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Nothing is more important to your well-being and ability to
perform than good nutrition. Eating the right foods helps you maintain desirable
body weight, stay physically fit, and establish optimum nerve-muscle reflexes.
Without the right foods, even physical conditioning and expert coaching aren't
enough to push you to your best. Good nutrition must be a key part of your
training program if you are to succeed.
There is no one "miracle food" or supplement that can supply all of your
nutritional needs. Certain foods supply mainly proteins, other foods contain
vitamins and minerals, and so on. Eating a variety of foods is the secret.
Just because you are not hungry does not necessarily mean that your body has all
the nutrients it needs. You can fill up on foods that contain mostly
carbohydrates and fats, but your body still has basic needs for proteins,
minerals, and vitamins.
A lack of just one nutrient is a disadvantage to your body, just as losing a
player to the penalty box is a disadvantage for a hockey team. Your body needs
all these nutrients all of the time, so the foods you eat should supply them
every day.
No one pregame meal is right for every athlete or every event, but some food
choices are much smarter than others.
While the pregame meal can supply your body with significant
amounts of energy, don't expect it to supply all the energy you'll need
for the event. You should eat the right kinds of food for several days
before the event to charge up your muscles with glycogen. Glycogen is a
key energy source your muscles use during most sports activities. Although
the pregame meal won't cause large increases in muscle glycogen, it will:
- Help avoid hunger during the event
- Stablize blood-sugar levels and add some food energy to complement
existing energy stores of muscle glycogen
- Hydrate the body (supply water to the body's cells)
- Provide a relatively empty stomach at game time
- Prevent gastrointestinal upset or other adverse reactions to food
Nutritionists have developed a food-guide system in the shape of
a pyramid that can help you rate or evaluate your diet. This guide divides food
into five groups on the basis of the nutrients each group provides. By eating
the recommended amounts of food from each group daily, you can greatly increase
your ability to get all the nutrients your body needs--and that will improve
your ability on the playing field
| Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group (Milk,
yogurt, and all types of cheese) Provides calcium. Also contains
protein, vitamin A, and riboflavin (B2). |
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs,
and Nuts Group (Beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish, eggs, dry peas, dry
beans, peanuts, peanut butter) Good source of protein. These foods
also contain thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin, iron, and zinc
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Vegetable Group (All
vegetables--including dark green, deep yellow, and starchy
vegetables--and their juices) Provides vitamins and minerals that
complement other food sources. Good sources of Vitamin C include
tomatoes, broccoli, and brussel sprouts. Good sources of Vitamin A
include carrots, broccoli, spinach, greens, pumpkin, and sweet
potatoes |
Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group
(All whole-grain and enriched breads and cereals, such as cooked or
ready to eat cereals, bread, macaroni, grits, spaghetti, crackers,
noodles, and rice) Contributes complex carbohydrates (starch and
fiber) and significant amounts of protein, B vitamins, and iron.
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To meet increased energy needs, most teen athletes
require more than the minimum number of servings listed. In some cases, a teen
athlete may need more than the recommended number of servings. For
most athletes, the increased energy should come from the vegetable group and the
bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group. Foods in these two groups contain a lot of
starch, which is an excellent source of food energy. Athletes who participate in
very high levels of physical activity and/or who have the largest body stature
will require the highest intake of food energy
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