FQ 3: How can nutrition and recovery strategies affect performance? Flashcards
Nutritional Considerations - pre perf including carb loading
- Food + fluid consumed before events = restore glycogen stores, adequately hydrate, prevent hunger during event
- carbs should make up 70% of an athlete’s diet
Type of Food: consume mostly complex carbs (ie. pasta, cereal, bread, fruits) = provide slow energy release → 3-4hrs before comp e.g. bowl of porridge - Do not experiment with unfamiliar foods on day of comp (can cause a reaction)
Amount of Food: consumed 1-4 hrs before comp, large amounts = can cause discomfort in high intensity/ sustained events (ie. running)
Appropriate food quantities depend on type of comp e.g. endurance = require more kilojoules to fuel metabolism
When to Eat: 3-4 hours before → rich in low GI and complex carbs (ie. in bread, pasta, potatoes) - 1-2 hours before → small snack (ie. fruit, cereal bar)
- 0-1 hour before → sports drink, sports bars, jelly lollies
Hydration - drink a min 2-3L the day before comp
- Morning before event → consume 500-600 mL
Nutritional Considerations - carb loading
- Technique used to maximise glycogen stores in the body before an event
- Do this by tapering (reducing) training levels + consuming large amounts of complex carbs in week before (2-4 days before) comp
- Allows for higher aerobic intensities to be maintained for longer + can help ensure glycogen stores remain for a late burst of speed in lactic acid energy system
- Enhances endurance as body has more glycogen stored, ready to be converted to energy → improve performance by 2-4%
- Will only benefit sports longer than 60min, e.g. soccer, rugby, or AFL
Nutritional Considerations - during performance
- Aim is to maintain muscle glycogen and sugar levels → minimise fluid deficit, avoids fatigue.
- Recommended to consume 200-300 mL of water every 20 mins of activity
- dehydration → hinders performance, decreasing concentration + reducing body’s ability to function
- Can also assist performance by consuming some sugars often provided in sports drinks (ie. Gatorade, PowerAde) → provide add glucose that goes into blood → delays fatigue = spares muscle glycogen to be used later
- Salts in sports drinks help body hold fluid + replace salt lost through sweat production
- For endurance events lasting longer than 60mins, refuelling may also be necessary (consume 30-60g of carbs per hour) (concentrated forms of glucose e.g. energy gels, bananas, sports bars or sports drinks)
- E.g. Athletes in AFL games may consume Gatorade to replace fluid + salt lost through sweat, + gain glucose
Nutritional Considerations - post-performance
- Goals of recovery: refuel energy stores, rehydrate to replace fluids + electrolytes lost in sweat, repair + regenerate damaged muscle tissue
- aims to return body to its pre-event state ASAP → proactive recovery (refueling and rehydrating immediately + continuing for 8-12hrs after)
- Should consume all the fluid lost over the first hour post-event and then continue to maintain hydration
- Initially high GI foods can be eaten, but a large meal of complex carbs 1-2hrs post-performance is recommended - carbs must be consumed in order to restore glycogen stores that have been lost in both muscle and liver (24-48hrs = carbs)
- Protein should be consumed 1-2hrs post-performance to help repair damaged tissue + strengthen the tissue
nutritional consideration e.g.
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Supplementation - vitamins + minerals
- Vitamins: inorganic compounds = essential to maintaining bodily functions
- Important vitamins are: B vitamins, vitamin D, C, E
- Do not contain energy → help the body use energy
- Body unable to manufacture vitamins = diet must supply
- Minerals = inorganic substances that are necessary for bodily function
Iron: needed for the production of red blood cells (w/o can result in anaemia)
Calcium: development of strong bones
Zinc: required for the growth and repair of muscle tissue
Magnesium: required for muscular contraction
Sodium + Potassium = important role in neural transmission → highly physical people (lost during sweat)
For: - Usually, perf = not improved by taking large doses of minerals, unless clinical evidence of a deficiency, eg iron deficiency = poor O2 uptake + lethargy
- Supplementation of iron and calcium could be beneficial as these minerals are depleted w/ high-intensity sessions - female athletes may = more necessary (menstruation) - also vegetarians (iron)
Against: - Fat-soluble vitamins can become toxic if large doses are taken in supplementary form
- Overdosing on some vitamins can impair body’s ability to absorb and/or use other nutrients
Supplementation - protein
- Is a chain of amino acids + provides the building blocks for all the cells in the body
- Important as: builds and repairs tissue (muscle recovery), increases strength = important for athlete normal diet is lacking protein
- Protein deficiency = slower recovery from exercise, a decrease in muscle mass and reduced immunity
For: - supp is beneficial for people with dietary requirements e.g vegetarian (but can be achieved w/ a normal, balanced diet)
- can benefit strength athletes, endurance athletes in heavy training, and possibly adolescents undergoing a growth spurt = protein consumed within 1hr of resistance training may help recovery + increase hypertrophy
Against: - excessive intake of protein can negatively affect the body, as excess will be stored as fat and it can damage the kidneys and liver
Supplementation - caffeine
- Stimulant → speeds up central nervous system
- consumed through chocolate, coffee + energy drinks
