New Concept... Food as Fuel

We established last week that the type of food you eat can dramatically alter your performance on the field. So this week we want to go over what and when exactly should you eat in order to bring your game to the next level.  Our new concept is to think of food as fuel. An athlete needs to do a quick checklist before determining what type of fuel will be best for them. The checklist includes:

1.)    Intensity (how hard will you be working? Light jog or sprint intervals?)

2.)    Duration (how long will you be training? A 90-min match or a 30 min weight session?)

3.)    Athlete’s fitness status (what is your current level of fitness? Superior or maybe you’re just starting)

The world of nutrition is a complex one and we could write page after page explaining the phenomenon behind it, but we are going to break it down and just cover the most important aspects. The number one energy source that fuels exercise is…. CARBOHYDRATES. When your body is lacking carbs the length of your workout and the intensity at which you can go at dramatically decreases. Let’s get into the important facts about what to eat before a match…

1.)    Eat 3-4 hours before competition (this allows for proper digestion and builds up energy stores)

2.)    The meal should contain 150-300g of carbohydrates (this will allow your body to fuel itself throughout the game)

Examples:

-          Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a bagel with a side of fruit.

-          Turkey and cheese sandwich with side of fruit

-          Pasta

-          Chicken with vegetables and rice

-          Oatmeal with fruit

-          Fruit juice, sports drink or water are good choices for beverages

As soon as the match is over you need to replenish you body immediately (within 1 hour). The post game meal helps to repair and maintain muscle tissue that has been broken down from exercise. Good choices are chocolate milk, whole wheat pasta, potatoes, and protein sources such as chicken or steak.

Now that we have gone over the basics of proper nutrition, you are on your way to fueling up and playing like a champ!

Food for Thought

For the average joe, nutrition may become important when they are trying to lose weight for health reasons or for that upcoming beach vacation, or maybe their doctor is harping on them for having high cholesterol. For an athlete, proper nutrition isn’t only important… it is imperative to performance.  People tend to eat food that tastes good to them, but an athlete needs to tweak that thinking and view food as fuel.

When it comes to young athletes they often have the mindset that since they are athletes they can eat whatever they want.  If you eat a bag of Doritos and wash it down with a Mountain Dew ten minutes before you step on the field your chances of performing at your best is highly unlikely. I have heard protests from many athletes stating that they can eat whatever they want and they always play well. This may be true but what they may not understand is that by fueling their bodies in a more efficient way their typical “good game” can be transformed into an amazing game.

Now that we understand that we need to fuel our bodies better to improve our performance, where and how do we start? Tune in next week for the blog continuation and learn how and what to eat before and after matches and you will be on your way to dramatically improving your game!