Hockey Nutrition and Supplements: Fuel, Hydration and What Works

This article contains affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

A hockey family’s week: a 5:30 a.m. practice before school, a dryland session after, a road game Friday night and a tournament Saturday. The car smells like hockey gear and fast food, and somewhere in there a growing player needs to eat enough to skate hard, get stronger and still grow. That’s hockey nutrition in real life. This page covers what hockey players should eat day to day, why carbohydrate matters so much in this sport, the nutrients many players miss, how to think about protein and hydration, and which supplements for hockey players have evidence and third-party testing behind them. It’s general information built on what sports-nutrition researchers and expert groups say, not personal advice.

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.

What hockey asks of your body

Hockey is played in short, all-out shifts of about 30 to 80 seconds, and a 2024 review of hockey physiology says the main fuel for that kind of effort is muscle glycogen, the carbohydrate stored in your muscles. Glycogen drops sharply during a game even though each player is on the ice for only 15 to 25 minutes, and running low is one of the likely reasons players slow down in the third period. In a study of young elite players, glycogen fell 31% in a game and took about two days to fully return. So a hockey diet is built around enough carbohydrate, enough protein, and plenty of fluid.

Daily eating: carbohydrate and protein

The 2016 joint position of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada scales carbohydrate to training: about 5–7 grams per kilogram of body weight a day for moderate training of about an hour a day, and 6–10 g/kg for 1 to 3 hours a day of moderate-to-hard training. For protein it suggests about 1.2–2.0 g/kg a day, spread across meals rather than saved for dinner.

In practice, that means rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, oats and fruit at most meals, a real protein source (eggs, dairy, chicken, fish, beans or tofu) every time you sit down, and vegetables to fill the plate. Heavier weeks, like a camp or a tournament, need more carbohydrate, not less. Players trying to change weight should work with a sports dietitian instead of cutting carbs before games.

The nutrients hockey players often miss

Canadian researchers have recorded what hockey players actually eat:

• College women: 23 varsity players tracked for a week mostly ate enough energy overall, but most fell short of recommended intakes of iron, calcium, vitamin D and potassium.
• Youth players: boys aged 10 to 13 at a hockey camp ate plenty of energy, carbohydrate and protein, but their vitamin D intake was below recommendations.

Hockey is an indoor winter sport, so it’s worth paying attention to vitamin D from food (fortified milk, eggs, fatty fish), calcium from dairy or fortified alternatives, iron from meat, beans and fortified grains, and potassium from fruit, vegetables and potatoes. If you’re worried about iron or vitamin D, ask your doctor for a blood test before taking a supplement: extra iron when you don’t need it can do harm.

Hydration and sodium

Cold rinks fool people. NHL and AHL players sweated about 2 liters an hour in practice, and elite juniors lost about 3.2 liters in a game while taking in far less sodium than they sweated out. Start each session hydrated, drink at the bench and in intermissions, and weigh yourself before and after to learn your sweat rate. After play, the ACSM position suggests 1.25–1.5 liters of fluid for every kilogram lost. Our hockey game-day guide has the full plan.

Young players: food first, no shortcuts

Early practices make breakfast easy to skip and late games make dinner easy to miss. A pre-practice snack (toast, a banana, yogurt), a packed lunch and a real dinner do more than any product. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says caffeinated energy drinks have no place in children’s and teens’ diets, and it advises against creatine and other performance-enhancing substances for athletes under 18. For a youth or high school player, the “supplements” that matter are a water bottle, a sports drink for long tournament days and a cooler of real food. More on our youth hockey page.

Supplements for hockey players: what the evidence says

The 2018 International Olympic Committee consensus on dietary supplements starts where every expert group does: food first. Supplements come last, and only for a reason.

• Sports drinks and electrolytes: useful sports foods. In a simulated three-period study, players who drank a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink did more work in the third period, with lower effort ratings, than when they let themselves dehydrate.
• Protein powder: a convenience. Food can do the job. A shake is just a quick option after a late game or an early practice.
• Creatine: some of the stronger evidence, for adults. The IOC consensus puts creatine among the few supplements with good evidence, mainly for repeated high-intensity efforts and strength training, which suits hockey’s shifts. It isn’t for players under 18, and it can add 1–2 kg of body weight.
• Caffeine: works for some, not for everyone. Side effects include jitters, an upset stomach and poor sleep, which matters after late games. It isn’t for teens. Anyone with a heart condition or who is pregnant should ask a doctor first. If you use a caffeinated product, stay within the label, and note the NCAA rules below.
• Vitamin D and iron: test, don’t guess. See above. Supplement only if your doctor recommends it.

