All the information you find here comes from professional sports scientists, coaches, sports psychologists, nutritionists and athletes and is delivered by myself, a semi-professional athlete. Ever heard advice banded about the sport community and wondered how accurate it is?:
“Have a cold bath after training, it will help your muscles recover”/ “Have a hot bath after training, it will help your muscles recover”/ “Don’t stretch before training, stretch afterwards” / “Eat this food, Eat that food, put salt in your water...”? Does sacrificing a rare frog in early February really help you lose weight over the summer?? Well, log onto the Wythit.com Health section and we will sort it out for you once and for all!
NB: Sacrificing a rare frog in early February will not help you lose weight over the summer, nor does it have any other recorded benefits.
Play Smart
Play Smart: Event eating
Welcome back sports aficionados! We hope you took something from the first ‘Play Smart’ article on Recovery. For those of you who are now reaping the benefits and hammering your mates each and every day at the club (let them suffer for a couple of weeks, then give them the Wythit.com address!!) well done! Keep it going! For those of you who are ritualistically building up a collection of rare frogs after reading the article - you are FREAKS! Stop emailing us! And stop sitting next to me on the bus!
Focus…
2. Eating for an event part one: General rules
What’s in a diet?Getting the right food, being crucial for the sportsperson who wishes to perform in matches or events, is also important for anybody who wishes to stay active regularly over a long period. We have talked about the importance of food in recovery after exercise or an event; A lack of the right food in the right quantity, and at the right time, can also affect your energy and ability to play, your ability to learn or perform the motor skills required in your sport, even your overall health and ability to fight off illness.
Become a Master of PastaIt is really easy to get what you need in your food if you have a varied diet and eat at least three meals a day – especially if you snack on fruit in between meals. A diet rich in complex (starchy) carbohydrates is the main thing to consider, as this will be your main energy source (and also provide fibre, vitamins and minerals). These are things like pasta, breads, cereals, potatoes (and other root vegetables), corn, peas, beans, lentils.
*It is worth mentioning here that eating simple carbohydrates (sugary foods) is a bad idea before an event/ training – this is explained in part two of this article*
How much? How often?The make up of your diet should be about 55-60% carbohydrates including fruit and vegetables, about 30% fats (dairy products, oils, which are a necessary part of our diet) and about 13-15% protein (eggs, milk, meat, fish, protein substitute). Eating at least every 3-5 hours will keep your blood sugar levels stable, and those wishing to lose weight should note here that missing meals will not help.
Follow these general rules whilst training and as a casual sportsperson you will not go far wrong. For those who play matches or compete in their sport, part two of this article will talk about good pre-event eating and what you can eat during the actual event.
Important:The one thing I would like to add to this, and which I cannot stress firmly enough, is that…..
Food for thought! Log in next time Wythit fans and unravel this veritable cliff-hanger!!