Do you have a sporty someone on your gift list?
As somewhat of a minimalist myself, I’m always looking for gifts that my loved ones will enjoy and use, not just another trinket or thing to add clutter to their lives. The normal wear and tear of hard training means that athletes go through a lot of gear every year-hello, socks! So gifting things they can put to use is a great way to support their training and performance.
I’m Angie, Registered Dietitian and sports nutrition expert. I help athletes find easy and delicious ways to eat well so they can get the most out of their training and perform and recover their best. I have a pretty good peek into the lives of athletes because I work so closely with them. Plus, I am a lifelong athlete myself. So, while I have zero advice about the best makeup contouring products or stiletto heels, I’m a pretty darn good resource for gifts for athletes that will make their sporty little hearts sing.
Note: this blog post contains affiliate links. This means that I may earn a commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Let’s go shopping!
Gear Gifts for Athletes
One thing that seems common across all types of athletes that I work with is that they love their gear. If they are training year-round, it is likely they will burn through this gear and always appreciate fresh, new replacements. Check out a few of my tried and true favorite gear items below.
Amphipod Hand Held 20 oz Water Bottle
I used to suffer through runs without carrying water or electrolyte products because I absolutely hated carrying anything. That all ended when I tried this ergonomic, grasp-free model that slips right into the palm of my hand, providing hydration without encumbering my run. The runner, hiker, or generally outdoorsy athlete on your list will be better hydrated with this gift.
Bonus: this hydration helper is dishwasher safe, so keeping your bottle bacteria-free is a breeze!
And psst, if you need ideas about hydration formulas to put inside, check out my blog on Electrolyte Supplements for Athletes.
Nathan Pinnacle Breeze Hydration Vest
For times when more than 20 ounces is required (think runs or hikes lasting over an hour when access to handheld refills is limited), I love my Nathan Hydration vest.
The front mesh pockets come equipped with 2 x 14 oz soft flasks, and there is an additional spot for a 2-liter bladder in the back pocket. It also has lots of storage for extra snacks, your phone, keys, and other essentials. The mesh design makes it light and breathable for your longest, sweatiest endeavors.
Add to cart (women’s) Add to cart (men’s)
Noxgear Tracer 2 – Multicolor Illuminated, Reflective Vest for Running or Cycling
Do you have an athlete who trains before sunrise or after sunset? This gift will keep them more visible while training in the dark – safety first! Weighing only 6.5oz, your athlete will forget she is wearing anything extra at all, but distracted drivers will be alerted to her presence from a half mile away. The power from 3 AAA batteries lasts through many dark, winter runs.
LED Rechargeable Headlamp from Avlxt
A budget-friendly option for the runner, hiker, dog-walker, or camper on your list. This light-weight headlamp casts a wide 260-degree light, which is a huge upgrade over any headlamp I’ve worn before. Plus – it is super light-weight, clocking in at just 3.3 oz. It is light on your athlete’s head and will illuminate a path as they log their miles. Snatch this two-pack and keep one for yourself!
Smartwool Thermal Merino Reversible Cuffed Beanie
Many athletes who dislike outdoor winter training simply don’t have warm enough gear. Let’s start with hats! We lose about 7-10% of our body heat through our uncovered heads, so adding this beanie is a great way to conserve body heat. This thinner, softer merino wool beanie is a comfortable and stylish unisex gift to keep your favorite athlete’s noggin warm through even the coldest winter training sessions.
Hoka Mach 6
My favorite running and training shoe of all time just had to make the list. Good training shoes make a great gift for that athlete in your life. Even if they have “too many shoes” (as if!), there is nothing like a fresh, bouncy pair. The Mach 6 is a lightweight neutral shoe that can double as an everyday trainer or a race shoe. Available in men’s and women’s sizes and a slew of cool colors this holiday season.
KuaiLu Recovery Sandals
These budget-friendly, open-toe sport slides provide a thick, cushiony base to reduce stress on your favorite athlete’s feet, joints, and back after they exercise. As someone who spent the better part of this year with plantar fasciitis, these babies were my supportive little besties that aided my healing. Available in both women’s and men’s versions – add them to your cart with the appropriate link below.
Sizing note: I found they ran a little small, so when in doubt, size up.
Add to cart (women’s version) Add to cart (men’s version)
Finis Swim fins
Great for the aspiring or expert swimmer who wants to improve their kick technique and speed. Mine have endured thousands and thousands and thousands of yards, and they have held up fantastically. You can’t beat this little gift of swim speed for the price.
