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Unlike common people, you have uncommon goals and dreams that require 100% of your effort, determination , and discipline. You are beginning to understand how important this is in your physical conditioning, but you must also understand that these same principles apply to your eating habits. Nutrition is the one component of an athletic program where most people are misinformed or misunderstood. Everywhere you turn, you hear or read about someone who had gained or lost 20 pounds in one week. This type of information is misleading and dangerous. As athletes, you must know facts about diet and dietary habits, in order to perform at your optimum level. You cannot run a high-performance racecar on kerosene. Excess weight in the form of fat reduces speed and endurance of any athlete.
Fueling for Football
Football is a game of strength, speed and skill; all of which can be affected by what, when and how much an athlete eats and drinks.
Athletes need to apply the same effort to proper fueling as they give during practices and competition. Players sometimes neglect nutrition, which can result in poor performance.
Proper nutrition is extremely important for football players. Because football requires short bursts of energy, eating enough carbohydrates is critical. As an athlete, you are always looking for the edge over your opponent. Nutrition is that edge. It does not only impact strength, speed and stamina, but recovery as well. You, as athletes, are responsible for taking control. You must provide your body with optimal body fueling. A player who comes to practice without having eaten breakfast or lunch, or skimps on fluid intake during hot summer practices, is not going to reach his full potential – which ultimately affects the performance of the team as a whole.
CARBS ARE KEY
Football is a stop-and-go sport with short burst of intense effort,
followed by rest. Therefore, the primary fuel for football is
carbohydrates. An ideal diet for football players requires 55 to 60
percent of their daily caloric intake to come from carbohydrates, 15
percent from protein and 30 percent from fat. Simply stated, your diet
should be 2/3 carbohydrates and 1/3 protein, with an emphasis on
moderate fat. Carbohydrates-containing foods with lower fat should
be emphasized example: bagels over doughnuts, mashed potatoes
over fries, grilled chicken over fried, frozen yogurt over ice cream.
Upping the amount of carbohydrates in your diet will provide you
with more available energy during practice and games. Less fried
foods often decrease the chance of an upset stomach, which may
also boost performance.
During Two-a-days/Pre-season, carbohydrates must be the main
fuel source. Players will not recover in time for the next practice
unless carbohydrate intakes are adequate. Watch your protein intake.
While protein is needed in an athlete’s diet to build and maintain
muscle mass, excess protein consumption will be stored as fat and
may dehydrate the body. For example, turkey and cheese roll-ups,
fruit, vegetables, Gatorade bars etc, are good food choices.
POST GAME/LIFT SNACK
For optimal recovery after competition/practice or lifting, you need to consume a protein-carbohydrate mix. The snack should contain 6 grams of protein and 35 grams of carbohydrates. Suggestions include peanut butter crackers, trail mix, yogurt with cereal, a bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter, or a sports bar
containing the right proportion. This snack should be consumed within
30 minutes after competition, practice or lifting for optimal
benefit.
TIPS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
To lose 1 to 2 pounds a week you must subtract 500 to 1000 calories per day to equal 3,500 calories per week.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
- Limit fast food intake or make healthy fast food choices
- Drink more water
- Limit your amount of soda, candies, desserts, and other simple sugars.
- Do not eat any fried foods.
- Do not restrict carbs.
- Do not skip meals , but do decrease portion size. It is usually not the pasta that is the problem but the amount that you choose to eat! A little off the top at each meal works very well. For example, eat 25 chicken wings instead of 40, drink a 12-ounce beverage instead of a 20-ounce glass, or eat a 12-ounce steak instead of one that is 24 ounces.
- Trim calories by cutting down on condiments and snacks.
- Many find it easier to lose weight by eating smaller, more frequent meals that are more evenly divided throughout the day, instead of three meals.
- Decrease calories from beverages by diluting juices, choosing diet soda or ice tea, and using smaller glasses.
- Include filling foods such as protein and foods that require chewing: salads, vegetables, a baked potatoes, meat, and fruits.
- When eating fast food, choose regular instead of super-size meals.
- Put snacks into a bowl instead of sitting down with the whole bag.
