Read time: 6–7 minutes Featuring: Lindsey Salwasser, MS, RD, CSSD – Regional Director- Sports Performance Operations & Director of Sports Nutrition at Sports Academy Texas. | Dietitian for the Dallas Stars Pro Hockey Team
TL;DR
- Small, repeatable habits: Early mornings, planned meals, a full water bottle; create big energy.
- Underfueling is the #1 performance gap: Lindsey sees this even in elite athletes.
- Hydration is the hidden edge: even a 2% drop can impact performance, cognition, and injury risk.
- Sleep is the force multiplier: 7–9 hours with solid sleep hygiene moves everything else forward.
- Pair IVs with daily nutrition: IVs deliver rapid hydration and nutrients; daily habits sustain the result.
- Start now, not “someday”: Build momentum with tiny wins.
Meet Lindsey: The Pro Behind the Plate
Lindsey Salwasser is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics with master’s degrees in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition Science. She directs the Sports Nutrition program at Sports Academy TX, where she has coordinated fueling and hydration for NFL pre-draft and off-season programs and supported more than a hundred collegiate and professional athletes. Before joining Sports Academy, Lindsey led performance nutrition at the Division I level—most recently at Washington State University—working with athletes across football, basketball, baseball, soccer, swimming, tennis, golf, and rowing. Today, she’s focused on expanding elite-level fueling and hydration services to every client, believing that peak performance isn’t just for pros.
4 A.M. Advantage
On her busiest days, Lindsey’s edge starts before sunrise. “Waking up early, between 4 and 5 a.m. to be centered before my day starts—from there it’s go-go-go. This quiet time helps me feel ready to attack the day.” She treats fueling, training, hydration, and supplementation as non-negotiables—not because life is calm (it isn’t), but because those habits equip her to carry five roles at once: director, dietitian, athlete, wife, and mom.
Takeaway: When life accelerates, the basics matter more—not less.
“Simple, Not Easy”: Making Consistency Doable
Lindsey’s mantra is that the right habits are simple, but they’re not always easy—especially under the pressure of life’s demands. Her solution is to lower barriers so that execution becomes automatic. She outsources friction by using a meal-prep service or building a repeatable weekly menu, hydrates by default by keeping a full water bottle within reach—at home, in the car, in her bag, and at her desk—and protects her time by scheduling training and recovery as priorities, not luxuries.
Impact Quote: “It felt selfish to take time from my family or career. Now I know I’m better in those areas when I invest in myself.”
Pro Insight: The Most Common Performance Gap
Even among elite athletes, underfueling is the pattern Lindsey sees most often. High output demands more fuel than most people realize, and without enough energy and the right balance of carbohydrates, protein, fluids, and micronutrients, performance, recovery, and mood all take a hit. To fix this, Lindsey adds structured fueling windows—before training, during long or intense sessions when needed, and within 30 to 60 minutes afterward. She builds “performance plates” tailored to each day’s workload: on hard days, more carbohydrate-rich foods like grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables paired with lean protein, colorful produce, healthy fats, and plenty of fluids and electrolytes; on light or recovery days, she slightly reduces carbohydrates while keeping protein steady and emphasizing produce and hydration.
Takeaway: The earlier these habits begin, the fewer breakdowns occur later—whether in an athletic career or a busy life.
Hydration: The Overlooked Secret Weapon
Lindsey calls hydration the “often overlooked secret weapon.” Even a 2% drop in hydration status can reduce physical output, slow cognition, and increase injury risk. It also disrupts blood circulation—impacting nutrient and oxygen delivery—along with joint lubrication and thermoregulation, all of which are critical whether you’re skating shifts, chasing deadlines, or keeping up with kids. Her hydration basics are simple but powerful: front-load with a glass of water as soon as you wake, carry a bottle and refill it at every break, and match fluids to sweat losses during heat or intense sessions by adding electrolytes as needed. The simplest way to check your status? Aim for pale-straw urine most of the day.
Impact Quote: “Hydration and nutrition aren’t reserved for elite athletes. We all get drained by life’s demands.”
Recovery That Moves the Needle (Even When You’re Busy)
If there’s one lever Lindsey prioritizes above all others, it’s sleep. She emphasizes aiming for 7–9 hours of quality rest each night—whether you’re an athlete or a busy professional. Good sleep hygiene is key: keep your room cool and dark, avoid blue light for at least an hour before bed, stop caffeine six hours prior, and consider magnesium supplementation if appropriate. Lindsey also highlights the domino effect of poor rest: inadequate sleep leads to higher stress, poorer food choices, and weaker training and recovery—all of which can derail performance and wellbeing.
Impact Quote: “Sleep is number one, hands down. If you aren’t sleeping, the others suffer.”
Where IV Therapy Complements Smart Nutrition
Think of daily nutrition as your foundation and IV therapy as the accelerator when you need an extra boost. At Forever Young IV Bar, clients often pair targeted drips with structured training plans or demanding work cycles to stay hydrated, energized, and performing at their best.
Impact Quote: “IV therapy is instantaneous—straight to the source—while your daily habits are the building blocks. You need both to get the full benefit.”
Mindset That Lasts
“We GET to do these things, we GET to train, GET to chase our career goals, GET to fuel and hydrate according to our goals. Many don’t have that opportunity; I don’t take a day of it for granted.”
Impact Quote: “You’re not defeated when you lose, you’re defeated when you quit.”
Ready to Pair Habits With High-Octane Hydration?
If you’re training hard, heading into a heat wave, or gearing up for a make-or-break week at work, consider these pairings at Forever Young IV Bar. The Athletic Performance Drip supports recovery after intense sessions and helps combat heat exposure, while the Energy IV is ideal when sharp thinking and sustained attention matter most.
Book your session and let our medical team tailor your drip to your schedule and goals, then keep stacking those simple, not-easy habits that help you perform, recover, and thrive.
About Lindsey Salwasser, MS, RD, CSSD
Lindsey Salwasser is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics with master’s degrees in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition Science. She serves as the Regional Director of Sports Performance Operations and Director of Sports Nutrition at Sports Academy Texas, where she leads evidence-based nutrition programs designed to help athletes and clients perform at their best.
Lindsey has extensive experience supporting elite athletes, including serving as the Performance Dietitian for the Sports Academy NFL Pre-Draft and NFL Off-Season programs, and directing performance nutrition at the Division I level across multiple sports. She also works with professional athletes as the Dietitian for the Dallas Stars hockey team, providing individualized fueling and hydration strategies to optimize health and performance.
Passionate about her mission, Lindsey is dedicated to expanding access to high-performance nutrition for everyone—not just professional athletes—helping people at every level reach their fullest potential.
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