Nutrition Tips and Suggestions
Last Updated: September 7, 1999
The importance of good nutrition
for top performance in any sport is often overlooked. This is especially
true for an extremely demanding sport such as rugby. The following is a
primer on nutrition that I hope will help you to realize your potential
as an athlete. I realize that it is extremely difficult to do everything
that is necessary to eat the 'perfect' diet and simultaneously maintain
your image as a socialite of the area, but it is always possible to improve.
If you will keep these hints in mind, you may find yourself feeling and
playing better.
The best way to think of
nutrition for performance is on a long-term basis. By this I mean that
it is necessary to support your training efforts. Nutrition is rarely ever
successful in a quick-and-dirty manner, although many athletes would like
this to be the case. What you eat the day of a competition only plays a
minor role in your success or failure. It is what you eat throughout the
season, or even the year, which will make the difference. You must fuel
your body properly to enable it to maintain the highest possible quality
of training so that you may make the greatest gains allowable by your ancestors
(genetics). As with training, consistency and quality are the keys for
top nutrition.
The following is a short
(believe it or not I've tried to keep the length down) handout covering
some of the highlights of nutrition and performance. I have probably covered
some things you care squat-all about and left others that you wanted to
hear off. Remember I am available at any time for specific queries, so
please don't hesitate to ask if there is a burning concern.
NUTRIENTS
There are 3 basic energy-yielding
nutrients, that is those which provide calories; carbohydrates (I'll use
CHO for an abbreviation), proteins and fats. Alcohol is also a source of
calories (as we may all attest to after seeing some folks after the holidays),
but it doesn't supply any nutritive value (unless, of course, it is surrounded
by Guinness).
Typically, people are taught
to reckon their dietary intake in terms of percentage of total calories.
I reckon it can be misleading to put too much emphasis on the breakdown
of the energy-yielding nutrients in your diet, but it is a convenient way
to generalize about dietary requirements. The accepted government numbers
for intake of these nutrients (calculated as a % of your total daily caloric
intake) are 30% fat, about 12-15% protein and about 55-60% CHO. These numbers
are fine for the yuppies with the fancy workout clothes, but may not be
for anyone who is serious about training (especially badass, athletic studs
and studdettes). In general numbers such as 65-70% CHO, 12-15% protein,
15-20% fat may be better. As many of you already know, CHO are extremely
important for athletes and 15-20% fat should be appropriate for your finely-tuned
bodies. Keep in mind that too much of a good thing is not necessarily better.
In other words it is possible to go overboard on the "Hate the Fat" bandwagon.
More on this later. When you are calculating the amount of these nutrients
in your diet, the % of total calories is the important concept. Look on
the labels of foods and they will give you a breakdown of these nutrients
by weight. You can convert this to calories. One gram (g) of CHO and 1
g of protein both have 4 cal. One g of fat, however, has 9 cal. An example
of how to calculate a breakdown of foods follows:
One oz. of Cheerios = 4 g of protein, 20 g of CHO and 2 g of
fat. Now multiply this by 4 g x 4 cal/g = 16 cal. from protein 20 g x 4
cal/g = 80 cal. from CHO and 2 g x 9 cal/g = 18 cal. from fat. This comes
to a total of 114 cal. Protein makes up 16/114 = 14% CHO is 80/114 = 70%
and fat only 18/114 =16%.
Not too bad. Use this for any food you like and you can always keep
track of your diet. I will give an example of what I reckon is a better
method after I have described the essentials of each nutrient.
Carbohydrates
The most important of these
nutrients for athletes is probably CHO. The major energy source for your
muscles during a match is glycogen, the form in which carbos are stored
in your muscles. There are 2 factors that influence the amount of glycogen
you can store in the muscles (and thus make it available for your use on
the pitch): training and diet. Training is addressed elsewhere, but hopefully
you can learn something here which may help to increase maintain glycogen
stores during your racing career.
