Shane O’Neill’s CLG © 2012

 

During Training/Game

 

During training or a game, replacing fluids and fuel lost is the most important element of nutrition.

    You should have access to a sports drink and water during training and games. More information on sports drinks can be found in the Hydration section.

 

Players and coaches should use every opportunity possible to get fluids into your system — injuries, substitutions, stoppages in play, half time.

 

Post Training/Games

 

After training and games it is important to start refuelling the body as soon as possible.

Fluids lost through sweating must be replaced. Monitoring of hydration is important to refuelling. For each kg of weight lost due to sweating, replace with 1.5 litres of fluids. Sports drinks containing 6 — 8% carbohydrate, some electrolytes and a source of protein are important in the initial stages of refuelling,

    Keep some fruit, such as a banana or some dried fruits along with water or a sports drink in your gear bag to ensure that you can begin refuelling as soon as possible.

    Your post training/game meal should mostly contain a source of carbohydrate, such as pasta or rice, to replace lost carbohydrate stores, and some protein such as chicken or lean meat as a source of protein.

    Maintain a high carbohydrate intake in the days after a high intensity training session or game to ensure that carbohydrate stores are maintained in preparation for the next session/game.

 

Source - http://www.medicalwelfare.gaa.ie/generaladvice.html

 

 

Nutrition Tips

 

 

Nutrition

Excess fat can hinder performance in football, so losing body fat is often high on the wish list of many football players. You may have gained some excess weight following an injury or during the off-season period when your exercise levels dropped. It can be hard to respond to a sudden drop in exercise levels immediately with an equal reduction in food energy intake. In fact, many players are tempted to eat more however, the result is a rapid gain in body fat. Whatever the reason for your weight gain, the key to losing weight is to achieve a long term scenario where energy intake is lower than energy output. It is important not to become obsessed with dieting or embark on faddy weight loss methods.

 

How to Reduce your Fat Intake?

 

• Start your day with fruit, yogurt, wholegrain cereal, porridge or wholemeal toast.

 

• Include five portions of fruit and vegetables in your daily diet – eat fresh fruit as a snack, pile salad into your sandwich or add a side salad to your main meal.

 

• Make vegetables and grains the base of your meals – pasta, potatoes, rice, cous cous, bulgar wheat.

 

• Flavour salads and vegetables with herbs, lemon/lime juice, fruit vinegar

 

• Add extra vegetables to pasta and curry sauces, stews, soups, bakes, shepherd’s pie and lasagne.

 

• Make fresh fruit the base for dessert – add yogurt, fromage frais, custard or half fat crème fraiche.

 

• Minimise added fats and oils in food preparation (e.g. dressings, added butter and margarine, cream, fatty sauces).

 

• When cooking, opt for lower fat cooking techniques such as baking, steaming, boiling and grilling instead of frying.

 

• Reduce saturated fats e.g. butter, pastry, biscuits and puddings. Choose lean cuts of meat and substitute skinless chicken, white fish and beans for some of the meat in your diet.

 

• Avoid foods made with animal fats or hydrogenated vegetable fats as they contain larger amounts of trans fatty acids i.e. margarine, biscuits, cakes and bakery items.

 

 

Low Fat Snacks

 

• Sandwiches/rolls/pitta/bagels (filled with salad, tuna, chicken, turkey, ham, marmite or banana)

 

• Low fat yogurt and fromage frais

 

• Fresh fruit (e.g. apples, bananas, pears, peaches, nectarines, grapes)

 

• Scones, potato cakes, crumpets

 

• Dried fruit

 

• Rice cakes/ bread sticks

 

 

What about Carbohydrates?

 

Eat enough carbohydrates because carbohydrates fuel all types of exercise. If you eat too little carbohydrate, you will experience fatigue, lack of energy and your training will suffer. Low carbohydrate diets can result in muscle loss. Sugary foods and drinks may be useful to meet carbohydrate goals in some situations – for example, using a sports drink during exercise. Take advantage of these uses, but otherwise focus on bulkier and more nutrient-dense carbohydrate-rich foods.

 

Fill up on High-fibre foods

 

High fibre foods will help to fill you up and feel satisfied for longer, keeping hunger at bay. The following is a list of high fibre foods which you should base your meals and snacks on:

 

• Wholegrain breakfast cereal

 

• Porridge

 

• Wholemeal bread and pasta

 

• Brown Rice

 

• Beans and lentils

 

• Potatoes

 

• Fresh fruit

 

• All kinds of vegetables

 

 

Eat Little and Often:

 

Aim to eat 5-6 small meals and snacks each day at regular intervals. This will help maintain energy levels, prevent hunger and avoid fat storage. Avoid leaving long gaps between meals as people often over-eat when they are hungry or are ‘eating on the run’. A well-chosen snack before training or in the afternoon can take the edge off evening hunger. Take time to slow down and eat, even when you are busy. Your brain and your stomach both need to enjoy the experience of eating.

 

 

 

 

Losing Weight

 

 

There are 3 key time frames for sports nutrition

 

• Pre-Training/Game
• During Training/Game
• Post Training/Game

 

Pre-Training/Game Nutrition

 

Pre-training or game nutrition does not start in the hours before the game or session, but in the days and weeks before hand. Adequate nutrition over a prolonged period of time will lead to an improved performance.

    The major part of every meal consumed should consist of a source of carbohydrate — such as pasta, rice or potatoes. Added to this is a good source of protein such as lean meat, chicken or fish. Vitamins and minerals are important to ensure that the body can make the best use of the carbohydrate and proteins ingested, so a good range of fruits and vegetables should be consumed at meal times and throughout the day as snacks.

 

In the week leading up to an important match, there should be a gradual increase in the amount of carbohydrate consumed to ensure that stores are topped up. If the increase is sudden the benefits will be lost, and this, in fact, can prove detrimental.

 

Match Day

 

Any meal taken on match day should be taken 2—4 hours prior to throw in to allow for digestion. If you suffer from nerves or anxiousness before a game, it is possible to replace a meal with a liquid meal.

    The match day meal should again consist of a good source of carbohydrate, such as pasta, as well as a source of protein, such as lean meat or chicken. You can also have some fruit available to maintain the carbohydrate intake.

    Fluid intake is important at this time, see the Hydration section of the site for information on how to assess your hydration status and maintain your fluid intake.

 

 

 

 

Source - http://www.medicalwelfare.gaa.ie/losingweightforgaafootballers.html

 

 

 

 

 

Alcohol

 

Cutting down on your alcohol intake can help you lose unwanted body fat. One pint of beer is equivalent to 182 kcal so if you cut out five pints per week, you’ll save 3640kcals per month, that’s 0.5kg in body weight! Since alcohol is associated with relaxation, it is often also associated with unwise eating. From a sports performance point of view, alcohol can interfere with post-exercise recovery. It acts as a diuretic and may slow down the process of re-hydration after a match. Alcoholic drinks are low in carbohydrate content and will not fuel up your glycogen stores.