An Optimal Powerlifting Diet For Women: 5 Important Aspects

From lifting weights recreationally to becoming a powerlifter, finding the optimal diet for my training was a lot harder than I expected. Once I mastered my nutrition, by gaining additional knowledge, I saw a difference in my performance in and out of the gym. Whenever I’m not on top of it, I can recognise the physical, mental and emotional shifts in my body. For powerlifting, there is no such thing as the perfect diet to be successful in the sport. However, there are crucial aspects that can help you reach the success that you are looking for. I recommend that you take these into consideration as you start or continue with your powerlifting journey.

I know what works for me and what doesn’t work for me. As we are all individuals, your nutritional diet will be different from mine and the next person’s. Despite those differences, there are five important areas that are foundational for anyone who is a strength athlete. If your goal is to optimise your powerlifting diet as a woman and train for better performance, learning more about nutrition will add to your success.

What Is The Optimal Powerlifting Diet For Women

The saying “You are what you eat” holds a lot more weight when it comes to powerlifting. Your diet is the foundation of strength, energy and recovery. When people think of strength sports and building strength, they assume that you need to consistently eat more. While that is not 100% wrong, it is also not 100% right. Creating a powerlifting diet is not only about eating more, but also about eating smarter. It is important to fuel your body for maximum powerlifting performance and that requires attention to detail and a focus on nutrient-rich foods.

Staying Hydrated

Believe it or not but we all need water. For strength athletes, you need to be drinking between 2 to 3 litres of water a day. A lot of people struggle with drinking water consistently and you may be one of them. Either you don’t drink it at all or you don’t drink enough of it. One thing that has been a game changer for me was buying a reusable litre bottle that I could carry around with me. There is something about having that around me that encourages me to drink more water. Changing your mindset and habits around water consumption will help you take action in staying hydrated.

In addition, your body is made up of 60% of water and loses that water through sweating, sleeping and training. When you wake up in the mornings, your body is dehydrated after 7-8 hours of sleep so it is necessary to drink water first thing in the morning.

Electrolytes To For Optimal Balance

Having more energy and mental clarity are linked to hydration. However, it can get boring drinking plain water all the time. When I feel that way, I either throw a slice of lemon, lime or even plain salt to create a balance and add some electrolytes. Electrolytes replenish your body with salts that are lost through sweating. You can take sports drinks such as Gatorade but they tend to be filled with unnecessary sugars. Along with water, eating your hydration is equally important. Opt for water-rich fruits like mangoes, watermelon, grapes, pineapple etc. Combining those with water-infused with electrolytes will help you drink more water consistently. If you haven’t had some water today, go get some!

For The Love of Carbs & Fats

Powerlifting demands a diet that is rich in carbs, protein, fats, and fibre. Each of these macronutrients play a significant role in your diet. You also need to determine your calorie needs to figure out your macro intake. These numbers will give you a ballpark figure of what you should be aiming for on a daily basis.

First, you want to calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which is the addition of your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and calories burned during physical activity. Use an online calculator for accuracy. Once this has been calculated, you want to add a calorie surplus of 200-500 calories. Note: start on the lower end first and then adjust accordingly over time for optimal performance.

• Carbs: All the rest of the calories
• Protein: 1g/1.1g per pound of bodyweight
• Fat: 20% to 30% of your total calories
• Fibre: 30g to 60g. Don’t eat over 60g or you will probably feel bloated.

There are 4 calories per 1g of carbs, 4 calories per 1g of protein and 9 calories per 1g of fat. Below I will show you how to calculate your macros. It will seem complicated but you will get the hang of it.

Calculating Your Macros

For example, if you are a 75kg (165lbs) powerlifter and your total calorie intake is 2564 calories, you may aim for the following:

• Protein: 1.1 x 165 = 181.5g of protein 181.5 x 4 = 726 calories
• Fats: 0.25 x 2564 = 641 calories, 641/9 = 71g of fat
• Carbs: 641 + 726 = 1367 calories, 2564 – 1367 = 1197 calories, 1197/4 = 299g of carbs
• Fibre: 165 x 0.2 = 33g of fibre

So a good starting place for your surplus would be: 181 P, 71 F, 299 C and 33 Fi (2564 calories). Aim to hit these macros for the first week and make sure that your weight doesn’t change as a baseline. If you notice huge fluctuations, you can decide whether to increase or decrease. To ensure that your performance in the gym is optimal, spread your intake across 4-6 meals a day.

