Krystal Ellis frequently skipped breakfast last year, and by the afternoon she started to lose energy. As a starting guard on the women's basketball team, she struggled to keep up in practice because she rarely found time to eat and often grabbed meals from fast food restaurants.

Now a sophomore, Ellis knows all too well that a healthy diet is essential to maintaining energy.

Two weeks ago, Ellis met with a staff dietitian at Student Health Service, who told her to consume 3,100 calories a day to have enough energy to perform well at practice.

Ellis now eats two pieces of buttered toast with two eggs for breakfast and a six-inch sandwich from Cousins for lunch. Ellis also snacks on fruits such as bananas and apples throughout the day.

"I've learned how to make time to get things done," Ellis said.

Ellis provides just one example of the importance of diets in athletes' lives. Along with tough training and conditioning, Marquette athletes focus on nutrition to stay ahead of the competition by achieving peak performances, to retain energy and to avoid injuries.

"If you don't eat what the body needs, then you won't perform well," said junior Kim Todd, an outside hitter and middle blocker on the women's volleyball team. "You will get tired. If you try to substitute with caffeine, it won't work either."

Along with time constraints, the cafeterias on campus also make it difficult to eat healthily.

"It can be challenging at times," said sophomore Jerel McNeal, a guard on the men's basketball team. "There are not a lot of different options on campus, so it's harder to get a variety of foods."

Although it may be difficult, most athletes try to eat the proper amounts of complex carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Before big games, teams get together for a meal that usually consists of chicken, pasta, baked potatoes and salad.

Eating dinner at the "training table" in the Alumni Memorial Union in particular helps Ellis and McNeal maintain a healthy diet. The "training table" is where the basketball players eat dinner from Monday to Thursday.

"Especially in the preseason and season, it's important to cut out unhealthy habits like drinking pop and eating fried or fast food," McNeal said. "The training table helps do that."

The "training table" offers cereals as well as main course meals that include complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and meat. Juice, water and milk are also provided. Soda is not offered.

"It's like a family dinner," McNeal said. "We bond and crack jokes. All the guys on the team are like a family, and it's great to have that time together."

Along with eating healthy food, athletes understand the importance of drinking lots of water. Most athletes consume about five bottles of water a day.

"In preseason we had girls with dehydration, so we know that the coaches are serious when they tell us to drink water," Todd said.

On the road, the coaches prohibit soda to ensure that the athletes stay hydrated. Energy drinks such as Red Bull are also prohibited and against NCAA regulations.

"The coaches and trainers stay after us and make sure that we do the right things both on and off the court," McNeal said. "They make sure that we eat the proper amount."

McNeal eats at least five times a day to stay energized and recover from the intense physical activity.

"I try to educate them, but because I'm not a nutritionist I can't get real specific," said Todd Smith, Marquette's head strength and conditioning coach.A