Speedo Pull Paddles
Another wonderful training tool for your favorite swimmer. Using pull paddles helps to increase swim power across all strokes. These paddles are available in a variety of sizes to ensure the perfect fit.
Zogg’s Unisex Adult Predator Swim Goggles
I’ve worn dozens of different goggles over the years, and Zogg’s goggles are consistently comfortable and reliable – I love ‘em. They provide great visibility, particularly for triathletes and open-water swimmers. I love the clear lenses for indoor swimming, and the smoke versions are absolutely fantastic for creating an easy, visible path on bright, sunny, open-water swimming days.
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2-Open-Ear, Bone Conduction, Sport Headphones
Help your athlete listen to their favorite playlist or podcast while staying aware of their surroundings, with SHOKZ’s open-ear, bone conduction design. The bone conduction technology means that your athlete can hear their music, but have unobstructed ears to hear fellow runners, cyclists, or approaching cars. Enjoy up to 12 hours of powerful, 3D audio on a full charge.
Trigger Point Grid 1.0 Foam Roller
This multi-density GRID features a three-dimensional surface that provides more efficient muscle recovery by promoting the flow of blood and oxygen for optimal muscle recovery as you roll- a budget buy to aid recovery for the daily exerciser or weekend warrior on your list.
Food Gifts for Athletes
Food gifts are particularly great for that person on your list who seems to have all the gear they could possibly need. Athletes often appreciate food items that make their busy lives easier, so food gifts can be a slam dunk.
Seabear: Ready-to-Eat Variety Pack
Gift an athlete some delicious, ready-to-eat, boneless, skinless fish that is portable and requires no refrigeration – perfect for topping a homemade poke bowl, stir fry, or salad to help promote recovery. Flavors in the variety pack include Smoked Lemon Pepper Pink, Smoked Sockeye, Pink, Smoked Idaho Trout, and two Sockeye. I know firsthand how delicious this is because when I received it as a gift, I thoroughly enjoyed each and every bite- it didn’t last long!
Looking for a Stocking stuffer version? Try Seabear Salmon Jerky
Lummi Island Wild: Lummi Yummy Trial Box
The Lummi Yummy Trial Box is great for any athlete looking to regularly include some high-omega-3, wild-caught salmon into their lives (ahem, this dietitian thinks that should apply to all of us). There is no commitment with this box, but your athlete could always start a subscription if they enjoy the 12 flash-frozen, individual filets delivered to their doorstep.
Righteous Felon Beef Jerky Variety Pack
Athletes always appreciate portable, non-perishable, gluten-free, high-protein goodies. The locally sourced, pasture-raised meats in this variety pack are a big flavor and quality upgrade over average convenience store jerky. Fun flavors, like Teriyaki Balboa, Seoul Survivor, and my favorite, Truffle-O Bill, will awaken your athlete’s taste buds while helping them recover.
Nuts.com Nut and Dried Fruit Snack Box
Individually-portioned and nutrient-dense packs of almonds, walnuts, cashews, or sunflower seeds, along with dried fruits like apricots, pineapple, banana, and raisins, are a big yum! These snack packs are perfect to toss in a gym bag, desk drawer, or backpack to fuel your favorite athlete – they won’t squish or spoil, and the combo of carbs, protein, and fat makes these a balanced snack that is always ready.
Bobo’s Seasonal Oat Bites
I often recommend snack bars for busy athletes. They are individually packaged, don’t need refrigeration, can be eaten on the fly, and provide immediate energy for training or competition. Bobo’s Oat Bites are always a top choice, and the seasonal flavors of gingerbread, pumpkin spice, pecan pie, and peppermint brownie make festive and tasty athlete gifts.
If you are looking for additional snack bar or protein bar ideas for athletes, check out my posts on the best pre-workout snack bars for athletes and the best-tasting protein bars for athletes.
Supplement Gifts for Athletes
While “food first” is a great mantra, busy athletes often benefit from a few key supplements that make hitting their goals a bit easier. The 3 supplement gifts below are some of my most frequent recommendations.
Clean Simple Eats Whey Protein
After trying hundreds of different protein powders over the years, Clean Simple Eats is my top pick for the best-tasting whey protein powder. They offer a plethora of mouth-watering flavors that turn your smoothie into something bordering on dessert. For the chocolate lover, you can never go wrong with their Chocolate Brownie Batter flavor. Each scoop provides 20 tasty grams of grass-fed whey protein.
