A computer athlete, like any athlete, needs quality nutrition in order to perform. Everyone has different needs as far as calories are concerned, and some have particular dietary restrictions, as well. But the focus here is on satisfying your own personal needs. Envision a computer athlete eating fresh fruit, protein or supplement bars, and whole foods, and drinking from a water bottle that is filled with fresh, filtered water. Then compare that with the stereotype of a computer programmer—aka a “code monkey.” A code monkey consumes large amounts of soda; Mountain Dew is his favorite beverage. His favorite food is pizza. It is often said that if you need programmers to work through the night, you should give them Red Bull, Mountain Dew, and pizza. Although it is true that the brain and nervous system rely on glucose to function, long-term consumption of large amounts of soda and pizza will lead to very serious health problems.

While many professionals rely on coffee and soda to get through the day, I believe that caffeine should be avoided. Caffeine is a stimulant and causes you to urinate more frequently, which can lead to dehydration. When you are dehydrated and working at the computer, you are more susceptible to computer-related injury, because the body needs to be well-hydrated to support normal bodily function and repair itself. On top of that, as a stimulant, caffeine lets you work past your normal threshold, past the point where you would normally take a break. You can see that the combination of caffeine’s stimulating and dehydrating effects can definitely contribute to developing an injury.

Becoming a computer athlete may require you to avoid consuming certain foods and the side effects that come with them.

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