Third-party testing and the NCAA banned list

Supplements can contain things that aren’t on the label. The NCAA’s 2026–27 banned-substances list says there are no NCAA-approved supplements, that supplements “may be contaminated with banned substances not listed on the label,” and that they are taken at the athlete’s own risk. Its stimulant examples include ingredients common in pre-workouts and energy products, such as caffeine sources like guarana, DMAA, DMHA, synephrine (bitter orange), hordenine, octopamine and phenethylamine. College and junior players headed for college should check every product with their athletics staff first; the NCAA uses Drug Free Sport AXIS to review labels. Programs such as NSF Certified for Sport and Informed Sport/Informed Choice test products for banned substances. The NCAA itself says third-party tested products may be options but can’t remove all risk, and these programs don’t test whether a product works.

Our top picks

Product	In one serving	Certification	About (Oct 2026)	Per serving
Thorne Advanced Electrolytes	600 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, 15 g carbs	NSF Certified for Sport	$39 / 20 scoops	about $1.95
Nuun Sport	300 mg sodium, 150 mg potassium, 1 g sugar	Informed Choice	$7.49 / 10 tablets	about $0.75
Thorne Whey Protein Isolate	21 g protein	NSF Certified for Sport	$65 / 30 scoops	about $2.17
Thorne Creatine	5 g creatine monohydrate	NSF Certified for Sport	$44 / 90 scoops	about $0.49
Klean Multivitamin	2 tablets; 1,000 IU vitamin D	NSF Certified for Sport	about $46 / 30 servings	about $1.53

Why these five: each is on a sport-testing list, and together they cover what hockey players actually use. Thorne Advanced Electrolytes carries more sodium for the heavy, salty sweating hockey studies keep finding, plus 15 g of carbohydrate for long practices and tournament days. Nuun Sport is the cheap, low-sugar tablet that fits in any hockey bag. Thorne Whey is a simple 21 g protein shake for after a late game. Thorne Creatine is plain creatine monohydrate with nothing else added, for adult players only. The Klean Multivitamin includes 1,000 IU of vitamin D and lists no iron, which is a plus if you haven’t been tested. Follow the label for how much to take. Our full comparisons are in best electrolyte powders, best protein powder for athletes, best creatine and best multivitamin for athletes.

Check the Thorne Advanced Electrolytes price on Amazon

Check the Thorne Whey Protein Isolate price on Amazon

Talk to a professional. Before starting any supplement, check with your doctor or a registered sports dietitian, especially for players under 18 and for anyone who is pregnant, takes medication or has a heart, kidney or other medical condition. College athletes should also check with their athletics department. This page is general information, not medical advice.

Back to the ice hockey hub, or keep going with hockey recovery, training and the best hockey wearables. Playing another sport too? See basketball nutrition and supplements.

Hockey nutrition questions

How many carbs does a hockey player need?

The ACSM position scales it to training: about 5–7 g per kilogram of body weight a day for about an hour of training, and 6–10 g/kg for 1 to 3 hours of harder work. Hockey’s short, intense shifts burn mostly muscle glycogen, so carbohydrate matters on game and practice days.

How much protein do hockey players need?

About 1.2–2.0 g per kilogram of body weight a day, spread over meals, according to the ACSM position. Regular meals with a protein source each time usually get you there; a shake is optional.

Should hockey players take vitamin D?

Studies found both college women and youth boys fell short of recommended vitamin D intakes. Start with food sources and ask your doctor about a blood test; supplement only if they recommend it.

Is creatine good for hockey players?

For adults, creatine is one of the better-studied supplements for repeated high-intensity efforts and strength training, which fits hockey. The AAP advises against it under 18. Choose a third-party tested product and follow the label.

Can college hockey players take supplements?

At their own risk. The NCAA says there are no NCAA-approved supplements and that products can be contaminated with banned substances. Check every product with your athletics staff first, and choose NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport products.