Celtic Nutrition Notes:
October 2007:
Celtic Nutrition Notes:
What you eat right after your game is extremely important, especially when playing/practicing daily. If you eat and drink the right stuff after your game, you will be less fatigued the next day.
A major cause of second half slump is fluid loss. Young players cannot sweat like adults and can get overheated without knowing it. Drink, drink, drink plenty of water and 100% fruit juice. Limit the fruit punch, fruit juice cocktail and soda which can actually cause dehydration. On practice days, try and drink extra water during the school day.
If you don’t have time for pre-game meal, (or you’re just not hungry) try Carnation Instant Breakfast or maybe a supplement like Boost mixed with milk or water. Remember to eat your pre-game meal 3-4 hours before the game.
Believe it or not, drinking water, Gatorade, 100% fruit juice, or by eating bananas or oranges within fifteen minutes after the game helps to re-hydrate you quickly and decrease muscle fatigue. This is extremely important when playing/practicing multiple days in a row.
Go Celtics!
September 2007:
You work very hard to improve your soccer skills by training each week. You run faster; you have better ball control, and continue to learn new soccer techniques. This is so important to becoming a better soccer player. But, this is only half of the picture. You must also get your muscles ready by giving them the right kind of fuel (food). If you put watered down gas into the family car, your car will not run well. The same goes for your body. If you do not feed your body well, then you will not perform well, even though you have trained hard. You must eat the right kind of food for energy, drink water, and make sure that you eat your pre-game meal at the right time. I have listed below some tips to help you have the most energy on the field:
Nutrition Tips for Optimal Energy on the Soccer Field:
Eat your meal 3 or 4 hours before the game. If your game is at 11:00, you should have your breakfast by 8:00. If you eat right before the game, there is competition in your body—you need energy to digest your food but you also need the energy to get to your muscle cells for your workout. Your stomach should be fairly empty by the time you play.
You need to eat foods that are easy to digest (carbohydrates). Try whole wheat toast with either jelly or a little butter; oatmeal, milk is fine, any ready to eat cereal (no more than 2-3 grams of sugar per serving). Fruit is good-- bananas, apples, berries, watermelon, etc. Drink orange juice or grape juice for added nutrition. Add dried fruit such as raisins and apricots to your cereal for extra for energy. Avoid doughnuts and muffins which are high in fat and will take a long time to digest. Try making your own juice pops using orange juice and grape juice. They will keep you cool and give your energy.
Eating between games: There will be many times when you have more than one game in a day and need to “refuel” your body. Foods that have a lot of fat and protein are not a good idea to eat since they take a long time to digest. Again, look for high carbohydrate foods to sustain you. Try: low fat yogurt and low fat yogurt drinks, ready to eat cereal, (Cheerios, even frosted mini wheats are ok) crackers, (a little peanut butter is ok) baby carrots, melon, orange wedges, grapes, individual fruit cocktail, oatmeal raisin cookies, fig newtons, a few pretzels are okay.. Drink plenty of water to re-hydrate between games.
Foods that have a lot of fat (and protein) take a long time to digest and can affect your energy level on the field. For instance, a large bagel with butter or cream cheese, chocolate (found in some cereal bars), meat (cold cut sandwiches) and cheese will take a long time to digest. Eating quick energy foods such as candy and soda will not help you on the field. In fact, they can make you feel sick and will slow you down on the field.
Don’t forget the most important nutrient—water. Drink early in the day, and drink chilled water which is absorbed faster and helps to keep your body cool. Instead of Gatorade, why not try ½ water and ½ orange juice. You will get a lot of vitamins and minerals not found in the Gatorade— it’s much better for you!