Practical Nutritional Guidelines for Competition and Training Tips for the athlete The first priority is good health: Athletes should eat a well balanced diet consisting of a wide range of foods in sufficient quantities to cover the daily energy needs for maintaining growth, competition/training, and recovery. Foods rich in carbohydrates should provide 55-60% of daily energy intake, with fats providing not more than 30%, and protein about 15%. Short term nutritional strategies should be adopted by athletes to prepare for, to participate in and to recover from competition and training. Recommended Short Term Nutritional Strategies: Pre-Event (Competition or Training) meals: Consume easy to digest high-carbohydrate foods 3 hours before the competition or training. Try these options if suffering from pre-game gastrointestinal discomfort: $ Eat small amounts of food more frequently $ Avoid foods and instead use a well formulated sports drink $ Avoid foods that you know from experience will up-set your stomach During Competition or Training: drink a well-formulated sports drink. Carbohydrates in the beverage can help delay fatigue and the fluid helps prevent hydration. After Competition or Training: Effective recovery after each game or training session is an essential part of preparation for the next training session or competition. Unfortunately, voluntary eating according to hunger and appetite alone will generally not result in adequate recovery. The following strategy should be adopted to ensure recovery and readiness for the next competition or training session: $ Drink a well formulated sports drink. Sports drinks with sodium and carbohydrates help ensure complete re-hydration, and stimulate the rapid replacement of muscle carbohydrate stores. $ Start carbohydrate intake immediately after exercise and continue at 2-hour intervals until the next meal. Attempt to ingest 50g per hour $ Eat high carbohydrate foods over the next 24 hours. Total consumption should be 8-10g per kg (3.5-4.5g per lb) of body weight References Williams, C. (1998). Nutritional needs for team Sport. Sports Science Exchange 11 (3)
Strategy for ensuring that athletes make wise food choices on road trips Tips for the coach Special planning for overnight or day trips Choose a hotel with food services and/or one that is located near to other eating places (in case the hotel does not meet your needs). Check the hotel's menu and prices (inquire about any special deals for teams) and those of the surrounding eating places on arrival. Determine where the team will have its meals, and find out at what time they serve breakfast, and close the kitchen after dinner. Make reservations for all the team meals as soon as possible. Make any special meal request at the time you make reservations (for example, an affordable pasta dinner, special meals for players who are vegetarians, specific requirements for breakfast such as fruits and cereals). When dining at restaurants choose low fat foods that are steamed, broiled, char broiled, or poached. Avoid foods with high fat content that are fried, breaded, creamed, or buttery. Establish the time when the team meets for meals. Meals should be eaten at least two hours before the game or practice; snacks at least an hour. Ensure that players who need to snack between meals do so by eating foods that are easy to digest and provide valuable nutrients. The following foods are recommended as snacks: bread and peanut butter, dried fruit, raw vegetables, granola, cheese, cereal and milk, and bananas. Coaches and managers must set example (good eating habits) for athletes. Consider staying at hotels with kitchenettes where the team can prepare it=s own meals on overnight trips. Normally, players and parents who travel with these teams will willingly assist with the preparation of meals. This approach is very affordable and is preferred by teams on limited budgets. It also allows the coach to plan nutritious meals, and shop ahead of tome for affordable groceries. Have a nutrition plan for day trips which should include what to eat on the bus, as well as when, where and what to eat at meal times.
Strategies for Athletes who Travel Internationally (Air Travel ) Tips for athletes and coaches Special challenges when travelling internationally Airline Dehydration: Athletes can become dehydrated when on flights that lasts several hours. This occurs because pressurization of the cabin air increases fluid loss. Therefore, in order to avoid the negative effects of dehydration such as jet lag, athletes should ingest plenty of water, sports drinks, and fruit juices to replace fluid losses. Airline Meals: Airlines do not always provide low-fat or vegetarian meals. Therefore, athletes who require special meals should request them in advance. Additionally, athletes can bring highcarbohydrates, low-fat snacks with then on the plane. If meals are not provided on the plain, athletes can obtain healthy snacks at airport concessions such as: soft pretzels, popcorn (without butter), bagels, fruit/vegetable plates, juice, and frozen yogurt. Also, family-style and fast-food restaurants are usually available at most airports. Food-borne illness: Athletes who travel internationally have a 50% chance of contracting travellers= diarrhoea. This typically, causes discomfort, concern and pain, and sometimes require medical attention. Bacterial infection of the intestinal tract occurs because of inadequate health standards for food and water in some countries, and because athletes have not had the chance to develop immunity to pathogens in regions where they are competing. Precautionary Measures: The following precautionary