WILLIAMSBURG, VA - Assistant strength and conditioning coach David Marmon joined the Tribe staff earlier this year and has implemented a new sports nutrition program for W&M's student-athletes. He sat down with sports information assistant Mario Machi to discuss the new program.

How did you start the sports nutrition program here?
A: Getting the Sports Performance Nutrition started was a major objective from minute I stepped on campus. When I interviewed for the job here, Coach Sauer asked me several questions about developing a sports nutrition program. Coach Laycock has been a huge advocate of the program with his players. With the help of Coach Laycock, Steve Cole (Director of Sports Medicine), and Larry Smith (Director of Food Services) we have really got this thing off the ground.

What exactly does the program entail?
A: We start off with education. It is vital that the athletes understand that they have different nutritional requirements from the rest of the college community. What you eat will directly affect how you perform. All in all, its about a 55-minute presentation, followed by learning experiences and a series of quizzes.

What happened from there?
A: Well the interested athletes met with me for an individualized nutritional assessment. I made sure they knew that it was a huge commitment on their part. Next, I had them give me a three-day diet history, detailing what and when they ate, plus their class and practice schedules. Timing is a huge issue with eating when it comes to performance, and I try to emphasize that. I evaluated all of their diet histories and then met with each athlete and made recommendations.

For those that decided to be in the program, what was the next step?
A: I made them sign a contract with me, stating that every week, they would turn in a three-day diet history to me, plus get their body weight checked. Every two weeks, we would check their body fat. I make them sign the contract for purposes of accountability -- if they don't do what I've asked, they're required to do household chores around the weight room. Weight Watchers functions along the same lines of accountability, but if you don't do what they ask you lose $10. I try to provide all of these athletes with the opportunity to succeed from a nutritional standpoint; all they have to do is meet me half way.

Once they've gotten into the program, how do they stay consistent with their diets?
A: Once they have a firm grasp on things, I give them a caloric breakdown of what they should take in, depending on their goals. There's a menu attached to the breakdown, and it covers each meal. They make reference to their meal breakdown and then pick something off of the menu that corresponds with their need. It's a fairly labor intensive process on my part, but the athletes that make it this far in the program are generally pretty serious about their nutritional practices.

What things do you stress with the sports nutrition program?
A: I stress timing and meal frequency. Athletes should have five or six meals per day, every three to four hours. They need to eat snacks that are high in complex carbohydrates just before a workout. I continually stress to them that just like training, this is a full-time job. It must be a very consistent thing. They must be dedicated to it.

What football players jump out as having made great progress in the program?
A: Josh Wright did a great job. He gained about 10 pounds of lean body mass. And Christian Taylor showed a gradual progression gaining 1.5 to 2 pounds per week. Adam O'Connor, Matt Morgan, and Wade Harrell showed spurts of greatness this summer. Any progress that these athletes have made this summer is a direct result of their maturity, discipline, hard work, and attention to detail.

What do you stress for those in the program during the season?
A: I tell them to practice our basic sports nutrition principles and not to be concerned with gaining or losing weight. Everything during the season should be geared towards performance. In the end, it's up to them ? they have to make the decision themselves.