Walk into any sports store or scroll through social media and you’ll see one thing loud and clear: supplements everywhere. Pre-workouts, powders, boosters, ketones—everyone wants the “secret weapon to performance.”
But here’s the truth we teach every athlete at MVNUTRITION: 
Supplements are the last step, not the first. We invite you to take a FOOD FIRST APPROACH.
Peak performance isn’t built on trendy products. It’s built on a solid foundation — YOU WANT TO START BUILDING THE HOUSE FROM THE BASE.
1. Energy Balance: The Base of ALL Performance
If you’re not eating enough, everything else becomes relative..
Research consistently shows that low energy availability leads to:
- Fatigue
- Muscle loss
- Hormonal disruptions
- Decreased performance
- Increased injury risk
Before thinking about macros or timing, athletes must fuel enough to support their training load.
Foundation rule: Fuel for the work required. Eat Enough Calories
2. Macronutrients & Hydration: The Drivers of Fuel
Once energy needs are met, the next step is getting the right mix:
- Carbs: your body’s preferred fuel to sustain performance
- Protein: important in terms of muscle building and repair, and immune support
- Fats: key to support hormones, inflammation control (omega 3’s) and long lasting/energy reserve
- Hydration: crucial for performance- losing above 2% of weight due to dehydration will affect performance. Period.
Now- there is no one size fit all. Each athlete has his/hers own formula
3. Micronutrients: Do not provide calories BUT…
Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants—these don’t give you energy, but they help your body use energy efficiently and are part of multiple physiological processes.
Common athlete concerns include:
- Iron (oxygen transport)
- Vitamin D (bone health, immunity)
- Calcium (bone strength)
- B vitamins (energy metabolism)
Micros keep the engine running smoothly.
4. Nutrient Timing & Sport-Specific Strategies
Now we get into the performance boosters:
- Pre-workout fueling (this will vary based on the type and intensity of training)
- Intrafueling: you want to keep the engine running once the stores get depleted
- Post-training recovery: you want to use the recovery window to get ready for the next session
- Hydration strategies: adjusted to your specific sweat rate test!
These finer details help athletes train at higher intensities and recover faster.
5. Supplements: The Cherry on Top
Creatine, caffeine, nitrates, sodium bicarbonate, and beta-alanine have strong evidence behind them. Same for sports nutrition products such as protein powders and intrafueling products.
BUT—they only work when:
- You eat enough calories
- Macros are balanced for the work required
- Micronutrients are adequate and there are no deficiencies
- Timing is optimized
Supplements enhance—they don’t replace food sources.
The Takeaway 😎
Athletic performance isn’t won through shortcuts. It’s built through consistent, intentional nutrition—starting from the base and working upward to the top. At MVNUTRITION, we help athletes FIND THEIR OWN FORMULA so they feel stronger, recover faster, and compete at their highest level.
Master the basics → Build the foundation → THEN work your way up to the top.
Ready to take your performance to the next level? Let’s find your formula. 