measures can be taken against diseasecausing organisms not found at home: Drink only bottled water (even if brushing teeth), avoid swallowing shower water, do not use ice cubes made from the local water supply, get restaurant recommendations from the Canadian Embassy, hotel managers, and from coaches and athletes who have been in the area previously, stick to familiar foods, choose well cooked foods, avoid milk and milk products (because they require pasteurization and refrigeration), eat fruit that can be peeled (bananas, oranges, grapefruits, mangoes, and kiwi), avoid salads and other uncooked foods that come in direct contact with the hands of kitchen staff, Take along non-perishable foods on trip such as bread sticks, high carbohydrate beverages, canned fruit/fruit juices, tuna, chicken, soups, baked beans, cold cereals, crackers, dried fruit, fig bars, granola and breakfast bars, nutrition beverage, oatmeal, peanut butter and jelly, popcorn (microwave), pretzels, pre-packed puddings, jell-o, sports drinks, bottled water
Table 1 High Carbohydrate, Low-Fat Meals Waffles with fruit and syrup Bagel Low-fat milk Cereal with banana and granola Whole wheat toast with jam Orange juice Roast beef sandwich on whole grain Roll with tomato and lettuce Apple sauce Fruit juice Low-fat vanilla milkshake Spaghetti with tomato sauce Garlic bread Garden vegetable salad Low-fat frozen yogurt Low-fat milk Bean burrito Low-fat chips and salsa Lemonade Pasta with vegetables Italian roll Strawberries Iced tea Chili with beans Rice Lemonade Sherbert Grilled chicken Sandwich Baked potato Iced Tea Frozen fruit bar Pizza with mushrooms Salad with vegetables Bread sticks Soft drink Chicken on Romaine salad Oatmeal raisin cookie Low-fat yogurt Soft drink Turkey sub Low-fat chips Apple Sports drink Rice with Vegetables and black beans Garden vegetable salad Fruit cup Low-fat milk
Table 2 Making Lower Fat, Nutritious Fast-Food Choices Lower Fat Choices Moderate Fat Choices High Fat Choices Dairy Foods Low-fat milk Frozen yogurt Low-fat milk shakes Starches Bagels, English muffins Pancakes, waffles Cereals Bread sticks Baked potatoes Salad Bar Salad Carrot, celery sticks Pasta Fresh fruit Soups, not cream-based Low-fat dressings Meats/Main Dishes Chicken filet Chicken fajitas Grilled chicken sandwich Chili with beans Plain hamburgers Vegetable pizza Chicken/turkey/ham/roast beef sandwich or sub Bean Burrito Sauces Catsup Mustard Barbecue Sauce 2% milk Soft-serve ice cream Milk shakes Small order french fries Cornbread Chicken, tuna salad Cole slaw Macaroni/potato salad Cheeseburgers Steak sandwiches Whole milk Hard ice cream Biscuit, croissant Hash browns Large order french fries Curly, cheese or other fries Pastry, pie or brownie Olives, croutons Bacon bits More than 2 tbsp. of dressing Cream-based soups Fried chicken Fried chicken sandwich Fried fish, fried fish sandwich Fish or chicken nuggets >Super= >deluxe= or >supreme= sandwich or burger Sausage, pepperoni, or extra cheese pizza Bacon burger Breakfast biscuits (egg with sausage or steak) Sausage, bacon Mayonnaise Mayo-type sauces Alfredo sauce Hollandaise sauce Added butter or margarine
Table 3 Snacks - Choices for high carbohydrate or high fat Snack Type Approximate Values % Carbohydrates % Fat Chips Potato chips Corn chips Banana chips Popcorn (air popped) Pretzels 38 43 43 82 83 58 51 55 10 10 Nuts/seeds Peanuts Almonds Sunflower 15 13 14 73 83 76 Cookies Chocolate chip Oatmeal Fig 55 58 80 41 38 17 Bars Candy bars Snickers Milky way Peppermint Patty Granola, fat free Breakfast, fat-free Rice cakes 49 66 76 80 75 75 43 31 20 16 19 15 Pastries Donut Danish 44 49 55 49 Breads Bagel English muffin Raisin bread 81 77 67 3 7 25 Dairy Ice cream novelties Dove bar Hagen Dazs bar, low-fat Ice cream sandwich Popsicle Yogurt, low-fat, fruit Pudding, low-fat 42 43 62 100 75 62 51 48 33 0 10 35 Fruit Assorted 100 0
Table 4 Fast-food chains - high carbohydrate low fat food choices Fast-food chain High carbohydrate Low-fat meals Approximate Values % Carbohydrates % Fat McDonald=s Wendy=s Taco Bell Pizza Hut Grilled chicken sandwich, a side salad, 6 oz orange juice, and one cartoon of 2% milk 8 oz of chili, plain baked potato, a side salad (with vegetables and 1/4 cup cottage cheese), and a small frosty 2 tostados (plain shell, not fried), one bean burrito, two plain tortillas, and one cartoon of 2% fat milk One-half of a medium thin-crust cheese pizza, two bread sticks, and a glass of 2% fat milk 50 25 57 25 56 27 56 25
Table 5 Tips for Different Cuisines Cuisine Choose Avoid Chinese East Indian Mexican Italian Stir-fried and steamed dishes with plenty of vegetables: steamed rice, chicken chow mein, chicken/beef chop suey, steamed Chinese, stir-fry with shrimp, vegetable, chicken, Hunan tofu, hot-and-sour soup, wonton soup, and fortune cookies. Dishes that contain beans, rice, grains, vegetables, and bread Chicken and bean burritos (not deep fried), soft tacos, tostados, corn tortillas, salsa, baked tortilla chips, gazpacho soup, black/red beans, Spanish rice, fajitas, chicken or seafood tacos made with flower or corn, and refried beans made without lard Pasta with marinara, marsala, tomato or red clam sauce; thickcrust plain cheese or vegetable pizza, salads with dressing on the side, bread, bread sticks, chicken marsala, spinach or mushroom tortellini, minestrone soup High fat foods such as: spare ribs, sweet-and-sour pork or shrimp, fried chow-mein noodles, fried rice, egg rolls, and lobster sauce Dishes made with coconut milk and cream which contain saturated fats Re-fried beans, chips, sour cream, and guacamole Alfredo, and pesto sauces, butter, margarine, and olive oil