Search
Close this search box.
Search
Close this search box.
Facebook Youtube Instagram Linkedin Pinterest
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Linkedin Pinterest

Kara Winger: Finding a Nutritional Plan that Works for You

CoachesEducatorsParents

I went to Purdue University. Graduated in 2009 with a BS in Nutrition, Fitness, and Health. Most of what I feel like has had an impact on my career specifically is trial and error. It’s important to adjust your nutrition plan when it comes to training and competition because you’re asking different things of your body, especially in my sport. Training is volume and building strength and making sure your body is prepared for really quick, explosive, violent movements, so you’re putting in a lot of work that takes a lot of energy and a lot of calories to do in training, but when it comes to competition, the output isn’t the same. You’re doing a very specific thing for a very short amount of time, so I don’t need to eat the same way to prepare for competition as I do for getting through a long training session.

Going into Olympic Trials in 2012, I had been very lean for about two seasons at that point. For who I am as an athlete and for how far I’ve thrown, I know that I throw better when I’m a little bit heavier. But at that point, I was young enough and inexperienced enough to think leaner is better. Leaner is faster, smaller is still strong, but for me that’s not true. So when I got to Olympic Trials, I had been working at this deficit for a long time and I love pictures of myself throwing javelin, but I ultimately tore my ACL and it wasn’t necessarily because I was lean, but because I had been asking a lot of my body and not giving it enough for a long time. Since I recovered from that injury, it’s all about feeling good, feeling powerful, feeling strong.

I like dessert, but I don’t eat dessert all the time. I am not shy about eating it when I want it and I think that’s what keeps my cravings at bay. I’m in a sport that that’s okay and I’m an athlete that I know that that’s okay if I have a little bit of extra on me for one practice a week, that’s a hundred percent fine and maybe even keeps me healthier. I think fat stores for me are pretty important to a degree, so cupcake last night doesn’t make me feel bad tomorrow.

If you’re talking about holidays, my favorite holiday eating tip is to get up early and exercise before everyone is awake. I find it really difficult if I sleep in. I know you’re having fun the night before with your family and it’s hard to wake up, but it’s better to get that intense session done early and then you’re not only spending time with your loved ones, but you can also indulge a little bit more than if you didn’t get the job done.

In my family, my husband actually started this tradition with my parents in 2011. Every year we go crabbing on Thanksgiving, so we go out and we catch all these crabs, fresh Dungeness crabs. It’s right before the commercial season starts in the Pacific Northwest and we just gorge ourselves that day. Eat over wheelbarrow, throw the shells into the wheelbarrow during the day, and then at night, Russ makes crab cakes.

It doesn’t have to be extravagant every meal either. That’s kind of my thing is I think people get really caught up in it’s this whole week with family and it all needs to be special, but it’s special because you’re together.

Kara Winger is a three-time Olympic javelin thrower and a Purdue graduate with a B.S. in nutrition, fitness, and health. If you’re wondering what type of nutritional plan has worked best for her, she’ll tell you that the plan that has had the most impact on her career has been one of trial and error.

Nutritional guidelines help when you’re looking for what types of foods you should be consuming, but nutrition plans aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

“It’s important to adjust your nutrition plan when it comes to training and competition because you’re asking different things of your body, especially in my sport.

Training is about volume and building strength and making sure your body is prepared for quick, explosive, violent movements. You’re putting in a lot of work that takes a lot of energy and a lot of calories for your training.

When it comes to competition, the output isn’t the same. You’re doing a very specific thing for a very short amount of time. I don’t need to eat the same way to prepare for a competition as I do for getting through a long training session.”

Learning what your body needs nutritionally is important since all sports have different demands on the body and every athlete will have varying nutritional needs for their optimal performance. Unfortunately, Winger learned this lesson the hard way.

“I had an experience where I tried to be really lean. Going into Olympic trials in 2012, I had been very lean for about two seasons.

Vanity played a role in that because I wanted to be your stereotypical female athlete with a six-pack, but it very negatively impacted my performance.”

Kara Winger: Finding a Nutritional Plan that Works for You

By the time Winger competed at Olympic trials, she had been training at a nutritional deficit for a long time. Although she reached her goal to become a much leaner athlete, she ended up with an ACL injury.

“It wasn’t necessarily because I was lean, but because I had been asking a lot of my body and not giving it enough nutrients for a long time.

Ultimately, I couldn’t recover. I wasn’t strong. I wasn’t throwing far. Then, I tore my ACL. I attribute a nutrition deficit a lot to that happening.”

Through injury, Winger learned that it’s imperative to prioritize your health and wellness by incorporating proper nutrition to prepare your body for the physical output and recovery that sport demands.

“For who I am as an athlete and for how far I’ve thrown, I know that I throw better when I’m a little bit heavier. But at that point, I was young and inexperienced enough to think, ‘Leaner is better. Leaner is faster.’ Smaller is still strong, but for me, that’s not true.”

Since recovering from the ACL injury, Winger has adjusted her nutrition plan to best suit her needs as an athlete.

“I’m not a restrictive person when it comes to my diet. I need to be a little bit heavier to know that I’m throwing far. I don’t eat massive quantities of everything, but I’m not shy about having a cupcake when I want one sometimes.

I’m in a sport where that’s okay and I’m an athlete that knows that’s okay. If I have a little bit extra on me for one practice a week, that’s 100% fine and maybe even keeps me healthier.

It’s all about feeling good, feeling powerful, and feeling strong.”

Related Content

Loading...
1 2 … 63

Join Us

Subscribe
Shop TrueSport
Host TrueSport

TrueSport logo without icon in white.

© 2025 TrueSport | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Sitemap

Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, paralympian, and true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.

I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.

I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.