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SHARKS
Nutrition for Football Players
Tackle football can be very taxing on the youth players body during a game with 40-60 accelerative sprints, forceful hits, and explosive changes in the bodies direction every 5 seconds Proper pre-game nutrition is the key to peak performance.
Think of the food your player eats like building a fire
to last the whole game.
Paper + twigs + logs = long burning fire
PAPER = simple carbohydrates, this is the quickest energy to get into the bloodstream. (fruits)
TWIGS = complex carbohydrates to provide longer burning energy. (grains)
Most players start the game with sub-par glycogen levels from carbs in their muscles therefore have little glycogen reserve left into the second half. Not enough carbs pre-game can drastically reduce speed, stamina, and post-game recovery time.
LOGS = fats, the denser, longer burning fuel and long term energy.
Proteins are like green wood that does not readily burn. Proteins should be consumed many hours before the game and post game during the bodies recovery phase.
2 hours before game time consume one of the following:
THINK PAPER + TWIGS + LOGS = FAST LONG BURNING FIRE
Examples –
Apple + whole wheat bread + peanut butter
Orange + bagel + cream cheese
Banana + muffin + string cheese
Plenty of water!! If your player waits until they feel thirsty they are already partially dehydrated. According to the American College of Sports Medicine “ athletes should start drinking early and at regular intervals in an attempt to consume fluids at a rate sufficient to replace all the fluids lost through sweating during exercise events lasting longer than one hour”
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