Unsure of which flavor to try or need a stocking stuffer? Try Clean Simple Eats Variety Pack
Orgain Organic Vegan Protein Powder
For the athlete on your gift list who follows a plant-based diet or cannot tolerate whey protein, I love to recommend Orgain Vegan Protein Powder. The chocolate fudge is creamy and nourishing, with 21 grams of plant protein per scoop. Festive holiday flavors, like Peppermint Hot Cocoa, make for fun holiday gifts, as well.
Momentus Creapure Creatine Monohydrate Chews
Creatine is one of the most popular supplements for athletes in strength and endurance sports. Sometimes remembering to take a powder can be a challenge, so Momentus came up with a chewable NSF-certified version with their new creatine chews. Great for the athlete who wants the benefit of daily supplementation in a convenient chewable tab.
For more information on the benefits of creatine, with other products I recommend, check out my blog on creatine.
Tech Gifts for Athletes
Do you have a data-driven athlete on your list? It is not uncommon for young and mature athletes alike to be interested in heart rate, speed, cadence, and power output data from their training sessions. These gifts can be pricey, but I thought I’d include a few trustworthy options for anyone looking to splurge.
Garmin Forerunner 955 GPS Smartwatch
The bright, full-color display has an excellent battery life – up to 15 days in smartwatch mode – and provides a full picture of your health. With built-in wrist heart rate and the ability to provide daily sleep and training readiness scores, it feels like a little personal trainer on your wrist. A splurge gift for the fitness enthusiast who likes to know as much data as possible after every workout. Retails around $439, currently on sale for $399.
Garmin Vivoactive 5 GPS Smartwatch
A more budget-friendly model with many of the same features as higher-end Garmin smartwatches. Device storage, battery life, and activity profiles are more limited than the Forerunner models, but this is still an excellent choice for any athlete on your list. Retails around $249, currently on sale for $199.
Hyperice Normatec Go-Calf Recovery System
Targeted massage for fresh legs on the go? Yes, please! Based on the same science-backed technology that powers the original Normatec system, these portable calf sleeves deliver air compression to the calves to increase blood circulation, reduce pain, and improve recovery.
Reading Gifts for Athletes
Have a reader on your list? These are just a few of my favorite books for athletes that can offer insight into using the power of nutrition to enhance their performance and overall health.
Power Up: A Young Woman’s Guide to Winning with Sports Nutrition
Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes
The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Sports Performance
Skratch Labs Feed Zone Portables Cookbook
Run Fast. Eat Slow.: Nourishing Recipes for Athletes: A Cookbook
Service Gifts for Athletes
Massage gift cards
One thing you can count on with hard-working athletes is that they are often sore, and a massage gift certificate will be a welcome treat. Hershey locals, I can’t recommend Emerald Springs Spa enough. They have the most welcoming staff, and the massage therapists are absolutely top-notch. I am a regular customer, and the 60-minute therapeutic massage (a steal at $103) keeps my overworked muscles loose and ready for more training.
Pedicures
Oof, have you checked out your athlete’s piggy toes? If they are runners, cyclers, soccer players, or participate in anything with stinky shoes, chances are their feet could use some TLC. Athletes whose feet are on display, like gymnasts and swimmers, might appreciate a fun nail polish, but all athletes will benefit from the relaxation and foot pampering that comes with a pedicure. Hershey locals, I love Happy Nail and Spa on Chocolate Ave for their clean and cheerful salon and deluxe pedicure priced at $42.
For the athlete who prefers to pamper feet at home, how about a Homedics Bubble Mate Foot Spa followed up with O’Keefe’s Healthy Feet Intense Renewal Cream?
The Gift that Keeps on Giving
If you read all the way to the end, I hope you found some cool gift ideas for the athlete in your life. And I hope it goes without saying that all your athlete really needs is the gift of you, so if these don’t fit into your budget, don’t sweat it.
How about a freebie?
Many athletes in Pennsylvania and Maryland get their nutrition sessions 100% covered by their insurance. Feel free to share my information if you or the athlete in your life could use personalized nutrition recommendations for the upcoming year.
Use this link to request an appointment now.
Just like it takes hard work and training to reach your full athletic potential, sometimes you need to practice using food to support your training and recovery. Come work with me, and I’ll get you feeling like a sports-fueling savant in no time.
0 Comments