Eating for WINNERS

Mission Nutrition Blog - 4th November 2011

It is all everyone has been talking about for the last few months – rugby! Now, with the All Blacks having won the shiny Webb Ellis Cup, I am sure the celebrations and conversations will long be continuing. It will be no surprise to you that in my line of work I have engaged in MANY conversations over the last few weeks about the impact of nutrition on the AB’s sporting performance and generally people are wondering what on earth the All Blacks eat and drink to keep them in tip top shape! Well, having worked with some of the former ABs myself in my previous job as a sports nutritionist in the ITM Cup, I can let you in on the tricks of the trade and offer you a few ideas to make sure you are eating right for your training.

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Nutrition will have been a massive part of the strategy during the World Cup to ensure the boys were in their best condition for the games, so rest assured, they will have been working hard to get the food side of things right – hence the reason they have a nutritionist working for them pretty much full time. In professional rugby, when it comes to nutrition, it is all about GOOD food first rather than supplements galore as people may commonly think. Infact, apart from the odd protein shake and omega 3 capsule there are very few supplements in sight. 

For the ABs who are training several times a day at high intensity for hours at a time, as well as the types of foods they eat being very important, the timing of what they eat and drink is also critical. The same goes for you if you exercise –the timing of your meals and snacks around training can make all the difference to the result you get from your workout! 

Here are some top tips that professional sports players abide by which will help you get the best from your training: 

  • Eating before morning exercise – if you are training in the morning for around 60mins at a moderate intensity, you don’t HAVE to eat before exercise if you don’t feel like it or if you are likely to feel sick at the gym because you have eaten before. You have enough stored carbs (glycogen) on board to fuel you through this training – but you MUST make sure you have carbs and protein within 20-30mins of finishing your training (i.e. your breakfast) to help your body recover asap for the next session. If you have a longer morning workout planned, or feel dizzy and faint if you don’t eat before training, have a banana, milk or yoghurt around 30mins before you start training.
  • Training in the afternoon – hit the gym after work? Your afternoon tea is really important! Have a lighter lunch and a more substantial afternoon tea to help make sure you have the fuel on board to train well.
  • Recovery – this is the magic and with the ABs, this would have been a massively important focus after all training and games. Having carbs and protein within 20-30mins helps you body to repair and recover. Leave it too long and this will mean you hugely compromise the speed of your recovery, potentially making your next training session much more difficult.
  • Sports Drinks – With 14tsp of sugar in a bottle of Powerade or other similar sports drinks, you don’t want to be using these willy nilly if you don’t need to. The ABs NEED these drinks, they need the sugar and they need the electrolytes given the intensity of the training they do. But – do you? If you are training a few times a week and watching your weight – you really need to work out if these are really for you!
  • Booze – if you hit the beers or vodka straight after a game or exercise without having had some carbohydrate, protein and hydration first, you could be in for a disaster. Alcohol massively delays recovery and can mean you just won’t be on form if you are training the next day. Always eat and drink something (healthy!) before hitting the hard stuff after exercise.

Yours in Health and Happiness,
Claire
xo


Want help eating like a winner? Call us - we have the answers!!!

  • Consider attending one of our upcoming seminars in Howick or Kingsland on Eating Yourself Lean
  • Why not invite Mission Nutrition to do a Workplace Wellness session at your offices. These are great to boost morale and get everyone working together towards healthy eating!
  • Or, for your own personalised nutrition assessment and plan, call us today and see how we can help you sort out exactly what to eat and when. We are a team of qualified and experienced Dietitians and Nutritionists who can help you be your best! Contact us today on 09 948 7999 or email us today.


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