There are 2 types of CHO,
simple and complex. Simple CHO are sugars and you probably want to place
an upper limit on these. Not because they are necessarily bad for you,
but because simple sugars generally come in forms that have little to offer,
that is, vitamins and minerals, other than energy. Generally only about
10% of your calories should come from these. Complex CHO consist of starch
and fibers. Complex CHO are the most important energy source and should
make up most of your calories. Although there is very little difference
between complex and simple CHO in terms of replenishing glycogen stores,
you get many more vitamins and minerals from sources of complex CHO as
opposed to simple. Potatoes, corn, grain products (bread, pasta, rice,
oatmeal, most cereals), legumes (peas and beans) and other vegetables are
all good sources of complex CHO. These types of foods should be the mainstay
of your diet plan. Fruits and vegetables are mixtures of complex and simple
CHO and are also loaded with heaps of vitamins and minerals. So if you
need an energy boost, you might be better served to go for a nice banana
or an apple rather than that nasty, high-fat Snickers.
It is probably necessary
to keep your CHO intake in this range so that you will maintain your glycogen
stores at high levels, even with repeated depletion through your rigorous
training schedules. You need to ingest about 5-7 g CHO/ kg body weight
each day (2.5-3.5 g/lb). This is especially important on hard training
days. Each time you do a hard training session you deplete your stored
CHO (glycogen). If you do not get enough CHO you will not completely replenish
your stores. In the long term this will start to interfere with training
quality.
Alright, how about some
specifics. I'll show you some easy ways to calculate your nutrient intake.
These numbers will be for a 130 lb. (60kg) person. Remember that these
numbers are not absolute gospel for every individual and you may have to
make slight adjustments. Use your common sense and modify these according
to your size, metabolism, age and activity level (we're assuming that your
activity levels will be high, what with all the training you need to be
doing). A typical serving of a complex CHO would include: 1 slice of whole
wheat bread, 1/2 ear of corn, 1/2 cup of rice, potato or pasta or 1 oz.
of dry cereal. Each of these servings has approximately 70 cal. If we estimate
our daily consumption at 2000 cal. per day (may not be enough for many
of you), you would want about 20 servings of CHO, most of which should
be complex CHO. This would give you about 1400 cal. (about 70%) or about
350 g of CHO. 350 divided by 60 = 5.8 g CHO/kg body wt. You can adjust
this to your desired level of calorie intake.
The timing of ingestion
of CHO is also important. Immediately following a workout is an ideal time
to suck down some CHO. This is necessary to maximize your recovery potential
by restoring your glycogen at the fastest possible rate. Try to take in
about 0.7 g CHO/kg body weight (0.32g/lb) during the 1st coupla hours following
a workout. Since a nice bowl of pasta is not too appetizing following one
of your more strenuous workouts, the wonderful folks at Quaker Oats have
come up with the perfect solution just for you (actually I think they do
it so they can send their kids to Harvard or Duke, but it works for you).
Quaker makes Gatorade. Gatorade and related drinks have been formulated
for just such a post training reason. A pint (16 oz.) of Gatorade has just
under 30 g of CHO (not to mention plenty of fluid which also needs to be
replaced). So someone weighing 130 should drink about 20-24 oz as soon
after a workout as is possible. This is not difficult when you're hot and
thirsty after a killer session. Drinks made by the other companies work
just fine too (only difference is you can't be like Mike if you drink Coke
or Pepsi's versions of the sports drinks).
The importance of replenishing
CHO following exercise is probably most crucial when you are agonizing
through two-a-days and/or a multi-match tournament. What you do immediately
following a training session or match can directly impact your performance
in the next one. Try to concentrate on rehydrating (more about this later)
and replenishing your CHO so that the lack thereof does not hinder your
effort later. It is crucial to take in CHO as soon after a practice or
match as possible to enable your muscles to have the best possible chance
to restore CHO.
Just a quick word about
CHO loading; it's not necessary to do any fancy diet manipulations for
rugby training. Just be sure to get enough CHO throughout the week to insure
optimal glycogen storage so you won't hinder your training. Again, about
5-7 g of CHO/kg body weight will work well.
Protein
OK kids time for a quiz. Every
athlete should be extremely concerned about his protein intake. True or
false?
FALSE! (Sorry, trick question).
