Nutrition Blog

NUTRITIONAL BASICS

8/28/2013

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Generally a rugby players’ diet should comprise of the following:

·         60-65% carbohydrates
·         20-25% fats
·         10-15% protein

Five different food groups provide the six basic nutrients needed to sustain normal life. The five food groups are cereals, fruits/vegetables, dairy products, meats and oils. Some are called macronutrients such as carbohydrates (sugars), fats (lipids), proteins (amino-acid chains), water, and others are called micronutirents such as vitamins and minerals.

Carbohydrates
Remember, to meet the energy demands for training and competing, you need food that can be broken down into energy and used by your body. Carbohydrates are the most suitable sources of fuel for rugby players, and should make up the bulk of their caloric intake.

When you eat carbohydrates, they are broken down into simple sugars by the digestive system and carried out of the small intestine through the blood. Some of these sugars are used immediately, and some are stored as glycogen to be used later when energy is needed. This is known as glycogen storage.

Intensive training and playing games places heavy demands on your glycogen stores. As these stores decrease, your performance will drop and fatigue occurs. Avoiding depleted glycogen stores is therefore obviously of paramount importance for the player.

A basic guideline for ensuring you have enough glycogen stored is by basing your carbohydrate intake on your body weight and activity level.

Use the following as a guideline:
Weekly Training
Daily Carbohydrate Intake
(per kg body weight)
2 rugby field training sessions (90min) and 1 match
5-7g
2 rugby field training sessions (90min), 2 gym sessions, 1 fitness session, 1 speed sessionand 1 match

8-10g
Off-season recovery phase, 3 light 30-40min aerobic sessions
4-5g

So where can you find carbohydrates?
The following are some foods that have a high value in carbohydrates:
- Fruits and juices such as banana, apple, grapefruit and orange.
- Bread (preferably whole grain)
- Cereals (whole bran)
- Pasta (whole grain)
- Potatoes
- Rice
- Pizza
Different types of carbohydrates vary in the rate they are absorbed, digested and therefore how they affect your blood sugar levels. Each food has a glycemic index (GI) which is used to describe that rate at which that particular food will raise blood sugar (glucose) levels. The body responds to increased blood sugar levels by releasing the hormone insulin to regulate it.

Foods are classified into three main categories according to their glycemic index, namely high GI, moderate GI and low GI.

High GI foods, such as white bread and honey, are rapidly broken down into glucose and quickly increase blood sugar levels with a resultant large production of insulin to regulate the raised sugar levels. The problem with eating too many high GI foods, and at the wrong time, is that the rapid rise in sugar levels will result in a large production of insulin. If the body does not need the extra sugar immediately it is stored for later use and body fat levels increase.

Low GI foods, such as apples and oats, are broken down into glucose more slowly and therefore result in a less insulin production. Moderate GI foods create a response somewhere in between.

Some examples of foods in the three different GI categories
High GI >85
Moderate GI 60<GI<85
Low GI <60
White bread
White rice
Apples
Watermelon
Sweet potatoes
Beans
Honey
Sweet corn
Grapefruit
Sports & soft drinks
Pita bread
Fructose
Muesli
Orange
Spaghetti
Ice cream
All Bran cereals
Lentils
Croissant
Mango, grapes
Yoghurt
Carrots
Bananas, papaya
Tomato
Raisins
Popcorn
Peanuts
Glucose, sucrose,maltose
Basmati rice
Pears. peaches

Low GI index foods are more suitable for fueling training and competition and reduce the likelihood of increasing body fat. High GI foods are more beneficial to be taken immediately after exercise as the blood sugar is quickly returned to normal levels and most sugar taken in is used immediately, decreasing the chances of storage and body fat increases.

General Guidelines for Carbohydrate Intake
- Use the guideline given to balance your carbohydrate intake with your body weight and training demand.
- Prioritise to eat low GI, carbohydrate rich food as the bulk of your normal diet.
- Get the timing of eating high GI foods right, that is mostly immeditaly after exercise.
- Rather eat smaller more frequent meals to encourage blood sugar stability and steady energy levels.
- Try eat complex carbohydrates about three hours before a hard training session to boost glycogen levels.
- Limit the intake of refined simple sugars, such as white bread and sugar.
Proteins

Proteins are a chemical chain of smaller substances called amino-acids. Of the 20 known types of amino-acids, 9 are essential for body development. They cannot be produced by the body and must come from outside sources, your food.

The 9 essential amino-acids are leucine, isoleucine lysine, methionine, threonine, phenylalaline, tryptophan,valine and histidine. Of these the 3 essential for energy production are: valine, isoleucine and leucine.

The major functions of these proteins is to:
- Help muscle grow, repair and maintain muscle fibre integrity.
- Help regulate body metabolism
- Provide energy as a back up to carbohydrate and fat.
Rugby players need higher levels of protein intake than the average person due to their increased needs of muscle repair and growth from weight training and the contact nature of the game.

