and recovery levels throughout the season.

• Hydration. We’re not talking water breaks here. Maintaining proper hydration can be complicated based on the intensity of the sport, the environment and each individual. Poor hydration leads to athletes becoming fatigued, losing weight and muscle and not performing at their best. Football players should drink two to three cups of water before practice and a little water every 20 minutes during practice. After a workout, athletes need two to three cups of water for every pound lost during a practice.
• Eat your protein. Protein repairs muscle and builds new muscle. Strenuous workouts, practices and games place a great deal of stress on the muscles. If protein consumption is too low, muscles will not be able to properly recover, new muscle will not form, and athletes may experience an increase in soreness and recovery time. Players should eat 20 to 30 grams of protein within 30 to 45 minutes post-workout and with each of their big meals during the day. That level of protein can take the form of a piece of meat the size of a deck of cards, a protein shake or three eggs.
• Eat your carbohydrates. Glycogen and glucose are used along with fat as the body’s main fuel sources. If these are low, protein will be used for energy – something coaches should never want. Eating an ample amount of carbohydrates throughout the day will replace muscle energy lost in workouts and keep the body from robbing the muscles of protein for energy. Athletes should eat at least 50 grams of carbohydrates 30 to 45 minutes post-workout. This could include a bagel with peanut butter, a banana and a cup of chocolate milk or a cup of Greek yogurt with a handful of granola.

Rosencutter also offered four quick and easy post-practice recovery meals:

Whey protein isolate shake blended with 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup blueberries and 1 banana

3 eggs and 1 cup rolled oats

1 cup vanilla low-fat Greek yogurt with ½ cup granola

Smoothie with 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt, 1 cup water and 2 cups frozen blueberries