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The
following is a recommended template describing the kinds of things
our athletes should be eating to fuel themselves before, during and
after practices and tournaments. Athletes and their parents should
carefully consider the kinds of foods we take and eat during our athletic
training, particularly at tournaments. You are what you eat!!
As a club, we will not be consuming candy, cookies, or soda at tournaments.
These are empty calories, devoid of much nutritional value. Some studies
show that young teenage girls (13 to 14 years old) may get as much
as one-third of their daily caloric intake from sodas.
This is unacceptable for athletes striving for high performance. Neither
is the fast food that is so popular in today's fast-paced world an
acceptable substitute for well-balanced meals prepared from fresh
and healthy ingredients. One of the best services we can be providing
to our young athletes is giving them a lifetime of healthy eating
habits.
Parents please pay attention to these guidelines and especially do
not "sneak" sweets and candy to your players on tournament
day. This only plays havoc with their blood sugar levels and may result
with them being lethargic just as they step on the court. Team Reps
should be helping to coordinate the parents providing lunches and
snacks to the team at tournaments so that we can ensure proper nutrition
for our teams, preparing them for peak performance!!
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Digestion
(time it takes to digest)
Appropriate Diets
Night before:
Pregame Meals:
During Exercise:
Lunch:
After Exercise:
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Carbohydrates: 45 mins
Protein: 1.5 hours
Fat: up to 3 hours!
Balanced meal / banana for snack
Higher carbs to replenish if you exercised that day
Apple in the morning
More than 2 hours before the game:
Solid foods high in carbs, low in protein, very low in fat
Carbs should be complex vs. simple
... complex: pastas, cereals, breads
... simple: candy, cake, other sweets
Less than 2 hours before the game:
Liquids - absorbed quicker
Small amounts of fruits or vegetables
... high liquid content
... no protein or fat
... fiber content may sit in stomach
... during exercise, blood flow changes, slowing digestion
Simple sugars are digested the quickest
and are aborsorbed quicker in liquid form
Sports Drinks:
... simple sugar with electrolytes
... most are too concentrated - dilute by half
... absorbed quickest just above freezing!
Ideally more than 45 minutes before next match
... lunchmeat sandwiches with vegetables
... fruit and vegetables
... NO CANDY
Eat in 2 hour intervals for a total of six hours
... offers maximum glycogen repletion (24 hours)
... best time for protein intake (to repair broken muscle fibers) |
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