Fail to prepare, prepare to fail (From Asian Image)

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

10:28am Tuesday 22nd November 2011 in Sport

Taking in the right fluid and nutrition is vital to aid performance and reduce fatigue and injuries. There isn’t a magic food which will ensure success.

Most of the energy utilised during competition comes from food consumed in the days prior to the event.

However the prematch meal is vital for energy stores during long exertion such as a 90 minute football game.

The best time to have the prematch meal is around three hours before any exercise to allow for clearing of the food from the stomach.

After you have eaten it takes at least TWO hours for food to be digested so exercising earlier than this means that your blood is being shared between being used for digestion and the exercising muscles. The prematch meal needs to be composed largely of carbohydrates which help with replacing energy stores in the liver and muscles.

Examples of ideal foods for the prematch meal include pasta, grilled chicken, steak, salmon, mashed or sweet potato, peas, carrots, cereals, toast, fresh fruit juices and low fat fresh salads.

Hydrate your body.

Good hydration is essential for anyone exercising to maximise performance, reduce risk of injury and improve recovery.

Studies have shown that even a 2% decrease in body weight through water loss, (possible by sweating on a hot day in 1 hour), can cause up to a 20% decrease in performance.

Calculating how much fluid an individual needs varies and can be measured more accurately by regular assessment of the body weight during exercise and in different environments.

An alternative method is to check urine colour and volume!

However as this is impractical for most people, a rough guide is to have 300-500ml of fluid 15 minutes prior exercising and then take approximately 150-200ml every 10-15 minutes during exercise, depending on the conditions.

It is important that the fluid leaves the stomach quickly and so the drink needs to have a glucose content of less than 6-8%.

Water is fine if exercising for less than 90 minutes but an isotonic drink (e.g. Lucozade sport) is recommended if it's for a longer period.

After exercise it is important to rehydrate and replenish the glycogen (the way body stores energy in muscles) used during exercise as quickly as possible.

WARM UP AND COOL DOWN.

Several clinical studies have shown that a good warm up program can prevent injuries by 50% or more and enhance performance.

The warm-up is to prepare the body for the subsequent activity, and should consist of a combination of stretches, starting with the large muscle groups. Also include dynamic movements e.g. jogging, twisting and gradually increasing the intensity.

The effects of a warm up can last up-to 30 minutes, so don’t warm up too early. Here is a guide in order of exercises, of a suitable warm up for football: THREE minutes jogging.

FIVE minutes stretching all major muscle groups in body.

FIVE minutes gentle kicking of a ball.

between players – gradually increasing intensity FIVE minutes quick burst specific exercises eg 1 or 2 touch football in a box.

THREE minutes of short drills of short distance sprinting / jumping.

Finally it is just as important to do a cool down after exercise to help return the body to pre-exercise conditions.

By Dr Zafar Iqbal, Sports and Exercise Medicine Physician.

This article is for informational purposes and not a substitute for individual professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Always seek advice from your physician before commencing any new physical activity.