Don't get me wrong, protein is a very important nutrient, but odds are
y'all get plenty already. The RDA for protein is 0.8 g/kg (0.36 g/lb.)
body wt. Increase that to 1.2-1.5 g/kg for athletes (although not all scientists
agree that it should be higher for jocks) and it is still very easy to
get plenty of protein in a normal diet. Good sources of protein are lean
meat, fish, poultry, low-fat dairy products, eggs and legumes (remember
that these are also good sources of complex CHO). Keep the meat lean and
the poultry skinless and you will cut way down on the saturated fat (the
bad guy) which is associated with these foods.
Many people are afraid of avoiding meat because they feel that they
can't get enough protein without it. Although I feel that it is not necessary,
and possibly detrimental, to eat a pure vegetarian diet, it is still relatively
easy to get plenty of protein without eating meat. Dairy products (low-fat),
legumes and eggs are all excellent sources of protein.
Eating lean meat may be
especially important for female athletes. Meat is one of the best sources
of protein and is also high in iron, zinc and vitamin B12, so you don't
want to totally quit. Many female, and some male, athletes are diagnosed
as being deficient in iron and zinc. You can get plenty of these nutrients
with only a small portion of meat (also available in poultry and fish)
two or three times a week.
OK, back to the average
130 lb. rugby jock. About 70-90 g of protein is plenty for a day. A 4 oz.
piece of meat, fish or poultry will give you 35-40 g of protein, and 4
oz. is only about the size of the palm of your hand (a typically sized
chicken breast from a fast food place). Other protein sources include eggs,
about 7 g each, 8 oz. of skim milk, about 7 g, and 1 cup of legumes, about
8 g. Notice how quickly a normal meal can add up. This is even without
the smaller amounts of protein found in plant sources. A potato has about
5 g, a bagel as much as 8 g and a slice of bread 2.5 g. Add up what you
normally eat in a day and I bet it's well in the high range necessary for
athletes.
The point of all this is
not to stop you from eating protein, but to convince you that it is not
necessary to add extra protein, i.e. excess meat or supplements. All those
protein sources and amino acid supplements are mostly just a waste of money.
Keep in mind that excess calories from protein are converted to fat for
storage. We don't want that, do we? A high complex CHO diet, like we're
developing, should give you plenty of protein.
Even though the protein need of athletes is often thought to be higher
than the RDA it is probably covered in the present diets of most athletes
without any further increase in the proportion of protein. This may be
illustrated with more of your favorite sample calculations.
Average protein consumption in the USA is about 15-18% of the total
calorie intake.
-
60kg atlete (~130 lbs) consuming 2000 kcal/d
-
2000 x .15 (15%) = 300 kcal of protein/d
-
300 ? 4 = 75 g of protein/d or 1.25 g/kg BW.
-
or at 18%, it would be 1.5 g/kg BW (athletes need about 1-1.5 g/kg).
So, even at a relatively low caloric intake (vigorously training appetites
may need more than 2000 kcal), a normal athlete would consume protein well
within the range recommended for athletes.
Next let's see just how easy it is to get 75 g protein....
FOOD PROTEIN
(g) KCAL
Grape Nuts (1/2 c) and skim milk
25 584
Chicken breast (4 oz.)
35 187
Pasta (4 oz.) and tomato sauce
5.5 160
Black beans (6 oz.) and rice (6 oz.)
13.5 354
Nonfat yogurt (8 oz.)
13 127
Tossed salad (lettuce, tom., etc.) (6 oz.)
2 26
TOTAL 94 1438
Note that in 1438 kcal of
a perfectly reasonable, high CHO (75%) extremely low fat (3%) diet, 94
g of protein are consumed as 22% of the total kcals. This is enough to
put the average athlete smack in the middle of even the higher recommendations
for protein. Course, at this low calorie intake, that athlete would be
hungry.
Most athletes would certainly
be eating more than 1400 kcal, so they would easily get any extra protein
they might need. Therefore, it is not recommended for most athletes to
increase their dietary protein intake. Those who feel it is necessary should
first obtain a complete dietary evaluation to determine their actual protein
intake before they decide to increase it.
