Sports Nutrition

General Eating  Having a well balanced diet is vitally important for athletes to ensure you are getting all of the necessary nutrients/vitamins/minerals.  There are 4 main energy sources that fuel our body:  Carbohydrate  Protein  Fat  Alcohol

 The preferred energy source for your body  Provides the glucose needed to produce ATP (energy source for muscular contraction)  If your body runs out?  You will need to utilise other fuel sources (protein or fat) which is less effective  Carbohydrate needs depend on individual energy requirements

Your weight (kg) x grams of carb/kg = carb requirements each day Grams Carb/kgActivity Level 1Very little aerobic activity as possible 2Sleeping/watching TV 3Daily Chores (the amount most adults eat) 4-5Good intake for active people – 3-5 hours exercise/week 5-7Serious amateur athlete – 10 hours exercise/week 7-9Serious professional athlete/endurance – 20+ hours per week

 Protein is the building blocks of muscles / organs  Intake must meet the demands of training  Build muscle  Repair broken muscle  Most adults (and recreational athletes) consume more than enough protein

Your weight (kg) x grams of protein/kg = protein requirements each day Requirement (g/kg body weight)Person 0.75gAdult Australian gRecreational Athlete gEndurance Athlete 1.6gElite Endurance Athlete g (depending on period of trainingStrength Athlete

 Not good sources of energy  Some fat is essential in the diet  Used to transport/absorb vitamins  Will be used as an energy source in later stages of endurance events – when all glucose stores have been depleted  Alcohol  Body can not utilise for energy

 Carbohydrates  Eat 2 fruit per day  Choose starchy vegetables – potato, corn, baked beans, sweet potato  Pasta  Bread  Steamed Rice  Banana Sandwich  Low fat yoghurt  Tinned fruit  Low fat dairy products  Breakfast cereal – weet-bix, muesli  Protein  Lean red meat  Chicken  Fish – tuna/salmon  Low fat dairy products  Baked beans  Eggs  Nuts/seeds/legumes  Fortified breakfast cereals  A protein shake CAN assist, but is NOT ESSENTIAL

 Pregame  Before – proper nutrition before sport is very important  Eat something high carbohydrate, low fat and moderate protein ▪ Cereal with low fat milk ▪ Fruit/yoghurt ▪ Baked beans on toast ▪ Pasta with low fat sauce ▪ Bread rolls with honey / jam  Liquid or low fibre options are easier to digest  Eat at least 2 – 3 hours before  Don’t forget about hydration ▪ Sip on water / energy drink ▪ 300 – 500mLs of water in the 15 minutes before exercise  During  Remain hydrated  Drink regularly 150 – 250 mLs of fluid every 15 minutes ▪ More fluid may be required in hotter weather ▪ Water is the best choice  Over 60 minutes? ▪ You can add a source of carbohydrate to help supplement lost stores  Half time break ▪ Aim for 30 – 60g carbohydrate ▪ Sports Drink ▪ Energy / Carbohydrate Shot ▪ ½ Banana ▪ Make sure it is easy to digest Key message is everyone is different. What works well for you, may not work for someone else. Practice makes perfect!

 Avoid fatty take away and alcohol  This delays your body’s ability to recover  Is not a great source of carbohydrate / protein  Drink the amount of fluid you have lost as sweat  Most athletes sweat at 500 – 1000mL/hour  Eat or drink some carbohydrates to replace energy stores within the 15-20mins after exercise  This becomes more important when you need to back up with a second game / training the next day

 Everyone is different – find out what works for you  Carbohydrate is more important than protein  Pregame meal 2 – 3 hours before  High carbohydrate/protein, low fat  Easy to digest  After 90 minutes (1/2 time) – replenish glucose stores  Sports drink, carbo shot, jelly beans  Practice makes perfect  Train how you would compete – this includes nutrition!  HYDRATION, HYDRATION, HYDRATION!!!