A Look at Jon Tanguay and A&M Performance Nutrition's Impact on Aggie Football
By: Scott Retzlaff, 12thman.com
Handling the nutritional needs of well over 100 football student-athletes is no small task. Jon Tanguay has gladly accepted the challenge over the years. Texas A&M's Director of Performance Nutrition doesn't have much free time on his hands, but he gave us a glimpse of his current day-to-day routine with Aggie Football.
There's much more to the process than just breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tanguay's days start early and end late. He has been at Texas A&M since 2008, so he's very familiar with the training camp routine.
"It's challenging but this time of year is great, because they're up here so much and are really only eating the foods we're providing them," said Tanguay. "That gives us a chance to fine tune what they're doing and what they need in terms of their diet and nutrition. I see the guys several times a day, so I get to follow up with them on how they feel. I also get to monitor their weight multiple times a day, so now is the best time to get some real nutritional dimensions."
If anyone knows the importance of proper diet, hydration and fueling for performance, it's Tanguay. An endurance athlete, he has completed multiple marathons and iron man competitions. His education and experience, along with his own training and nutritional practices, make him a valuable voice for student-athletes to hear.
So, what does a typical day look like as the Director of Performance Nutrition for Aggie Football?
With training camp in full swing, Tanguay's days typically start around 6:30 a.m., when he sets up nutrition stations for the players to utilize throughout the day. The stations give the players access to hydration and snacks in between meetings, classes or anything else they have going on.
Fueling stations, such as this one in the football team lounge, are available 24/7.
Breakfast runs from 7-9 a.m. at the Slocum Nutrition Center. Tanguay uses that time to check in with the players to see how they're feeling and what they're eating.
If the Aggies lift weights or have a walk through later in the morning, Tanguay has recovery nutrition food and drink items available for the players.
Brunch begins at 11 a.m. This gives Tanguay a chance to check in on the players again.
Tanguay takes part in a staff meeting before lunch begins at 2:45 p.m. It's one of the primary meals of the day, but several other things happen during this time, as well. The pre-practice weight of the players is calculated before they eat, and the players also go through hydration testing at this time. The A&M Sports Science team runs the hydration testing, but Tanguay relies on those hydration numbers to see if more fluids and electrolytes are needed.
With the Texas heat and humidity, the hydration of the athletes is a huge area of focus.
"Now is a great time to identify those guys who have issues with hydration," remarked Tanguay. "If certain guys have issues maintaining energy or tend to cramp at all, now is the time to build those good habits. Then it just becomes about maintaining that through the season."
Prior to practice, items like energy chews and pre-practice energy drinks are provided to the players as they tape and prepare to hit the field.
Jon and his students are also involved during practice. During breaks, the players are given things like frozen fruit pops to give them sugar and cool down their core temps.
Following practice, recovery nutritional products are available to the players before they hit the hot/cold tubs and/or get treatment. Fruit cups, watermelon slices and even snow cones have been options for post-practice snacks, as treating the team to some surprises tends to keep the morale high.
Jon Tanguay being interviewed about Aggie Football's Performance Nutrition
Dinner for the Aggies typically runs from 8-10 p.m. Post-practice weights are recorded, giving Tanguay plenty of information to cover from the entire day. He shares those weight reports with the coaches and Sports Performance staffs before finally calling it a day.
That's a lot in a day, and Tanguay is the only full-time nutrition staff member with Aggie Football. Plus, while football is all that's going on right now, he's also in charge of nutrition for track & field and men's/women's golf when they return. Tanguay does have 15 student-workers to assist him, with a core group of five who assist mostly with football. Those extra hands are vital when dealing with that number of athletes, and Tanguay takes pride in providing a solid learning experience for his student helpers.
"If they're interested in Sports Nutrition, this is a great opportunity for them to see what a full-time sports dietitian does and to see how sports nutrition works in a high-level collegiate program," added Tanguay. "It's great for them to see things we're able to offer and the ways we're able to fuel these athletes, while also making it fun and exciting."
Tanguay has seen great changes and improvements at Texas A&M during his time at the school. Those upgrades include the Slocum Nutrition Center, which was built in 2013. The facility is open morning, noon and night for A&M teams. Tanguay works with the Executive Chef of the facility to create balanced menus that are both nutritious and enjoyable.
The Slocum Nutrition Center is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner for all Aggie athleties.
Add that to his day-to-day responsibilities, and you get a feel for the kind of time that Tanguay devotes to the job. Despite the long and demanding hours, Tanguay's passion for the job and pride in the current status of the Performance Nutrition Department is very evident. Aggie student-athletes are well taken care of in terms of their nutritional needs.
"We have one of the best nutrition programs in the country, and I'm excited about where we are," Tanguay explained. "Our infrastructure here is as good as it gets with all of our fueling stations, the Slocum Nutrition Center and our offices that are centrally located. We also have great support from the coaches and administration."
