Eat to Excel

MONMOUTH, Ill. – The preseason for Monmouth College athletes includes plenty of meetings, from get-togethers on move-in day, to strategy sessions with their Fighting Scots coaches.

ALISON COONEY: Aramark's regional registered dietitian gave a presentation to Fighting Scots athletes Aug. 16.But one preseason meeting might’ve been the most important of all, as scores of Fighting Scots filled the lower level of Dahl Chapel and Auditorium on Aug. 16 to hear from Alison Cooney, a certified specialist in sports dietetics, who discussed her ability to provide them with “personalized fueling guidance.”

Cooney’s services are offered to students through Monmouth’s partnership with its food services provider, Aramark.

“Save your money, use me as a resource when you can,” said Cooney, the regional registered dietitian for Aramark, who titled her presentation “With You Every Meal of the Way.”

Aramark’s Eat to Excel is a performance-based dining platform designed to help student-athletes reach their potential on and off the field. Created with NCAA Division II and Division III athletes in mind, the platform provides an educational, menu and nutrition-tracking solution.

Cooney had the student-athletes download the Eat to Excel health and wellness app to their smartphone. The app helps them choose the right foods to eat, personalized to each student’s training schedule, goals and biometrics.

“We’re not saying you have to eat what the app says, but we’re giving you the education to make that choice if you want to.” – Alison Cooney

The “plate” recommendation provided by the app – which is integrated with Monmouth’s dining program – is based on each student-athlete’s needs of training, resting or preparing for competition, recommending just the right combination of protein, carbohydrates (the main energy source for athletes) and colors (fruits and vegetables).

“We’re not saying you have to eat what the app says, but we’re giving you the education to make that choice if you want to,” said Cooney.

“This is a great addition and has great potential for what you all might need,” said Director of Athletics Roger Haynes told the student-athletes. “This program can help you gain more mass, be leaner, have more energy, whatever you might need.”

Contacted a week after the program launched, Cooney said, “It’s been really great so far. Over 250 athletes have signed up and are using the Eat to Excel program. I also have had about 30 or so students reach out with more questions. I’m extremely excited to see the Fighting Scots have this great nutrition resource and hope it will provide more education on how to fuel for performance.”

Top tips for student-athletes

Cooney, who has counseled several professional athletes on nutrition, discussed some of those right combinations when she provided a handful of her top tips, which included:

• whole grain carbs three to four hours before a game;
• quick-digesting carbs – such as a banana or other fruits, white rice and white bread – 30-60 minutes before practice;
• carbs and sodium during competition;
• 3-to-1 ratio of carbs to protein for recovery after competition (a food that perfectly fits that profile is chocolate milk);
• and a protein source one hour before bed.

Another part of the fueling equation is hydration.

“Being well-hydrated is really hard to do,” she said, “but the injury risk for an athlete goes up a ton when they’re dehydrated.”

“It’s been really great so far. Over 250 athletes have signed up and are using the Eat to Excel program. I also have had about 30 or so students reach out with more questions.” – Alison Cooney

The analogy she provided the student-athletes is a lazy river in an amusement park. When the water level is right, it runs normally.

“But if the water level in that lazy river is low, it’s harder to move things around,” she said.

Cooley also addressed alcohol, saying it had no benefits to the hydration process, since alcohol is a diuretic, which removes fluid from the body. Binge drinking – typically four drinks for a male and three for a female – is especially harmful, with its effects lasting up to three days.

“Binge drinking is terrible for us,” she said, prefacing her comments by noting she was addressing those of legal age. “One drink a day for a week is better than seven drinks in one day.”

A veteran in the nutrition field

In 2023, Cooney joined Miami University of Ohio as its sports dietitian. Previously, she served as a registered dietitian nutritionist for two years at her alma mater, Grand Valley State University. While with the Lakers, she counseled 25 students a week on a variety of nutritional needs, while also educating individuals with disordered eating habits on intuitive eating practices.

“My nutrition philosophy focuses on fueling for peak performance and educating students on healthy behaviors that will assist them throughout their athletic career and beyond,” said Cooney, who completed her undergraduate degree in allied health sciences in 2019 and earned a master’s degree in clinical dietetics in 2020. “I will be more of a virtual resource for students, but still very accessible.”

Monmouth students can connect with her via the Zone In app messaging, text at 513-593-8421, or email at Cooney-Alison@aramark.com.