SPEED NUTRITION - VITAL FOR GAME DAYSpeed Nutrition Advice –Training-4-speed.com WHAT IS SPEED NUTRITION ? - It is vital that the correct nutrition guidelines are followed to maximise young athletes potential speed on the pitch or on the court - Timing Is Everything Many players don’t realize that when you eat and drink is almost important as what you eat and drink. In order to have the energy you need to play your best in practices and games, and in order to recovery quickly afterward, you need to put the right nutrients into your body before, during, and immediately following exercise. Following are the guidelines I recommend. SPEED NUTRITION 1.Pre-Exercise Nutrition
Timing: Ideally, about three hours before play
Purpose: Maximize the body’s supply of stored carbohydrate fuel
Preventing fatigue starts with the pre-exercise meal. The job of the pre-exercise meal is to make sure the player’s body is well stocked with fluid and carbohydrate before each practice and game. The meal should be mainly carbohydrate with a little protein and little or no fat. A breakfast of low-sugar, whole-grain cereal, low-fat milk, and orange juice eaten at least two hours beforehand is perfect. Low- and moderate-glycemic carbohydrate sources such as whole grain cereals are preferable to high-glycemic carbohydrate sources like donuts because they provide more lasting energy. In a Penn State University study, one group of athletes ate a rolled oats cereal (moderate-glycemic) while another group ate a puffed rice cereal (high-glycemic) before a stationary cycling test. Both breakfasts contained 75 grams of total carbohydrate. Those who ate the rolled oats cereal were able to cycle significantly longer than those who ate the puffed rice due to greater glucose availability. Along with sugary foods, foods that are high in fat, such as whole milk, should be avoided in pre-exercise meals because they slow digestion. The other important consideration is timing. The ideal is to eat a complete meal about three hours before exercise. Eating less and/or earlier could result in low energy reserves by practice or game time. Eating later could result in nausea or cramping.
SPEED NUTRITION 2.Nutrition During Exercise Timing: Drink every 12-15 minutes during practices, at every stoppage during games
Purpose: Prevent dehydration and provide quick energy to muscles Even mild dehydration can lead to rapid reductions in performance hence maintaining fluid levels is vital –PLEASE REMEMBER THIRST IS A POOR INDICATOR OF DEHYDRATION –if you are thirsty you are already dehydrated!! KEEP DRINKING! Most youth soccer players drink only water during games and practices. By drinking water during exercise, players can keep their body temperature from rising and can play harder and longer than if they drink nothing. But sports drinks are a better choice than water because they contain essential nutrients for muscle performance that water does not have. Certain minerals called electrolytes are lost in sweat along with water. These minerals play an important role in assisting muscle contractions and in many other functions related to athletic performance. Studies have shown that players who drink a sports drink with electrolytes such as sodium and potassium can delay fatigue longer and are less likely to get muscle cramps than players who drink plain water. However, neither water nor electrolytes provide energy. In a high-intensity sport like soccer, most of a player’s energy comes from carbohydrate stored in the muscles and liver. This fuel supply can run out fairly quickly, leaving the athlete exhausted and unable to perform well. But by drinking a sports drink like Gatorade that contains carbohydrate energy, as well as electrolytes, players can conserve their muscle energy stores and prolong endurance. Traditional sports drinks do not contain any protein, but some of the newer sports drinks do. This is because new research coming out of leading universities has shown that a sports drink that contains carbohydrate and protein in the right balance can delay fatigue even longer than a sports drink with carbohydrate and no protein. In one study, athletes who used a carbohydrate-protein sports during exercise lasted an amazing 24 percent longer than athletes who used a regular carbohydrate sports drink with no protein. The added protein also helps the muscles repair themselves faster after exercise, as it is normal for muscles to experience a certain amount of damage during hard exercise. SPEED NUTRITION 3.Post-exercise Nutrition
Timing: Immediately following exercise
Purpose: Rehydrate, replenish muscle energy stores, and rebuild muscle proteins
After exercise, athletes need more of the same nutrients they need during exercise. They need more water and electrolytes to replace the body fluid they lost during the practice or game. They also need more carbohydrate to restock their muscles, because it’s not possible to replace carbohydrate as fast as it is burned during exercise. And they need more protein, too, in order to repair the muscle damage that occurs during intense exercise. And they need to get all of these nutrients as soon as possible after the practice or game is completed. Research has shown that athletes who take in these nutrients immediately after a hard workout recover much faster and perform better in their next workout than athletes who wait or who eat foods that are high in fat, which slows the uptake of carbohydrate and protein. The simplest way to kick-start the recovery process is to have your players continue drinking a sports drink with protein. Fruit, sandwiches, and low-fat energy bars are also good recovery foods. Players should avoid eating high-fat foods after exercise because fat slows the deliver of other nutrients to the blood and muscles.
SPEED NUTRITION Summary
SPEED Nutrition plays a very important role in sports performance and recovery. Most players understand this, but many players do not realize that the timing of nutrition intake – not just the type – is also important. Eating too long before playing will result in low energy reserves come practice or game time. Eating to close to exercise does not allow enough time for proper digestion. Failure to drink often during exercise can result in dehydration and early fatigue. And getting proper nutrition immediately after exercise is essential for rapid muscle recovery.
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