Joey Guzzo’s approach to athlete nutrition at California State University-Stanislaus is a blend of practicality, education and understanding of athletes’ preferences. By focusing on accessible, appealing, and nutritious options, educating athletes on reading food labels, and balancing budget constraints, this head strength and conditioning coach effectively supports his athletes’ performance and long-term health. His philosophy underscores the importance of nutrition in strength and conditioning, providing a model for coaches and athletes alike to prepare, perform and recover.
Guzzo’s philosophy centers around exposing athletes to a variety of nutritional options, focusing on products that are not only beneficial but also appealing. He cites Honey Stinger waffles as a prime example, noting their popularity and practicality among athletes, especially for those with early morning training sessions. These choices reflect an understanding of the athletes’ lifestyles and preferences.
“I try to expose our athletes to a variety of choices,” says Guzzo. “At the end of day, you just try to find things that they like, and one thing I almost can’t stock fast enough is our Honey Stinger waffles.”
His approach extends beyond mere provision to educating athletes about the ingredients and nutritional value of what they consume. Guzzo regularly emphasizes the importance of this education with his athletes. By doing so, he empowers athletes to make informed decisions about their diet, a skill that transcends their collegiate athletic careers.
“They’re going to gravitate towards things that they like and now you’re giving ’em something they like that it is made with quality ingredients,” says Guzzo “You get them to look at the labels on products they’re buying in the grocery store. These are made with the right ingredients.”
Balancing Budget And Nutrition
Like most strength coaches, Guzzo faces the constant challenge of balancing a limited budget with the need to provide quality nutrition. He prioritizes products that offer the best value, considering both cost and nutritional benefit.
“I have to buy the best available prepackaged products I can,” he says. “And to me, Honey Stinger is at the top of the list. We don’t have a huge budget. So first thing I always look at is price point. How am I gonna get the biggest bang for my buck? Looking at the price that they offer teams for these waffles, to me this is a no-brainer in terms of what I’m able to afford.”
This practicality makes a huge difference for young athletes who are still learning to make a habit of breakfast. For his student-athletes who hit the gym for early-morning lifts, Guzzo admits that many of them simply won’t eat breakfast before arriving for a highly-demanding workout.
“If they’re going to grab something, they’re going to grab a waffle,” he says. “They’re quick and easily digestible. They’re going to give you that little spike that you need to get through it. They’re not going to make you feel heavy or ‘blah’. Same thing if they’re going to grab one before a game. Athletes often poke their head in my office and say, ‘Coach, can I grab a waffle before the game?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, of course.'”
The Importance Of Breakfast And Supplemental Nutrition
Guzzo’s approach to emphasizing a good breakfast is a challenge virtually all strength coaches face from high school through college athletics. For many kids, the concept of consuming calories before starting one’s day is just plain foreign. For parents who struggle daily to get kids to eat breakfast, many eventually just give up in the face of relentless pushback from their children.
Guzzo also acknowledges that not all athletes can consume a full meal in the morning. This is why he consistently advocates for providing accessible, nutritious options like Honey Stinger waffles to ensure athletes at least have something beneficial to start their day.
“Breakfast, you know, is obviously the most important meal of the day,” Guzzo notes, emphasizing the importance of a balanced approach to athlete nutrition. “If they can’t get that full meal first thing in the morning, something is better than nothing. I always tell my athletes, ‘Two things your parents told you that were true: they love you, and breakfast is the most important meal of the day.’ Everything else, all the rest, I can’t confirm or deny if it was true. But I know those two things to be true.”
If athletes can go from eating nothing in the morning, to starting with a waffle, then that transitions into learning how to make a real breakfast, and athletes can use that waffle as sustenance elsewhere during their day, before a practice or before a game.
“Now, they’re learning the skills of how to time-manage themselves,” he says.
They learn when they should eat, what they should eat, and use these other products more as supplementation than as replacement. That’s a big step, Guzzo says. The impact of Guzzo’s guidance extends beyond the athletes’ time at the university. He aims to instill healthy eating habits that athletes will carry with them, educating them to make the right choices when they leave the college environment.
“This isn’t a meal replacement; it’s a 150-calorie supplement. A supplement means in addition to, not in replacement of. You try to get them to do the right things, to eat their calories and chew their calories to elicit that benefit. It’s hopefully educating them to make the right decisions for when they leave here and learn how to fuel their bodies with things that are affordable and good for you.”
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