A nutritional program developed by a Ball State University researcher is being credited with bolstering one of the nation's top college athletic programs.
David Pearson, director of Ball State's Strength Research Laboratory, recently was honored by the University of Colorado for instituting "Eating to Win," a nutritional plan designed to improve the athletic performances of its athletes.
The program allows trainers and coaches to develop eating plans for athletes on a case-by-case basis to raise performance levels.
"If you go into any performance with poor nutritional habits, you won't do as well," said Pearson, who was Ball State's first strength and conditioning coach.
"Many athletes believe they can eat poorly, but if they drink protein shakes and take supplements, they'll do fine. But, a poor diet with supplements is still a poor diet."
Pearson took "Eating to Win" to the University of Colorado before the 2001-2002 year in his role as a strength and conditioning consultant. It marked the first time he had applied in a team setting as opposed to individuals, as was done at Ball State.
The school's football team was the first group to use Pearson's plan and the results were dramatic, said E.J. "Doc" Kreis, the assistant athletic director and head strength and conditioning coach at the University of Colorado.
During back-to-back winning seasons, several football players broke various individual and team records. Improved performances also improved the professional prospects of several players, he said.
"The program has radically transformed how our athletes perform on the field," Kreis said. "We've watched athletes improve overnight.
"Now, we have our world-class athletes in every sport participating," he said. "We owe a great deal to Dave Pearson and his cutting-edge theories."
As a result of the improved athletic levels at Colorado, the university presented Pearson with the Honor of Excellence award during a ceremony in January in Boulder, Colo.
Pearson said his program, based on years of trials conducted with Ball State athletes, is fairly simplistic. It places an athlete's nutritional needs on the same level as his or her conditioning and training.
"Eating the right foods is just as important as training," he said. "We talk to athletes about not having fried foods at every meal, eating the right portions and having meals at the best time of the day to optimize performance."
The program also stresses a high intake of carbohydrates and protein while limiting alcohol and caffeinated drinks.
"We don't force them to abstain from alcohol or caffeine," Pearson said. "But, when you show them all the negative effects, the athletes make the right choice themselves."
Unlike many nutritional programs, "Eating to Win" calls for only minor changes to a person's diet instead of completely overhauling it.
"I don't think there are any bad foods," Pearson said. "However, we do some tweaking here and there by finding foods they like and making changes in preparation or portions."
Ball State may be the next school to use Pearson's "Eating to Win" program across the athletic spectrum. He is currently working with various athletic administrators to have the program integrated on a daily basis.
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