The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., has unveiled a new nutrition station to help ensure that student-athletes replenish their calories after workouts.
"I use it almost every single day," Grace Forsberg, a third-year swimmer, told CBS News. "Our practices are so strenuous, and you do burn a lot of calories during practices, and so replacing those and having that as your recovery."
The station serves high-protein and high-carb snacks critical to recovery.
"Food can make an athlete average or make an average athlete great," said Lizzy Narigon, a dietician who helps keep the station stocked and educates athletes on nutrition. "Over time, they perfect that fueling for themselves, because everyone is different, they will see those differences on game day, on the field, on competition day. So it's incredibly important."
Alice and Nick Halvorson helped create and fund the Fuel Station. The two graduated together in 2001. Nick was a Tommie football player, and he hopes to help those who are already at St. Thomas, but also attract the next generation of D1 athletes. For Alice, it's a more personal mission.
"I developed an eating disorder in high school which carried into college as well," Alice said.
She's hoping to use that hurtful time to help others.
"I just became really passionate about how can I be healthy, how can I be the healthiest I can be, how can I help other people not succumb to what I suffered from," she said.