Fat
Ah yes, fat. Fat is not totally
terrible and useless. Fat is a critical nutrient for many important functions
in your body. These include insulation (just watch the skinny guys shiver
when it gets below 65 degrees), protection for organs and energy, among
others. Unfortunately fat is so abundant in the foods of our society that
many people tend to get entirely too much. Most Americans have the problem
of trying to cut fat from their diets, rather than trying to get enough.
Too much dietary fat not only hinders weight control, but is a major risk
factor for heart disease and many cancers.
Remember that I recommend
that you get ~20% of your calories from fat. This is by no means a universally
accepted number, but I think your calories are much better spent on CHO,
which are more valuable for athletes than fat. However it is possible to
go overboard and not get enough fat. Less than 10-15% of your calories
from fat may lead to long term health problems (decreased HDL-cholesterol,
the 'good' kind, and reduced reproductive hormones in females). So, a completely
fat-free diet is not necessary is likely to be harmful. Don't worry, with
the hard training regimens you go through, a little fat in your diet will
not hurt you, and will probably help maintain your health and performance.
There are different types
of dietary fats that have different affects on your health. Saturated fats
are found in animal products and should be limited in your diet. These
types of fats are most associated with heart disease and cancer. In general,
less than 10% of your calories should come from saturated fats. Polyunsaturated
fats are found in vegetable oils and other places. They are very common
in many food sources. This type of fat is associated less with health problems
than saturated fat, unless you go overboard and eat way too much. Monounsaturated
fats are the type of fat that gets to wear the white hat. Canola oil and
olive oil are good sources of monounsaturated fats. There seem to be less
health problems associated with monounsaturated fats than the other two
types. Still, keep in mind, that for weight control purposes, all fats
are equal. It is easy to get too much fat though. Fat has more than twice
the calories per gram (9 vs. 4) as the other energy nutrients, so you can
only eat half as much and get the same amount of calories. No fun! Fat
is very insidious. By that I mean it is hidden in a lot of places. For
example, potato chips are about 60% fat (switch to pretzels which are only
about 10-15%) and even lean steak is about 40%.
On the other hand there
are lots of easy ways to cut out fat. Salad dressings are notorious sources
of hidden fat, so that salad bar may not be so wonderful if you gob the
dressing on it. Mayonnaise has 11 g of fat and 100 cal. in 1 tablespoon.
Calculate this to 11 g x 9 cal./g = 99 cal./100 cal. = 99% fat. Have you
ever cut a piece of fat off of a slab of meat and commenced to gnaw on
it. It would amount to about the same thing as enjoying your mayo. So mayonnaise
and potato chips are on the "cut down on these" list. Fried foods are also
loaded with fat. Lean meats, skinless poultry and fish are usually lower
in fat. Remember to skip the skin on the poultry, as that is where a large
portion of the fat hangs out, and cut the visible fat from the meat you
do eat.
Those processed luncheon meats are also sources of heaps of fat. I'd
advise cutting them out completely and substituting tuna (packed in water)
or deli-cut turkey, chicken or roast beef (usually lean). Choose skim milk
instead of whole or 2%, non-fat yogurt, limit fried foods and cut down
on butter. Hell, they even make non-fat chips, saltines, mayo and salad
dressings now. These are just a few examples of ways to cut down on your
fat intake.
Remember that more calories
should come from valuable complex CHO. It is not necessary to get wild-eyed
crazy and ban all fats from your vicinity. In fact, this could be a problem.
Simply concentrate on complex CHO as your main food sources and the fat
will take care of itself.
Now, let me try to sum up
how to determine the best diet composition for your quest to become
a capped rugger. And ain't that what we are all after. Breaking down your
nutrient intakes into percentages is probably not the best way to determine
your optimum diet. I believe that each individual has a certain amount
of calories that that person needs in a day to maintain weight. Within
that framework of total calories, there are certain amounts of each nutrient
that are necessary and these can be calculated based on body weight. I
have mentioned these in the sections above. For CHO, I reckon it will be
in the range of 5-7 g CHO/kg body wt. for most ruggers. Possibly more if
training levels are extremely high. This will work out, since calorie needs
will be higher as well. The amount of protein needed is controversial.
