COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a new snack room for athletes at Ohio State University, players on the men’s lacrosse team buzzed in after a recent practice and left with armloads of sandwiches, juice, yogurt.
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The snack room –– Ohio State calls it a “fuel zone” –– is one of two the university built this year to offer athletes a quick bite between practice and class.
Until last year, stringent NCAA regulations would have forbidden the school from giving out much of that food. The classic example was a bagel: On its own, it was considered a snack and fair game to give athletes. But add peanut butter or cream cheese, and it became an off-limits meal.
“Sometimes guys just weren’t eating, because they didn’t have time,” said Kacy Kapinos, a junior on the lacrosse team. “You wouldn’t eat until like two hours after practice.”
Amid lobbying from nutrition experts and athletes, the NCAA lifted the rule last year, prompting colleges across the country to give birth to the “fuel zone.” At Ohio State, they’re small rooms at practice facilities, just big enough for a desk and long strip of cabinets, shelves and refrigerators. Students can pick from a stockpile of bananas, energy bars, sandwiches, parfaits and more.
University nutritionists help students choose the right snack for their weight and athletic goals, and to stop them from overeating or treating the room as a free grocery store.
“They are busy all the time, and kind of the last thing on their mind is to get themselves nutrition,” said Sarah Wick, an OSU nutritionist who supervises one of the rooms. “You can see it when they don’t have enough energy to finish a practice, or they’re cramping, or they’re so exhausted they sleep through class.”
To build and supply the snack rooms, Ohio State is spending $850,000 this year, bringing the total athletic food budget to $1.5 million. Increases at other Big Ten colleges vary. The University of Illinois added $1 million to boost food supplies. The University of Nebraska spent $1.1 million more.