Lacrosse Nutrition and Supplements: What Players Eat and What’s Tested

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A granola bar eaten in the car between school and practice. A team pasta dinner the night before a playoff game. A cooler of sandwiches and fruit under a tent at a summer tournament. Lacrosse players burn a lot of energy in sprints and cuts, and many of them are teenagers who are still growing. Lacrosse nutrition is mostly about eating enough of the right food at the right times. Supplements come last, and only the tested kind. This page covers both, based on sports-nutrition position statements and research.

General information, not medical or dietary advice. Players with medical conditions, food allergies or special diets, and anyone under 18 thinking about supplements, should talk to a doctor or a registered sports dietitian. For the overview of the sport, see our lacrosse hub.

What the experts base this on

The main guide is the joint position statement on nutrition and athletic performance from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada. For team sports with repeated sprints, reviews written for basketball and soccer players apply well to lacrosse too. For supplements, we follow the International Olympic Committee’s consensus statement, the NCAA’s banned-substances list and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Daily eating: energy first

• Carbohydrate is the fuel for sprints. A review of in-season nutrition for basketball, another sprint-and-recover team sport, suggests about 5–7 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight per day during the season. Rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, oats, fruit and milk are the easy sources.
• Protein for repair: ACSM puts athletes’ needs at about 1.2–2.0 g per kg of body weight a day, spread across meals and snacks. For a 60 kg (132 lb) player, that’s roughly 72–120 g a day.
• Color and calcium: fruit, vegetables, dairy or fortified alternatives, and some healthy fats round it out.

Eating enough: the issue nobody talks about

Busy days of school, practice and travel make it easy to under-eat without noticing. When an athlete doesn’t eat enough for the energy they burn, doctors call it low energy availability, and over time it can affect bones, hormones, health and performance (the International Olympic Committee calls this Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, or REDs, and updated its consensus on it in 2023). In one 2026 study of 115 women college athletes using a screening questionnaire, 67% of the lacrosse players were classed as at risk for low energy availability. It was a small sample and a screening tool, not a diagnosis, but it’s a reason to take regular meals seriously.

Signs worth raising with a doctor or sports dietitian include missed or irregular periods, frequent injuries or stress fractures, constant fatigue and weight loss that wasn’t planned. Pack snacks for the gap between school and practice, and don’t skip breakfast before morning games.

Before, during and after games

• Before: a carbohydrate-based meal 1–4 hours before, low in fat and fiber close to game time (ACSM).
• During: about 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour for stop-and-start sport lasting 1–2.5 hours: a sports drink, orange slices or a gel at quarter breaks and halftime.
• After: carbs plus about 15–25 g of protein in the first couple of hours, and 125–150% of the fluid you lost.

The full game-day plan, including heat and lightning, is on our lacrosse game day page.

Tournament fueling: three games in a day

On tournament days the gap between games is the time to refuel. When the next game is less than 8 hours away, ACSM suggests about 1.0–1.2 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight per hour for the first 4 hours. In practice: something every hour or so, familiar food, small portions. Bagels, sandwiches, bananas, pretzels, rice bowls, yogurt, chocolate milk and sports drinks travel well in a cooler. Investigate food options near the venue before you travel, and plan dinner so the team isn’t stuck with fast food.

Hydration in pads

USA Lacrosse notes that playing in heat and humidity, and with pads on, increases fluid loss. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) advises keeping losses under 2% of body weight without drinking so much that you gain weight. Salty sweaters may benefit from extra sodium, which is where electrolyte drinks fit. A big bottle like the Nalgene 32 oz on the sideline makes it easy.

Young players: food first, no shortcuts

• The AAP says sports drinks are for prolonged, vigorous activity, and that energy drinks, which contain stimulants, have no place in children’s and teens’ diets.
• The AAP advises against creatine and other performance-enhancing substances for players under 18.
• Teen athletes get what they need from regular meals, snacks and water. A sports dietitian can help a player who is struggling to eat enough.

Supplements for lacrosse players: what the evidence says

The IOC consensus statement says a few supplements have good evidence for performance in some situations, many don’t, and all carry a risk of contamination. For lacrosse:

• Electrolytes and sports drinks: useful for long, hot days, tournaments and heavy sweaters.
• Protein powder: a convenient way to get protein after games or late practices when food isn’t handy. Not better than food.
• Creatine (adults only): one of the most studied supplements, used by many athletes for strength and repeated-sprint training. A UEFA expert group notes it often adds 1–2 kg of body weight. The AAP doesn’t advise it under 18.
• Multivitamin: can help players with a limited diet. Iron supplements should only be taken after a blood test; the UEFA group warns that unneeded iron can do more harm than good.
• Caffeine and pre-workouts: caffeine isn’t for everyone (sensitivity, heart conditions, pregnancy, teens), pre-workouts often contain several stimulants, and some stimulants are banned by the NCAA. Check with a doctor first.

Third-party testing and the NCAA banned list

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 all supplements are taken at the athlete’s own risk. Its stimulant examples include caffeine sources such as guarana, plus DMAA, DMHA, synephrine (bitter orange), hordenine and octopamine. College players should check every product with their athletics staff first. Programs such as NSF Certified for Sport and Informed Sport/Informed Choice test products for banned substances. The NCAA 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

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.

Product	In one serving	Testing	About (Oct 2026)	Per serving
Nuun Sport	300 mg sodium, 150 mg potassium, 1 g sugar	Informed Choice	$7.49 / 10 tablets	about $0.75
Skratch Labs Sport Drink Mix	400 mg sodium, 19 g carbs, 80 calories	Maker says NSF Certified for Sport (not found in NSF’s database in Oct 2026)	$23.95 / 20 servings	about $1.20
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: Nuun Sport is the cheap, low-sugar tablet for any bag. Skratch Labs adds carbs for long tournament days. Thorne Whey is a simple 21 g protein shake for after late practices. Thorne Creatine is plain creatine monohydrate, for adult players only. The Klean Multivitamin is a basic multi that lists no iron. 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.

Talk to a professional. Before starting any supplement, check with your doctor or a registered sports dietitian, especially for players under 18 and anyone who is pregnant, takes medication or has a heart, kidney or other medical condition. College athletes should also check with their athletics department.

Keep going with lacrosse recovery and lacrosse training, or compare with soccer nutrition and supplements.

Lacrosse nutrition questions

What should a lacrosse player eat before a game?

A carbohydrate-based meal 3–4 hours before, like pasta, rice, potatoes or a sandwich with lean protein, or a smaller snack 1–2 hours before for early games. Keep fat and fiber low close to game time.

What should you eat at a lacrosse tournament?

Small, familiar, carb-rich food after each game and every hour or so between games: bagels, sandwiches, bananas, pretzels, yogurt, chocolate milk and sports drinks, with water and some salt.

How much protein does a lacrosse player need?

ACSM puts athletes at about 1.2–2.0 g per kg of body weight a day, spread across meals. Most players get there with regular meals and snacks; protein powder is just a convenient option.

Can NCAA lacrosse players take supplements?

There are no NCAA-approved supplements, and any supplement may contain banned substances not on the label. Check every product with your athletics staff, and if you use one, choose third-party tested products, knowing that doesn’t remove all risk.

Is creatine safe for high school lacrosse players?

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against creatine and other performance-enhancing substances for athletes under 18. Teens get more from eating enough, sleeping well and training consistently.