Many scientists believe that athletes need only as much protein as sedentary
folk, that is ~0.8 g protein/kg body weight. Others, especially weight
lifters and body builders tend to believe in excessive amounts of protein,
that is ~2-2.5 g protein/kg body weight. I reckon it is likely somewhere
in the middle. So, each person should estimate their total caloric need,
then calculate how much protein and carbohydrate they need in a day based
on these (or other if you like) recommendations. It is then easy to see
how many calories the protein and CHO require. Whatever is left can come
from fats, beer or anything else you want. An example you say? OK.
6g CHO/kg x 60kg = 360g CHO
360g CHO x 4kcal/g CHO = 1440 calories.
1.5g protein x 60 g protein/kg BW = 90g protein
90g x 4 kcal/g protein = 360 calories from protein.
So, CHO and protein make up 1440+360 = 1800 calories per day. Most actively
training ruggers will need more energy per day than that. If it is 2000
calories total, then ~200 could come from fat. If it is closer to 2500
calories (a more realistic number for most), then up to 700 could come
from other sources, including fat. Note that the higher the training load,
the more CHO (and possibly protein required), so that as calories go up
so do nutrient requirements. Fill in with fat and desserts and all should
be well. It is easy. People can figure this out for themselves or enlist
the help of a nutritionist (although many may not advocate this particular
method.
Vitamins and Minerals
These are, of course, a very
important part of any athlete's diet. It is still controversial as to whether
athletes need more than the average couch slug. In any case, a high CHO
diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and the proper amounts of fat
and protein should provide you with all the vitamins and minerals you need.
Assuming you get enough
in your diet, there is no evidence that extra vitamins or minerals in the
form of supplements help athletic performance in any way. It is probably
not necessary to add a supplement to your diet unless you feel that your
diet is so bad that you are deficient in some. This is, of course much
easier (and cheaper) to remedy with food than supplements. If you feel
your diet is lacking, please see me and we'll remedy the situation.
It is possible for vitamin
and mineral supplements to be harmful. There is a risk of toxicity and
adverse side effects with supplements that contain high doses of individual
nutrients, so be careful. The multi-vitamin ones tend not to overdo it
and cost less. The main reason I advise against a supplement is because
I think they are unnecessary and you should save your money. However, if
you feel you do need one, the multi-vitamin types (like Fred Flintsone
or One-a-Day) will reduce the risk of toxicity as opposed to a single megadose
type which could potentially give you too much and make body parts fall
off or some other such terrible and disgusting result. OK, that is a bit
of an exaggeration, but megadoses of vitamins and minerals are rarely necessary
or helpful and can be dangerous.
There are some nutrients
that may need to be supplemented in some individuals, especially females.
Athletes (mostly, but by no means only, females) are notoriously bad about
getting enough calcium, iron and often zinc. This is usually because they
don't eat enough dairy products and/or meat in the ever-lasting quest for
that perfectly (but unnecessarily) fat-free diet. I strongly recommend
milk (skim's fine), yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. every day, as well as
some sort of meat (fish and poultry will work) at least 3-4 times per week.
This should help you get enough calcium and iron. If this is not possible
then a visit to the Doc may be warranted to think about (dare I say it)
supplements. Keep in mind that this is a situation unique to each individual
and you should not just assume you are deficient without confirmation,
because supplements may be dangerous when they are not needed (just think
back to the aforementioned loss of body parts).
FLUIDS
Water
I probably can't say enough
about the importance of fluids. Fluid replacement is extremely crucial
to all athletes, especially those of us who toil in the hot, humid clime
of the Gulf Coast. Our bodies cool themselves by sweating. On a hot day
a lot of water is lost through this sweat. As you lose water your body
loses its ability to perform. A dehydration level (measured by loss of
body weight) of only 2% will cause performance decrements. You simply cannot
be at your best if you are not properly hydrated. This goes for both training
as well as match play. The key is to drink plenty of water before training
and to drink whenever the opportunity presents itself during the training
session. Drink even if you are not thirsty. Your bodies thirst mechanism
cannot keep up with its need for fluids. Cool water is fine, as it is absorbed
quickly. I know a lot of you prefer sumpthin with a little more taste to
it, such as Gatorade or other drinks, and these are fine too.
