We understand that time is at a premium for most student-athletes. Lack of time is the number one reason many people give for failing to eat sensibly. Don’t let your on-field shortcomings be a result of a poor diet; time does not need to dictate your diet. Proper planning, educating yourself on performance enhancing foods, and working with a sports nutritionist are all ways to fuel your body and reach your peak athletic goals while meeting your own personal health goals.
If you must eat on the go, eat on the go with a plan! Develop a weekly menu with the “basics,” things are constantly changing so be prepared for change. Include, whole wheat breads, lean meats (vegan alternative), and plenty of produce. Find a cooler that can fit in your bag, and include portable foods and snacks; sliced fruit, low sugar yogurt, string cheeses, and protein bars and nuts make great travel buddies.
Breaking Your Fast
Eating breakfast every morning is key; the level of glycogen in your liver can be substantially lower in the morning, so you need to refuel your body to replace the energy it used while you slept.
• Student-athletes who eat breakfast perform better in the classroom than those who skip. A lot easier to think when your body has energy fuel.
• Eating last night’s left over’s is okay (i.e. pizza, Chinese food with rice or even cheese and crackers)
• Traditional breakfast food choices:
o Instant grits/bowl of cereal
o Fruit or yogurt smoothie
o Egg and cheese sandwich
o Waffles with fruit
o Hard- boiled eggs
Pre-workout
3-4 hours before practice, workout or competition keep these tools in mind:
• Consider choosing foods with lots of carbohydrates, such as
o Rice
o Pasta
o Potatoes
o Yogurt
o Fruit smoothies
o Vegetables
o Muffins
o Crackers
o Bread
• Drink tons of water and sport drinks!
1 hour before a practice, workout or competition keep these tools in mind:
• Have a snack:
o ½ a bagel
o Granola bar
o Large banana
• 12 ounces of sport drink
Breaks/Post-Game/Practice
• Halftime/timeouts
o Drink water and/or your favorite flavor of sport drink.
• Post-workout
o Drink approximately 24 ounces of sport drink or water for every pound of body weight that is lost during competition/practice.
o Monitor you urine color. Apple juice color = dehydration and you need more fluids. Lemonade color = hydrated.
o Eat something within 30 minutes of competition/practice.
What about fast food?
• Pizza with thick crust, vegetables, and Canadian bacon, instead of “meat lover’s”
• Single burgers, instead of “double” or “Monster” with bacon and cheese
• Grilled chicken sandwiches or grilled chicken salads instead of fried chicken
• Stir-fried veggies and steamed white rice, instead of meals with large portions of meat or fried egg rolls.
• Grilled meats verses fried meats
• Waffles, pancakes, grits, scrambled eggs, or grilled ham, instead of bacon, sausage or biscuits.
• Avoid these sandwiches: tuna salad, chicken salad or salami. Try turkey, chicken or roast beef and load up on the veggies.
• Avoid the pasta dishes with large amounts of meat, cheese and cream. Opt for lots of pasta and red sauce.
Remember: Aim to be consistent in your eating habits, go for quality foods and remember timing of meals will impact your performance. Know your schedule and plan ahead by bringing or purchasing appropriate foods and beverages. Try to eat regular meals and snacks throughout the day to maintain energy levels but don’t have a large meal right before an event. Good eating habits are important at all times (before the game, after the game, and during the off-season)
Welcome to the official blog of Drug Free Sport: PERSPECTIVES! Since 1999, Drug Free Sport has been ensuring fair and safe sport as an industry leader in sport drug testing, policy development, and substance-use prevention education. The aim of our blog is to continue to share current events, trends, and resources related to sport drug testing and athlete health. Our Perspectives will tap the in-house experts at Drug Free Sport, as well as the many professionals we respect in the industry.
Drug Free Sport Staff Writers
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sports nutrition part 2: Foods that = success and when to eat them
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Thanks.Good information. But keeping your entire body healthy makes it easier for you to build muscle.
ReplyDeleteSports Nutrition, you are 100% correct, keeping your entire body healty will make it easier to grow muscle and nutrition is a large part of that.
ReplyDeleteVery useful blog. Even though having a good mixture of provisions is vital, many would argue that hydration is even more critic.
ReplyDeletesports nutrition
Fine. Some people choose to take the risk of using suspect ones, because they are seeking the potential gains.
ReplyDeletesports nutrition