For - increased alertness/concentration, decreased perception of fatigue (blocks adenosine in brain –> go harder for longer) following after mild amounts
- has ergogenic aid properties: promotes ‘glycogen sparing’, = process whereby fat is metabolised early, sparing finite reserves of glycogen + subsequently prolonging point at which exhaustion will occur
Against - does not appear to enhance performance in short-term high-intensity activities such as sprinting
- Some studies report the diuretic properties of caffeine = contribute to dehydration → during comp, especially long comp this could become fatal
- can negatively affect sleep patterns which is vital for recovery and repair
- Negative = elevated heart rate, symptoms of anxiety, over-arousal and uncontrolled muscle twitches leading to decreased fine-motor control e.g for a dart player
Supplementation - creatine products
- Creatine is an organic acid = not essential → occurs naturally in the body (forms PC)
For - improves resynthesis of ATP + recovery of ATP stores
- This recovery and improved resynthesis of ATP allows for increased repeated bouts of explosive
movements e.g. basketball, 100m sprint, rugby - can cause greater adaptations e.g. hypertrophy + increased power outputs
Against - Weight gain (body cells retain extra water as creatine storage increases) - not beneficial for endurance
- Highly specific fuel source
- Can cause short-term nausea, hypertension + cramps esp for endurance athletes
- Body has max amount it can store → once max reached it will excrete through urine
Benefits of recovery strategies
- help minimise fatigue associated with training and resume full training in the shortest possible time
- ensures training and performance can continue at high intensities and longer durations to further stimulate the body and cause adaptations
- improves performance + avoids injury and overtraining
Recovery Strategies - physiological
- attaining to the body’s biological systems
Cool down:
→ helps to remove waste products and return the body back to its pre-exercise state - effective in removing metabolic by-products of exercise
→ helps speed up recovery - avoids fluid retention in used muscles
aims to reduce the occurrence of (DOMS) through active recovery → reduces level of lactate in the blood - gradual lowering of core body temp, physiological benefits e.g. reduce muscle spasm/cramps
→ e.g. light jog, a slow swim = need to be specific to the sport and the major muscles used
Hydration:
→ consumption of fluid after comp to replace any fluids lost during training or comp + restore energy
→ Often involves drinking 500mL of a sports drink, such as PowerAde (salts + carbs), and plenty of water (2-3L)
→ start immediately + continue for 12-24hrs after exercise
→ speeds up recovery = allows proper function –> dehydration can slow down recovery processes
→ also provides more volume to the blood to assist in the removal of waste products
Recovery Strategies - neural
→ focus on the nervous system and relieving tension
→ Useful for sports that generate large amounts of muscle tension, such as AFL or Rugby Union
Hydrotherapy:
→ involves water immersion - to relax, soothe pain, relieve tension and assist in metabolic recovery
→ Different types:
1. Contrast immersion - causes vasodilation and vasoconstriction = helps remove waste products
2. Even temp immersion - increases blood flow, relieves tension → helps speed up recovery
→ other benefits: alleviates impact of heavy training/contact sports e.g. on joints, tendons etc
Massage:
→ reduces muscle tension in soft tissue + relaxes the nerves, helps w/ mental relaxation
→ Proposed benefits include: removal of waste products, increased nutrient delivery, minimise effects of fatigue, promotes flexibility, reduced recovery time
→ various forms but e.g. sports massage
Recovery Strategies - tissue damage
→ speed up recovery by restoring damaged tissue, particularly muscle + promote healing
→ common for athletes to suffer from a variety of levels of tissue damage e.g microscopic muscle tears, sig soft tissue injuries
Cryotherapy:
→ involves the many forms of cool treatments e.g ice pack, cold-water immersion + cryogenic chambers
→ removes heat from damaged tissue, decreases inflam by causing vasoconstriction + decreases pain
→ as the body then warms, fresh blood flows again, helping to eliminate waste products + stimulate recovery
→ Ice packs: decrease in inflammation
→ Cold-water immersion e.g. ice-bath: aims to reduce fluid build-up in the body caused by tissue damaged in exercise (submersed in water that is 4-12°C for 3-5 min at a time with a short rest period before re-submersion)
→ Cryogenic chambers: cooled to -110°C and athletes enter them for a short time (<3min) → reduce body temp in order to release endorphins, which relieve pain
Recovery Strategies - psychological
→ focus on mental processes + are used to disengage the athlete from the performance
→ Important = training and performance place stress on an athlete’s mental capacities
→ improve performance: not mentally exhausted/dwelling
Relaxation:
→ used to help decrease heart and respiration rates –> directs focus either away or towards comp or training
→ some athletes will choose to focus on something other than comp in order to help relieve their anxiety
→ post perf - elevated anxiety levels about the performance or future performances = relaxation assist to bring these levels to normal levels
→ after comp particularly during a transition or off-season phase use relaxation to help rejuvenate their whole body
→ e.g. self-reflect, listen to music, talk to coaches, mentors + teammates about game, meditation, controlled breathing, visualisation - promote relaxation, help manage anxiety + control arousal levels
