Pre-season homework - nutrition education
You have prepared your club and staff for the upcoming season and now it’s time to get your athletes slowly back into the training cycle.
This week we will discuss five topics you can cover with your athletes that will help them hit the ground running when they are back to full training.
Today we will cover how you can introduce your athletes to better nutrition and elevate their performance to new heights.
Why do you care?
A balanced diet is essential to a healthy lifestyle. It’s even more important when you are living an active life with such as participating in sports activities.
This doesn’t mean you have to live like a professional athlete and stop indulging on everything you like. Try having 80-90% of your diet in the clean area and you will improve your performance considerably.
You as a coach have a unique opportunity to show your athletes why it’s important to have a healthy diet and how easy it can be to make quality changes that will improve their performance during training sessions and competitions.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the main source of your bodies energy. It’s especially important for fueling workouts and in helping your body recover from a workout. You should aim for around 40-60% of your calories to come from carbohydrates.
You should stick to whole grains that will keep you full for a longer period of time and also incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet.
Some of the best sources for quality carbs are:
whole grains (quinoa, bulgur, cuscus…)
root vegetables (carrots, turnips, radish, beets)
potatoes can be an excellent source of carbs because they are relatively low in calories so you can eat a lot of them and still stay within your calorie limit (just remember to bake or cook them, avoid frying)
Broccoli, Cauliflower, mushrooms…
Protein
Protein is crucial for muscle growth and repair. For someone who exercises moderately, they should target 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. If they are are more active they can go to 2 grams and above. A general rule is to have 20-30% of your calories to come from protein.
Proteins are also used to create enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals.
Some of the best sources of protein are:
Lean meats (beef, chicken, turkey)
Fish (cod, tuna, sea bass)
Egg whites
Fats
Over the years, fat has come under scrutiny as being the unhealthy component in the macronutrient trinity so people try to avoid them at all cost.
However, fats are essential for hormone production, vitamin synthesis and other body functions so it’s important to add them into your diet too. You should am for around 20-30% of your diet to consist of fats.
So great sources of fats are:
Olive oil
Avocado
Almonds, flax seeds, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts (pretty much every nut you can think of)
The grandparents rule
One of the easiest ways of knowing if something is healthy or not is just by asking the simple question: “Do my grandparents know about this?”. If the answer is yes, it’s probably a healthy choice.
The key is just simply avoiding processed food as much as you can.
Don’t be miserable
Does this mean you can’t have a burger with fries? Or a cake? Cookies? Doughnuts? Of course not!
The trick is to stick to a balanced meal as much as you can. If you go out with friends and everyone is having a drink, join them for one round but try slowing down afterwards. Someone is having a birthday party? Have that delicious chocolate cake and enjoy it without guilt. If you are doing 80-90% right, you can have something nice once in a while.
You should enjoy your life and enjoy every aspect of your athletic journey.
Don’t subtract but add
It’s late in the evening and you are craving chips. Sure, why not! Make yourself a nutritionally rich and balanced dinner, cut out the carbs and have some chips. You can for example make yourself an egg white omelet with some mushrooms and mozzarella and instead of some whole grain toast, have two (or three) handfuls of chips in a small bowl which you can eat after dinner.
You will get a good meal and a happy soul in the end.
Nutrition shouldn’t be too hard and by making smaller adjustments over a longer period you will be able to see great improvements in your overall form.
