Nutrition for the Shooting Athlete SFC Mark Mebes

Nutrition Why is nutrition important for a shooter?

Nutrition Competitive shooters must be at the top of their game Name some factors that physically affect your sport

Nutrition 1. Eyesight 2. Upper Body Strength 3. Muscular Control 4. Breathing Control 5. Pro-position 6. Concentration 7. Blood Flow/pulse 8. Rest 9. Balance *how are each of these things affected by your diet?

Nutrition Eyesight Good nutrition is good ocular nutrition Your eyes are the fastest healing part of your body Ever notice that your vision is “sharper” some days than others? Diet can account for changes in visual clarity Your Pre-Match diet should include proteins and fats as well as vitamins for ocular repair Hydration is key for reducing target “retina burn”

Nutrition Upper Body Strength Proteins are primarily responsible for muscular repair Smaller, frequent meals packed with protein coupled with muscular training increase strength Muscle development in delayed without proper hydration

Nutrition Factors affecting Muscular Control Food intake (lack) Muscle Strength Caffeine Intake Sugar Intake Tobacco Intake Medication Rest/Sleep Familiarity with an activity Hydration

Nutrition Factors affecting breathing control Cardiovascular shape Recent exercise Excitement over last shot (good or bad) Competition anxiety Tobacco Intake Medication

Nutrition Pro-Position Awareness of how your body occupies space Other athletic competition Hand-eye coordination

Nutrition Factors affecting concentration Did you skip a meal? What did you eat? High in sugar? Caffeine? Your brain needs proteins, fats and minerals to repair Concentrating on a ½ match is like taking a 2 hour exam Caffeine Tobacco Medication

Nutrition Factors affecting blood flow/pulse Caffeine Tobacco Medication Skipping a meal Cardiovascular conditioning Emotions Restrictive clothing Hydration

Nutrition How Rest/Sleep affects your shooting Sleep Cycles Mostly 2.5 – 3 hrs First 30 minutes repairs your eye fatigue 1 sleep cycle repairs 80% of your brain 2 sleep cycles or more for competition

Nutrition How balance is affected Balance is a cognitive function If your brain does not work properly, your balance will be off Diet balanced with proteins, fats and vitamins affects brain repair Sleep is vital for brain repair Hydration affects cognitive function

Nutrition At this point in your shooting, you should have realized that your performance on any given day can be greatly affected by small things Health and nutrition is something that teenagers commonly neglect If you want to shoot better, paying attention to what you intake, managing your intake in moderation, and getting proper rest WILL improve your shooting performance over time

QUESTIONS?