Nutrition E-Bites                      Edition 4                        September 2008

FOOTBALL FINALS FEVER!

Whether you follow the AFL or NRL, now is an exciting time of year for football of both codes, being the finals season.  Good nutrition is imperative to optimal performance on the field.  Many sports dietitians work for football teams, alongside physios, trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, sports doctors, sports psychologists and other health professionals.  Training at the elite level can include up to 10 sessions weekly. 

The training diet of footballers typically includes a high carbohydrate intake (included at each meal and snack), as well as incorporating protein sources at each meal. When players need to consume extra protein and carbohydrate (as well as valuable vitamins and minerals), a liquid meal supplement such as Sustagen Sport^TM is a good option as it also provides extra fluid, is portable, and is a good alternative to solid food if appetite is lacking after a hard session.  Some players have 'superstitions' that certain foods help their performance during games - often these are more psychologically (mind) benefiting than physiologically (body), but as long as they fit within good sports nutrition recommendations pre-game, the exact food type does not matter!

The total fluid requirement for players varies depending on their sweat rate, environmental conditions, and intensity and duration of training.  A simple and effective way to estimate fluid requirements in training or game settings is to weigh the player before and after the game, taking into account fluids and foods taken in during the activity. Weight lost is fluid, therefore providing the player with feedback as to effectiveness of their hydration strategies at this time. Sports dietitians at some clubs are now using more advanced techniques to measure hydration, including Urine Specific Gravity (USG).  This is a test where a few drops of the footballer's urine is measured by a refractometer for hydration status, and results in a number rating are provided.  Reference values are then referred to by the sports dietitian, who is trained to give appropriate advice to the player.  

See the fact sheets on AFL and NRL for great ideas for post training and game snacks, as well as other useful tips for these sports.

YOUR QUESTIONS

Q: My friend's dad tells me that orange quarters are too acidic to eat at half time during my football game, and are detrimental to my sports performance during the match.  Is this correct, and would I be better off eating a banana instead?

A: There is no problem eating oranges quarters at half time, if you tolerate them well and enjoy eating them.  The body is well trained and designed to handle acidic foods.  Oranges are a source of carbohydrate, known as fructose (fruit sugar), and provide a small serve of fluid, as well as Vitamin C.  Just be careful however, as the fibre and fructose can cause some athletes to use their bowels more than they are happy with (but this is unlikely to be a concern with the small amount of fibre obtained from 2 to 3 orange quarters at half-time)!  

Other fruits can also be eaten at half time; water melon is another favourite for its refreshing taste and sweet flavour. If you struggle to eat much food at half time, bananas may be the best fruit choice as they are higher in carbs, hence less needs to be eaten. 

It's always a good idea after eating fruit to rinse your mouth with water to keep your teeth clean and healthy.  The "swig-swish-swallow" motto suggested by dentists is a great one to remember!  Swallowing the water also helps you replace some of the fluids you've lost through sweat too!

SDA hope you find this a useful e-resource.  If you have any suggestions of content or sports nutrition information you would like to know about, we will happily take ideas on board. Please email info@sportsdietitians.com.au  

Yours in sports nutrition, Sports Dietitians Australia