F RANK LAMPARD ’S PRE-MATCH MEAL CONSISTS OF P ASTA .
ISSUE 1
V OL UM E 9
2010
MAN. CITY’S MANAGER W ANTS CHICKEN , PIZZA & WINE ADDED TO HIS CLUB ’S PRE – MATCH MENU
W AYNE ROONEY TENDS TO EAT THE CEREAL COCO POPS BEFORE HIS MATCHES
EAT Soccer
Play Like You Eat Nationally recognized dietician encourages top notch eating habits for superstar performances Are you having trouble holding your own in the 88th minute of the match? Whether you answered yes or no to this question, I am sure that you may not know everything about the importance of your eating regiment as a soccer player. To help get you on the right track, Atlanta dietician Rachel Brandeis going to give you her take on what should be on your plate. How much of a role does nutrition play in an athlete’s performance? R:It plays a key role. If you are not well fed and well hydrated,
your energy level will be compromised. You need to make sure you are hydrated before, during and after playing. Additionally, you need to make sure you have adequate carbohydrate intake prior to playing. This will allow you to maintain the level of glycogen stores in your muscles. Also, nutrition plays a big role after a game. Once you have used up all of your glycogen stores, it's important to eat for "recovery", ie add back the carbohydrate you burned during the game. To do this, you need to have a good mix of carbohydrate and protein after the game.
Rachel Brandeis, MS, RD
Rachel Brandeis, MS, RD was chosen as a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, representing over 60,000 Registered Dietitians to the national media. Rachel has appeared in many national print, radio and TV outlets including CNN, NPR, The Washington Post, USA Today, Ladies Home Journal, Glamour, Fitness, Parent's, Shape and many others. She is currently a spokesperson for Wendy's Mom-RD program, Kellogg's Snacktivate program and Glaceau Vitaminwater. To contact Rachel or learn more about her work, go to www.rachelrd.com.
Andrea Hucles (USWNT) eats pasta, chicken and sometimes
2010 W ORLD C UP K ITCHEN :
ice cream before her matches.
What part does hydration play in sports performance? How can athletes gauge if they are dehydrated? R: Hydration is KEY to good performance. Make sure your urine is very light (straw colored). For some people, dark urine (or concentrated urine) is a sign of dehydration. Other signs of dehydration include nausea, dizziness, inability to concentrate and muscle cramping. What are some foods or food groups that athletes should steer clear of before a match? R: Any foods that are very high in fat and protein. Fats and protein take much longer to digest. You want to make sure you take in easy to digest carbohydrates an hour or two before a game. If you eat fatty foods or high protein foods, you will feel sluggish when you play
and you will also end up with cramps.
fruit and cheese, nuts and fruit, a bowl of whole grain cereal and turkey sandAt times athletes Hydration is KEY wiches. can experito good ence severe For those recperformance. cramping reational RACHEL due to defiplayers that ciencies in BRANDEIS, MS, RD use the sport their diet, as a way to what are some foods lose weight, how can that can help prevent this player get more these occurrences? burn for their exercise Fluids that are fortified time? with electrolytes can R: There are no foods help, i.e. sports drinks that can help you "get that have sodium/ more burn". You do potassium/magnesium want to make sure you and calcium. are adequately hydrated before playing, so you have more stamina to What are some natuplay longer (and burn ral, quick recovery more calories!). If you snacks that parents can give young players are not adequately hydrated before you play after participating in you will fatigue more practice or a game? R: Any good combinaquickly. tion of protein and carbohydrate. Some good examples are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread, whole grain crackers and cheese,
After a 2-0 loss to Chile in a friendly match prior to the World Cup, New Zealand player Chris Killen publicly complained that the facilities in Nelspruit did not provide a prematch meal to the squad.
In a recent CNN.com blog covering the U.S Men’s Team, it was detailed that players sit down for their pre-match meal four hours before the whistle blows. The buffet included an omelet station, chicken, fish, pasta, rice and vegetables.
GLYCOGEN FAQ What is glycogen? Glycogen is the body’s main source of stored energy. It is made from glucose, which is contained in carbs. Why do athletes need glycogen? It is the energy most used for sports participation. How can I learn more? There’s a wealth of information online. Interestingly enough, there is a Glycogen Facebook Page!
ARE YOU STILL HUNGRY? We are always serving up doses of global soccer news, interviews and motivation from around the globe. Visit our blog at www.eatsoccer.blogspot.com. Tune into our streaming show every Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. on www.wrmi.net. Join me on Facebook at Qiana Martin.