Common Nutrition Mistakes
• Not Eating Breakfast
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not eating at regular intervals
• Eating too much protein and short-changing
carbohydrates
TIPS FOR WEIGHT GAIN
To gain 1 to 2 pounds per week, you must add 500 to 1000 calories per day to equal 3,500 extra calories a week. Simply put: you must take in more calories than you burn off!
- Eat 4 to 5 meals plus 2 to 3 snacks a day.
- Start a meal with food, not liquids, so have the sandwich first, and then the shake.
- Replace low-or no-calorie beverages with juice, lemonade, milk, and sports drinks instead of water.
- Try to eat one-quarter more at every meal and snack.
- Keep snack food around to nibble on.
- Add higher calorie foods to every meal: granola instead of sugared cereal.
- Add nuts to cereal or snacks.
- Eat bagels instead of bread.
- Add more protein, but only four ounces more a day, through food, not supplements. Choose cheese, low-fat lunchmeats, and an extra piece of chicken, milk and yogurt.
Snacks:
- Whole grain crackers
- Graham crackers
- String cheese
- Low-fat yogurt
- Dry-roasted nuts
- Bread sticks
- Pretzels
- Dry cereal
- Fresh fruits
- Dried fruits
- Fruit juices
- Bagels
Watch the caffeine – It lowers blood sugar and can make your hungrier. It is
also a diuretic and can be dehydrating.
ADDITITIONAL HEALTHY CHOICES
- Bread, bagels, pita, muffins, biscuits or rolls with less than 2g of fat
- Cold cereal with less than 2g of fat
- Hot cereals
- Corn tortillas
- Air Popcorn – Unbuttered
- Pretzels, Rice cakes
- Pasta, Rice, Barley
- Crackers with 1g of fat
- Fresh vegetables
- All fresh fruit
- 1% Low fat or skim Milk
- 1% Low fat Yogurt
- Cheeses with 2 or fewer grams of fat/oz.
- Frozen dairy desserts with 2g of fat or less ½ cup
- Beef: Top Round
- Beef: Eye of Round
- Pork: Tenderloin
- Chicken breast without skin • Egg Whites
- All dried beans, peas
- Canned Fish packed in Water
Setting Nutrition Goals
With a little education, football players can make changes that will be felt both on and off the field. The team should set nutrition goals together, such as:
- Drinking on a schedule
- Refueling at half-time
- Eating immediately after practices or games
What to Eat:
Football players need carbohydrates to fuel hard-working muscles. Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, fruits and vegetables should be the bulk of a football player's diet filling up 2/3 of the plate at every meal. Protein foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy foods, nuts, soy products and beans, are essential for good health, but are not the primary fuel source for exercise, and so should occupy only 1/3 of the plate.
All Day Fueling:
Unlike professional football players who practice during the day, younger athletes don't take the field or hit the gym until after school. Since bodies don't run well on empty, eating every 3 to 4 hours is necessary to properly fuel both the body and mind. Encourage your athletes to:
- Eat within 1 hour of waking up.
- Eat something at lunch.
- Snack before practice on a sports drink, energy bar, cereal or granola bar.
- Bring a post-exercise snack to eat before leaving the locker room. Good choices include an energy bar, bagel, crackers or fruit with a sports drink.
Items NOT APPROPRIATE before, during or after
athletic competition:
- Soda pop or carbonated drinks of any kind
- Candy
- Cakes or cupcakes
- Donuts or muffins
- Chips
- Cookies
Tips for Hydration
Before you exercise: Start 1-2 hours before you lift/practice or competition; drink 10-20 ounces of fluid. Fifteen minutes before competition, drink 8-16 ounces of fluid.
During exercise: Drink 4-8 ounces of cool fluid every 10- minutes.
After exercise: Keep drinking fluids beyond the “thirsty” feeling, to ensure proper hydration. Sports drinks will help to replenish energy stores quickly after exercise.
- Always drink cool fluid if available, because it empties from the stomach faster than warm fluid.
- Choose a sports drink over water if you plan to exercise for an extended period of time or at a high level of intensity. Half drink half water.
- Urinate clear before practice
4. If you feel or see any of the following symptoms
locate a coach immediately:
- Sudden dizziness, weakness, faintness, and headache.
- Warm, blotchy skin and NO SWEATING!
- Rapid heartbeat and/or a sudden stomach ache (vomiting)
- Uncontrollable muscle cramps.
