From the Archives: Fueling Performance | Tournament Nutrition, Smart Habits, and Supporting Your Athlete with RD Alyssum Reno-Smith (Part 2)

As athletes prepare for a new season, we're continuing our look back at one of our most valuable conversations with registered dietitian Alyssum Reno-Smith.

In Part 2, Alyssum gets practical about what fueling can actually look like during a busy tournament weekend — from early morning matches and long days at the convention center to traveling, limited recovery time, and making sure athletes have what they need in their bags.

We also talk about recognizing the signs of under-fueling, building healthy habits without creating restriction or fear around food, navigating nutrition misinformation on social media, and helping young athletes take ownership of their fueling as they grow.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How to plan nutrition around multi-day tournament weekends
• What athletes should eat before, during, and after competition
• Simple foods and snacks to keep on hand while traveling
• How to prepare for early morning matches and limited recovery time
• Why planning ahead can make tournament nutrition much easier
• Signs that an athlete may be under-fueling
• How parents can support healthy eating without becoming overly restrictive
• Helping athletes develop a positive relationship with food
• Whether different volleyball positions have different nutritional needs
• Why hydration should be proactive, not just based on thirst
• How to make small, sustainable changes to everyday nutrition
• How to identify nutrition misinformation and social media red flags
• Common nutrition myths about carbs, fruit, protein bars, and pre-match eating
• Why consistency matters more than perfection when it comes to fueling

Whether you're an athlete, parent, or coach, this conversation is full of practical reminders about preparing, fueling, hydrating, and supporting athletes in a way that helps them perform — both on the court and beyond it.

If you missed Part 1, be sure to go back and listen to the first half of our conversation with Alyssum for even more on the connection between nutrition, focus, energy, and performance.