Eating to Win!
We are all an extension of the group of people that raised us. For some it was mom and dad, others grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles and for some the whole community aided in our growth process. Being that our very first experiences come from home it is important that the lessons we learn at home are of value and aid us in our future.
Discipline in the areas of health and fitness are very important because these are the fundamentals of life. Many things will change throughout our lives but a constant necessity is eating and being physical. Therefore discipline starts with what we put into our bodies and what we put into our bodies will activate our movements and actions.
Go Bearcats
I am so proud of our San Mateo High School athletes, especially our track & field and cross country teams. These young boys and girls have shown exceptional commodore and dedication to their sport. They deserve nothing but the best. While speaking to a few of the kids after a meet I realized that while the track kids do have a lot of the best; new uniforms and equipment, exceptional parent participation and tons of resources. My concern was if our track athletes were receiving proper nutrition.
Pre-Game Day
The USDA suggests that a very active teenager should consume between 3,500 and 4,500 calories a day. This gives the young athlete over 600 grams (2,400 calories) of carbs and 58 grams (232 calories) of protein to work with a day.
If an athlete knows that he/she has an upcoming meet it is important that they start preparing in advance, at least a week. It is a very common practice that most athletes like to train hardest the week before a meet but studies have shown that a decrease in exercise efforts and an increase in carbohydrates at least 7 days in advance can improve game day performance.
Game Day
The next crucial part is the day before the meet. The athletes should consume a lot of carbs from natural sugars. For example Grapes, blue berries and raspberries and a good amount of water (not too much should be consumed due to water retention).
Post-Game-Day
After the meet it’s a good habit to consume between .8-1 gram of protein from a lean meat of your choice, carbohydrates and of course plenty of water. Another post meet practice every athlete should be given is proper recovery. The recovery is what will enable you to have top performance in the shortest amount of time and also determines how you look. These days I hear jokes about “gym junkies” and “gains.” One joke that sticks to mind is how the thought that too much cardio, after a heavy weight workout can affect your “GAINZ.” For every athlete the recovery determines your bodies overall cardiovascular outcome. Some ideas for recovery are; active recovery, massage, stretching and my favorite hot-cold water therapy.
These are a few simple things every athlete and the parents of an athlete can think about when preparing our kids for a meet. They are our biggest investment and just like the car you drive or the house you live in we want to nurture and care for them in any and every possible way so that they will last! We parents will work hard to ensure that these much loved human investments have the best of everything! Best of luck to our home team! Go Bearcats!
Marie George
Certified Sports nutritionist, Personal trainer and School teacher
Website- WWW.Timeoutnutritionandwellness.com
Contact: [email protected]
We are all an extension of the group of people that raised us. For some it was mom and dad, others grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles and for some the whole community aided in our growth process. Being that our very first experiences come from home it is important that the lessons we learn at home are of value and aid us in our future.
Discipline in the areas of health and fitness are very important because these are the fundamentals of life. Many things will change throughout our lives but a constant necessity is eating and being physical. Therefore discipline starts with what we put into our bodies and what we put into our bodies will activate our movements and actions.
Go Bearcats
I am so proud of our San Mateo High School athletes, especially our track & field and cross country teams. These young boys and girls have shown exceptional commodore and dedication to their sport. They deserve nothing but the best. While speaking to a few of the kids after a meet I realized that while the track kids do have a lot of the best; new uniforms and equipment, exceptional parent participation and tons of resources. My concern was if our track athletes were receiving proper nutrition.
Pre-Game Day
The USDA suggests that a very active teenager should consume between 3,500 and 4,500 calories a day. This gives the young athlete over 600 grams (2,400 calories) of carbs and 58 grams (232 calories) of protein to work with a day.
If an athlete knows that he/she has an upcoming meet it is important that they start preparing in advance, at least a week. It is a very common practice that most athletes like to train hardest the week before a meet but studies have shown that a decrease in exercise efforts and an increase in carbohydrates at least 7 days in advance can improve game day performance.
Game Day
The next crucial part is the day before the meet. The athletes should consume a lot of carbs from natural sugars. For example Grapes, blue berries and raspberries and a good amount of water (not too much should be consumed due to water retention).
Post-Game-Day
After the meet it’s a good habit to consume between .8-1 gram of protein from a lean meat of your choice, carbohydrates and of course plenty of water. Another post meet practice every athlete should be given is proper recovery. The recovery is what will enable you to have top performance in the shortest amount of time and also determines how you look. These days I hear jokes about “gym junkies” and “gains.” One joke that sticks to mind is how the thought that too much cardio, after a heavy weight workout can affect your “GAINZ.” For every athlete the recovery determines your bodies overall cardiovascular outcome. Some ideas for recovery are; active recovery, massage, stretching and my favorite hot-cold water therapy.
These are a few simple things every athlete and the parents of an athlete can think about when preparing our kids for a meet. They are our biggest investment and just like the car you drive or the house you live in we want to nurture and care for them in any and every possible way so that they will last! We parents will work hard to ensure that these much loved human investments have the best of everything! Best of luck to our home team! Go Bearcats!
Marie George
Certified Sports nutritionist, Personal trainer and School teacher
Website- WWW.Timeoutnutritionandwellness.com
Contact: [email protected]
RSS Feed
