Issue 13 - Gymnastics & Winter Sports
Nutrition E-Bites Edition 13 June 2009
Tumble & Jump for Gymnastics!!
Gymnastics is a dynamic sport, balancing explosive power and strength with delicate technique, flexibility and ultimately, perseverance. As the level of skill increases, so too do thehours of training. Elite gymnasts will spend up to 30 hours per week training for competition. Elite females peak before puberty and are ready for international competition at the minimum age requirement, where male gymnasts peak in their twenties. Nutrition has a cemented role in the sport due to not only the demands of training, but also growth and development during years of competition and physique requirements.
For the latest information on nutrition in Gymnastics, click here to access the new fact sheet now available online.
Winter Sports
With winter on our doorstep, it’s time to settle in for some winter-sport action! And if the closest thing you get to winter sports is curling up on the couch to watch the Jamaican bobsled team in Cool Runnings, or see Coach Bombay and his ice hockey team in Mighty Ducks, this probably isn’t for you!
But if you hit the slopes this winter, or have a young snowboarder on your hands, then having snacks ready to go on the snow and ice is important! Energy needs can be much greater when exercising in cooler temperatures and even more so at altitude, and the demand on glucose (from carbohydrates) can increase up to six-fold regulating core body temperature alone.
But if you hit the slopes this winter, or have a young snowboarder on your hands, then having snacks ready to go on the snow and ice is important! Energy needs can be much greater when exercising in cooler temperatures and even more so at altitude, and the demand on glucose (from carbohydrates) can increase up to six-fold regulating core body temperature alone.
Are you savvy on the snow? SDA have just launched their new winter sports fact sheet, as part of the Food for your Sport series. Click here to access the fact sheet on the website.
Fluids & Sports Drinks – New Fact Sheets Online!
Even in winter, hydration is an essential part of any nutrition plan, and perhaps even more so in the cooler weather because players are unlikely to feel the need to replace sweat losses or drink to cool down.
Click here to access the latest version of the Fluids in Sport fact sheet and here to view the fact sheet on Sports Drinks.
Hot Tips for Winter Sports
Drinking enough fluids in the cold can be a challenge, and they can be as impractical as they are undesirable. So here are some ideas to keep you hydrated with clear stuff on the white stuff!
- Pack a thermos flask with:
- Warm Sustagen® Sport: make as normal (with milk or water) and heat in a microwave-safe mug or over the stove; pour into thermos flask
- Warm hot chocolate or milky Milo (prepared from home as above)
- Warm chicken soup – whether it’s the homemade variety, or the powdered soup mixes, either will do the trick!
- Hot apple cider
- Sports drinks can be:
- Made with warm or lukewarm water (if using a powder) and kept in an insulated bag
- Kept out of the fridge (if ready to drink) and stored with a heat pack in an insulated bag
- If a recovery station can be set up, provide:
- an urn or thermos with hot water
- Sustagen® Sport powder
- Powdered soup mixes e.g. chicken noodle soup
- Powdered sports drink mixes i.e. Gatorade®
- Instant hot chocolate milk
- For snack/meal ideas on the snow: An Aladdin™ thermal bowl keeps hot food hot for up to five hours so try these ideas to warm you up from the inside…
- Hot porridge made with Sustagen® Sport and milk/water
- Bread and butter pudding
- Warm creamed rice
- Scrambled eggs and baked beans
- Pasta with Bolognese sauce
- Lean meat & vegetable stir fry with rice
For more winter warmers, click here to view the updated fact sheet on winter sports.
Nutrition for Exercise and Sport Courses – places available
Are you interested in learning more about general sports nutrition and how it can affect fitness, health and performance?
Do you have clients or athletes asking you for nutrition-related questions?
Come along to SDA’s one-day Nutrition for Exercise & Sport course, presented by EPERIENCED & QUALIFIED Sports Dietitians on a range of sport nutrition topics appropriate for coaches of all levels, parents of active children, teachers, personal trainers and anyone interested in their own personal fitness and performance.
Free Junior Athlete Booklets Available fromSDA
Have you got a superstar cricketer, soccer or rugby player on your hands? Want to get them interested in good nutrition for their sport from an early age? Fill out the attached form and return to SDA for your club, school, library or home copies. Postage and handling charges will apply.
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Yours in sports nutrition,
Sports Dietitians Australia
SDA hope you find this a useful e-resource. If you have any suggestions on content or sports nutrition information you would like to know about, we will happily take ideas on board. Please email info@sportsdietitians.com.au