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Favorite workout snacks 5 pro athletes swear by, from Alex Morgan's oat bars to Naomi Osaka's smoothie recipe

Favorite workout snacks 5 pro athletes swear by, from Alex Morgan's oat bars to Naomi Osaka's smoothie recipe

Gabby Landsverk

In pro sports, snacking goes way beyond a simple protein bar.Aleksandr Zyablitskiy/Getty Images

Elite athletes need good nutrition to fuel their intense training schedules.
From soccer stars to ultra runners, here's what high-level competitors eat after a workout.

For elite athletes, working out is a full-time gig, and part of the job description is eating enough to support all those hours of practice, exercise, and competition.

After a strenuous session, a combination of protein and carbohydrates can help boost muscle recovery and keep athletes energized for multiple training sessions each day, according to dietitians.

But how athletes chose to get those nutrients is a matter of personal preference, from savory to sweet, from handfuls of crunchy snacks to liquid calorie smoothies. Here are five examples of favorite snacks that help top athletes across different sports crush their nutrition and performance goals.

Alex Morgan enjoys homemade plant-based protein bars after training.

High-carb foods like oats and sweet potatoes keep Alex Morgan in top shape for competitions like the World Cup and the Olympics. AP Photo/David Vincent

US Women's National Team star Alex Morgan has said that she eats for performance, aiming to get enough carbs to handle long hours on the field and grueling tournaments from the World Cup to the Olympics.

Morgan previously told Insider that she follows a mostly plant-based diet with anti-inflammatory foods like berries, leafy greens, and sweet potatoes.

Her team dietitian told Good Morning America that Morgan is a big fan of this recipe for homemade protein bars, perfect for chowing down after a training session. The bars include oats, protein powder, flax seeds, blueberries, and flavorings like vanilla and cinnamon.

Elite CrossFit athlete Brooke Wells fuels up between workouts with oats and applesauce.

Packs of applesauce between workouts provide a quick source of energy for CrossFit athlete Brooke Wells. Eight Sleep

CrossFit is notorious for demanding workouts, and competitor Brooke Wells eats plenty of quick-digesting carbs to meet the challenge.

Wells' go-to treats between workouts are overnight oats, bananas, and applesauce in convenient single-serving pouches, she previously told Insider's Rachel Hosie.

Oats are a surprisingly high source of plant-based protein, with 5 grams of protein per quarter cup.

They can be the basis of protein-packed breakfast recipes like baked oats that work just as well first thing in the morning or as an any-time snack.

Bodybuilder Erin Banks snacks on almonds or almond butter.

Erin Banks keeps his appetite in check and his physique ripped by snacking on almonds or almond butter. Courtesy of Celsius

The reigning champ of the prestigious Arnold Classic Men's Physique bodybuilding competition, Erin Banks keeps a strict diet year-round to maintain his impressive shape.

But he still needs between 2,600 to 4,000 calories per day, depending on which part of the season it is, and that means a lot of snacking between workouts.

Banks previously told Insider that he mostly eats the same meals each day, with the exception of a rare splurge at The Cheesecake Factory after a competition win.

His snack of choice is almond butter or almonds, which provide a satisfying combo of healthy fats with a bit of protein.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka drinks a post-workout smoothie with greens and ginger.

A post-workout smoothie with electrolytes, greens, and protein powder is a favorite for Naomi Osaka. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka is a tennis powerhouse. Her disciplined training includes a diet geared toward performance, with healthy smoothie recipes for before and after workouts.

The post-workout smoothie blend combines an electrolyte-rich sports drink from the company Bodyarmor (for which she is an ambassador) with protein powder, spinach, cucumbers, ginger, lemon, apples, and pineapple.

The fruit and veggie mix is loaded with vitamins as well as carbs for energy, and ginger is linked to evidence-based health benefits like better digestion and blood sugar control.

Osaka told US Weekly that she drinks a similar blend before a workout, swapping out the greens for berries, banana, and chia seeds.

Ultra runner Robbie Balenger loads up on carbs and calories with dates and nuts.

Endurance athlete Robbie Balenger needs a massive amount of food to complete his record-breaking runs. Colton Tisch/Ten Thousand

Robbie Balenger, an ultra runner who has set records for completing 100 miles in less than 24 hours, relies on calorie-dense snacks to stay on his feet.

He previously told Insider that he buys "industrial-sized" containers of nuts and dates and keeps them around his house for convenient grazing after his training miles.

Balenger, who is vegan, previously ran 3,275-miles across the US from coast-to-coast on a diet of 8,000 calories a day with lots of smoothies, cold pasta, and coconut milk ice cream.