There is a tendency for players to take in too much protein in the belief that more is better and large doses of protein will result in better muscle and strength gains. However if too much protein is ingested, some will be metabolised as fat and stored, the rest will metabolised in urea and other toxic by-products and eliminated from the body. If this occurs in excess the kidneys will be overused and dehydration can occur.

So how much protein should you be taking?

Like with carbohydrates, protein intake should be regulated according to your body weight and volumes of strength, power and contact training. The general recommended amount of protein to be taken by players is in the range of 1.5 to 2.0 grams of protein per kg of body weight.
Players who want to increase or maintain muscle mass could need up to 2.2 g/kg of body weight in their diet each day if they are training at high intensities, specifically in the gym.

Sources of protein

The two sources of protein are animal and vegetable.

Some good animal protein includes:
- Lean beef
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Fish (Salmon and Tuna)
- Milk
- Eggs
- Cottage cheese
Some good vegetable protein includes:
- Beans
- Lentils
- Corn
- Peanuts
- Tofu
General Guidelines for Protein Intake

Try to include protein in most of your meals.
Vary the source of protein such as, eggs, fish, chicken, etc.
Monitor the fat content of your protein intake.
Use the given guideline of daily taking in1.5-2.2grams of protein per kg of body weight to ensure you are getting enough protein.
Use a protein shake to supplement deficiencies if needed.

Source RugbyIQ.com (http://rugbyiq.com/conditioning/nutrition/1882-nutritional-basics)

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NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES DURING COMPETITION / IN-SEASON

8/28/2013

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There are three periods to take in fluids and nutrients for a game

The pre-game period
During the actual game
The post game period

1. Pre-game nutrition

It is vital to realise that what is eaten in the 24 hour period prior to a game will largely determine the available energy sources to the player.

Make sure your pre game meals are high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fat. Avoid fatty foods and red meat as they require too much blood moving to the stomach for digestion. Start doing this 2 days before kick off but especially in the final 24 hours before the game. Your objective is to try and get as much glycogen stored in your muscles as possible.

On game day try and eat your main meal about 3 to 4 hours before kick off, focusing on complex carbohydrates. A light snack of carbohydrates is advisable 1-2 hours before kick off

Too nervous to eat?

Some players find it difficult to eat normally before a game due to nerves and tension. We suggest the following in this situation:

Eat small carbohydrate snacks regularly up to an hour before kick off.
Consume liquid meals such as energy shakes or cereals like oatmeal with water and low fat milk.
Try eating a larger breakfast if you know you struggle closer to the game, and make sure in the preceding 48 hours you have eaten plenty of complex carbohydrates.

Here are some good choices for high carbohydrate, low fat pre-game meals:

Cereal and low fat milk with added fruit.
Baked beans on whole wheat toast.
Rolls and sandwiches with banana filling.
Fruit salad and low fat yoghurt.
Baked potatoes with low fat cottage cheese filling.
Any pasta with low fat sauce.
Low fat milk, fruit and yoghurt smoothy.

2. During the game nutrition

If the players’ nutrition has been good before the game the stored glycogen in the muscles should be enough to last for the entire match. If you are struggling with energy during the game you need to re-look at your pre match nutrition as well as your conditioning. Try taking in some carbohydrate rich drinks or gels during the game to try and refuel.

The most important concern nutritionally for a player during the game is fluid and mineral loss during sweating. Drink little but often and use the half time break to replenish fluids. Drink isotonic drinks during the game.

3. The post game period

During the game you severely deplete your glycogen and fluid levels. You need to recover those after the game as soon as possible. Start immediately after the game with hypertonic drinks and water. It is also important to try and eat a small light carbohydrate snack 30 minutes after finishing your game and another meal 60 minutes post game. This meal should be rich in carbohydrates and have sufficient protein, vitamins and minerals to replenish stores and assist full body recovery.

Research has shown that 50 to 100g of carbohydrates soon after the game ends will facilitate the recovery and refuelling process. Make sure you have planned for this and the food and fluids are available after the game. Missing out on this meal and fluid replacement will significantly retard the rate and efficiency of recovery.

The following all supply 50g of carbohydrates

Jam or honey sandwich
500ml of fruit juice
2 low fat yoghurts
2 cups of breakfast cereal and skim milk
250-350ml of fruit smoothie
1 large bread roll with banana filling
3 medium to large pieces of fruit such as apple, orange or banana

Source RugbyIQ.com (http://rugbyiq.com/conditioning/nutrition/1879-nutritional-guidelines-during-competitionin-season)

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NUTRITIONAL BASICS

NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES DURING COMPETITION / IN-SEASON

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