Athletes spend countless hours training and practicing, but when it comes to eating, each individual has a course of action best fit for themselves.

For senior baseball players Payton Robinson and Peyton Lee, their dietary habits are different from one another, but they are similarly driven by an ultimate goal.

Robinson, whose goal is to gain more weight, has an open diet.

“I’ve been trying to gain some more weight,” said Robinson. “So, I have been eating pretty much whatever I want. I’ll eat McDonald’s, ice cream or burgers.”

Throughout the course of his day, Robinson eats up to five meals.

“I’ll eat one breakfast, a couple lunches, then a couple dinners,” shared Robinson.

Robinson discussed how he maintains his calorie intake when it comes to a hectic schedule between classes, games and practice.

“I’ll eat a peanut butter and jelly during practice or a game,” stated Robinson. “After that, I’ll usually drink a smoothie.”

Robinson expressed how difficult it can be to eat as much as he does.

“In high school, I thought I ate a lot,” said Robinson. “Now, I have to make sure I am getting all the calories I need in to gain some more weight.”

On the other hand, Lee has a more consistent and strict way of eating.

“My diet can be kinda tough,” shared Lee. “At the beginning of my college career, gaining weight was my main goal. This way, I could get bigger and a lot stronger than I was. After getting in all of those calories, I’m at a good consistent point where I’m just trying to maintain my health.”

Amidst Lee’s hectic schedule, he drinks mainly water during practice, but he will drink either a protein shake or fruit juices after practice.

Lee tries to stay away from fast foods as much as possible and cooks most of his meals.

“I stick to veggies and protein and try to mainly drink water,” explained Lee. “I try to eat three meals a day, but sometimes, if I’m in a rush, I have to settle for two.”

Though each athlete’s eating habits differ based off of end goals and the specific sport they play, Nursing School Rankings’ article “The Skinny on Athletic Diets” explained that most athletes should consume anywhere from 2,000-8,000 calories a day. It also suggests that athletes should eat from 500-1,000 more calories than the normal dietary intake with food low in fat and high in carbs and protein.

An article titled “Main Facts About Nutrition for Athletes” by Mike Samuels advises athletes to eat well before an event to perform their best and consume post-workout meals to help with recovery.

Although every athlete may differ with their own individual goals, a manageable diet and workout regime can help them maintain their health and perform at their best.