During the training session
or match, whatever you will drink the most of is probably the best thing
to consume. The trick is not to make 'em too concentrated with CHO and
electrolytes, as this slows down absorption, especially on a hot day. For
this reason, I'd definitely advise against sodas, such as Coke, diet Pepsi
or Mountain Dew. Additionally caffeine in the pop will act as a diuretic.
Athletes in one study were shown to replenish their body fluids only 60%
as well with cola as with water. Whether or not you choose a CHO-electrolyte
drink, such as Gatorade, is an individual preference thing and you should
experiment for yourself. Many athletes cannot tolerate CHO-electrolyte
drinks during performance and many have no problem. So experiment with
what works best for you when you are training. Please don't wait till the
match to try sumpthin new and end up puking on the pitch, your teammates
or, pick a deity forbid, the referee.
Post training rehydration is essential as well. Try to drink plenty
of fluids after you train. This will reduce the chances of a chronic dehydration
that may work against you in hot weather. Following exercise, a CHO-electrolyte
drink (Gatorade) may actually be preferable to water as it not only replaces
lost fluids, but also CHO (a kill two birds with one stone situation).
The sodium in the drink, although small amounts, helps allow for greater
absorption of fluid. However, whatever you will enjoy and drink heaps of
(not beer yet) is great. Try to hold off on the beer until you have rehydrated
with non-alcoholic fluids, since beer will add to your dehydration.
Alcohol
On this note let me add some
thoughts about alcohol the night before a match. If you want to play your
best, drinking more than 2-3 beers the night before a match is a big mistake.
Recently, an Irish researcher studied the effect of drinking beer on rugby
players (who better to study than Irish ruggers, eh). He clearly showed
that drinking alcohol the night before impaired physiological performance.
Alcohol is a diuretic so it dehydrates you. Dehydration will hurt your
ability to play hard. Other factors (interference with liver function,
etc.) also contribute to alcohol's ability to impair performance the next
day (maybe I should include a pounding headache in this category). Stay
sober the night before else you let yourself and your teammates down. If
you do weaken and quaff some ales, try to drink plenty of water when you
get home (an aspirin or advil may also be a good idea at this point). Also
really try to rehydrate the next day before you play.
We have all seen the effects
of excessive alcohol consumption on the body beautiful and those bellies
aren't very attractive now are they? Remember that alcohol has 7kcal/g,
so it is only a bit less than fat. This is important when considering weight
control issues. Further, your body seems to preferentially metabolize alcohol
for energy, leaving the dietary fat to be stored for later. Course, this
means it is put into that belly or cellulite and we all know it is harder
to get off than put on. Especially as we age.
So, while I would be the
last one to proselytize about not drinking (yes, believe it or not, I have
been known to quaff the occasional Guinness or 12). As with many things,
there is a time and place for it. Prior to playing is not one of them.
It will flat hurt your play. On the day of the game, it is absolutely ridiculous
and even downright dangerous. Wait till after the play is finished and
it will taste that much better.
MEAL TIMING
One important aspect of timing
is eating breakfast. Breakfast with plenty of CHO is essential for proper
energy levels throughout the day. If you skip breakfast you will deplete
your glycogen stores in your liver, especially if you do a morning workout.
Later when you go to train you are risking hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
which may make you feel awful and diminish your training effort. Also,
on a less fun but equally important note, eating breakfast allows you to
maintain your concentration in class or work. Many studies show that lack
of breakfast diminishes cognitive efforts, so eat up and smoke those exams.
If you are following a high
CHO diet all week long, then you have probably increased your CHO energy
stores without necessarily adding excess weight to carry around in the
form of fat. This is good. Now on the day of a match you can further help
to optimize this situation. You should eat a relatively small, high CHO
meal 3-5 hours before the match. This actually accomplishes two things.
It helps you maintain your blood glucose and not run the risk of becoming
hypoglycemic. It will also serve to top off glycogen stores in your muscle.