Why Are Carbs Optimal for Powerlifting

Energy comes down to your food and carbs are vital as that is what your body uses while you exercise. For those of you who are eating little to no carbs, you are doing yourself a huge disservice. Carbs are your main energy source and are crucial for sustained performance. Opt for complex carbs like rice, pasta, potatoes, bread. For pre-workout, aim to have carbs with protein to fuel your session. Post-workout, aim to have some protein and fast-digesting carbs for recovery. Throughout the day, make sure your meals are balanced with all the macronutrients including fruit and vegetables to maintain your energy levels.

I train early in the mornings and prefer to eat something small like half a banana. I get really nauseous and sluggish training with a full stomach. Play around and figure out what works for you.

Fats: How Are They Optimal

Fats are important for overall health and hormone production. It is another essential energy source for powerlifters. During lower intensity training, your body will use fats to sustain your energy throughout the duration of your session. For higher intensity training, such as a strength block, your body will need to get its energy from a quick fuel source instead. Fats regulates your hormones which helps to boost your body’s ability to train more efficiently and optimally.

The Importance of Protein

Protein is the building block for muscle repair and growth. We are grown people here so only eating two eggs and a chicken leg for your protein for the day is not going to cut it. If you want to seriously change your body shape and train for optimal performance, I need you to get into formation. Aim to eat protein with every single meal and a snack per day. Try eating more fish like salmon or mackerel, meats like chicken, beans like chickpea and lentils, and eggs. I want to see more people reaching their health and wellness goals. Focus on what you are consuming and choose healthier and nutrient-rich options.

For powerlifting, each macronutrient plays its part and has a different function in the process of making a lifter stronger. One macronutrient should not be prioritised over another because they are all equally important.

Supplements

While you should be prioritising nutrient-rich and whole foods in your diet, supplements can be helpful in closing the gaps that your diet may not cover. However, they should not be used as a replacement to food. In my opinion, there are only four that I deem somewhat necessary for every powerlifter. As mentioned before, we are all individuals and your nutrition is also individualised. There may be an additional supplement that you might need that other people may not need.

• Creatine: increases your strength, promotes health muscle aging and improves your performance
• Protein powder: Gives you additional and fast-digesting protein if you are not able to hit your total protein target for the day.
• Multivitamin: acts like an insurance policy. Our bodies need a certain level of vitamins, minerals and nutrients to perform at its best.
• Omega 3s: helps to support heart health, brain function and vitality. Most people don’t eat fish 2-4 times a week, this helps to bridge the gap with what is missing.

Is Caffeine a necessity?

When I first started training, I thought I had to take a pre-workout supplement to get my body buzzed for my training sessions. As I got older, I realised that there was no need for the additional caffeine in my system because I focused on getting quality sleep to have energy for my training. To this day, I do not see caffeine as a necessity for my powerlifting diet.

Everyone is different. Some people like to drink coffee, others like to take pre-workout. Taking caffeine is a personal choice and only you can make that decision for yourself.

Final Thoughts

Creating the optimal powerlifting diet as a woman requires attention to detail and a focus on nutrient-rich foods. By understanding your nutritional needs, your hydration patterns and calorie intake, you will be able to plan your meals efficiently and make adjustments over time, based on your progress. With the personal choice of including supplementation and caffeine, you can fuel your body to reach peak performance and success in the sport of powerlifting. Stick to your plan, be consistent and watch your strength take off.

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I hope that this post has given you the confidence to invest in your powerlifting diet and train for optimal performance. If you know of any other foundational aspects that I have missed, sound off in the comments. We are all students of life here and I’d love for this post to be a resource for you. Make sure to hit that subscribe button to join the community to never miss out on a post. Find me on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok for more powerlifting and wellness content.

Until next time,

Folakemi