Another advantage is that it will make you feel less hungry, thus giving
you one less thing to worry about so you can concentrate on scoring tries,
brilliantly executing a perfect pop-kick or shutting down your opposite
number, thus reaping heaps of glory for the pride of the orange and green.
By eating closer to training or competition you run the risk of a metabolic
situation (aside from puking), hyperinsulinemia, (for those of you who
like to use big words) which causes you to burn up your glycogen more quickly
than you should and thereby hastens fatigue. This is more prevalent in
some individuals than others. It may not be a factor for you. One thing
to keep in mind is that not eating is much worse than eating close to a
match. Just stick to a light meal if it is almost time to put on your game
face.
The closer you get to a
match, the less you should eat. Eating close to competition only draws
blood to your gut and away from your muscles which have a greater need
for it during the match. Be very conscious of limiting fats for the pregame
meals. Those Egg McMuffins and bacon and egg breakfasts tend to digest
very slowly and can stay partially undigested in the gut if eaten in large
quantities or too close to competition. This may cause sluggishness and
a general 'blah' feeling that may not be conducive to playing hard. So,
think about avoiding those fast food nightmares that leave your opponents,
not to mention your teammates, at risk of being yacked upon.
Try to get plenty of sleep
so you can get up early enough before the match to eat. Even if you can't
make it 3 hours, 2 is better than 1. Keep the breakfast light and low fat.
A bagel (excellent low-fat choice), nonfat yogurt, orange juice with a
banana, a bowl of cereal with skim milk or whole wheat toast and jelly
(try to skip the butter if you can) are your best bets. Eating egg-a-muffins
and Burger King grease-on-a-croissant things is asking for trouble in the
form of reduced performance for most folks.
As I mentioned previously,
post-exercise is also a time to think about your eating habits. You can
maximize your CHO storage by consuming a high CHO meal within 2 hours of
training. So after you bust your ass at practice, go home and enjoy a nice
pasta dinner. This strategy goes for match days as well, especially if
it is a 2-day tournament. Eat heartily, especially CHO, before you go to
the party and you are maximizing your ability to restore your glycogen
reserves for the next day. This should make for a perkier performance on
Day 2.
It may also be important
to partake of some protein following a rigorous workout. In our lab, we
have recently completed some research that suggests the ability of your
muscles to make new protein is increased when amino acids (the building
blocks of protein) are consumed following intense exercise. It doesn’t
seem to take much, so you don’t have to eat a great deal. This is enhanced
when carbohydrates are consumed so it works well with the aforementioned
requirements. Although, it is still preliminary evidence, eating protein
after exercise can't hurt and it may help a great deal. So, some carbohydrates,
combined with protein may be your best post exercise plan.
WRAP-UP
Probably the two most important
things to worry about are CHO and fluids. Lack of one or both of these
will contribute fastest to decreasing your performance. Stay hydrated and
carbed-up. Overall, the easiest way to go is to make complex CHO the main
course of your meals. So concentrate on baked potatoes, pasta with vegetable
sauce, or black beans and rice as the main ingredients. Notice that this
is also the cheapest way to go. Paying for rice and pasta is much easier
on your budget than chunks of meat. Of course, lean meat is a great source
of protein, iron, zinc and other vitamins, so you don't want to completely
eliminate meat. Simply use lean meats as a side dish and keep track of
those fat calories. It's as simple as that.
Well, I hope this has been
helpful. If not then throw it away (or better yet, recycle). Nutrition
is no substitute for good training, but if you all train hard and eat a
balanced diet with plenty of carbohydrates and the right amount of protein,
you should feel better, notice a marked improvement in your playing, as
well as realizing some of your team goals. Remember that I'm always available
for any questions or advice concerning nutrition. The trick is not necessarily
to be a saint all the time (it's ok to have a few beers or a piece of chocolate
cake occasionally), but to change your habits so that there is a significant
overall improvement. Hopefully it won't take long for you to notice an
improvement in the way you feel and play.
Kevin Tipton, Ph.D
(409) 770-6621
ktipton@utmb.edu
Any question on this home page please contact Mark Thompson..........
Phone..........(409) 762-5029
E-Mail..........mdthomps@utmb.edu
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