Speed and Agility Training

Every athlete who does speed and agility training looks forward to the game, match, meet, contest  or event where they can compete and showcase their talents.    What many athletes don’t know is how important  the hours before the contest  can be.  Specifically, what and when to eat before an event.

Timing Is Everything

The timing of a pre-contest meal is vital.  If you exercise vigorously too closely after a meal, blood will be drawn away from the digestive tract and to the working muscles during exercise.   This causes a delay in digestion that is harmful to the body’s processes.   On the other hand, if you fast before a game it may decrease the stored up glycogen to the point where athletic performance will be impaired as the body runs low on nutrients.   Therefore the best time to eat is 2 ½ to 3 hours prior to exercise to allow food to travel from the stomach to the intestines .

After The Meal

It is not advisable to exercise heavily after eating, like doing speed exercises.  It is also inadvisable to sit around directly after a pre-game meal.   Moderate walking will burn excess calories and aid in digestion.

Foods

Eat foods that can be easily digested like fat-free yogurt, lowfat milk, fruit and lean meat . An athlete should stay away from any foods that are heavy on fat  and fiber as they take longer to digest.   Foods with high sugar should not be eaten as they will cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and then a rapid decline in blood sugar resulting in less energy.    These foods can also pull too much fluid into the digestive tract leading to cramping, nausea, and dehydration.  Also stay away from caffeine, it causes increased urine production which can result in dehydration.

Speed and Agility Training Meal - Yoghurt and berries

Suggested Pre-Game Meal

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What can you do to get maximum gains from each and every workout?

It is important to know that after  speed and agility training ,   the process of refueling is very important. Not only does refueling make your workouts count, it can be the difference between better performances or stale performances  in  any given contest.  Does this sound far fetched?  Not at all,  just ask any college level or professional athlete.

There are three areas of nourishment an athlete needs to address;  fluid, carbohydrates and protein.

FLUID
Drink at least 3 cups of fluid plus an additional 2 cups for each pound of weight loss acquired during the practice. This can be water or powerade.  Powerade should be the fluid of choice if you are a salty “sweater” or if your training exceeds one hour.    Note that you always must weigh before and after practice in order to accurately assess your fluid needs.

CARBOHYDRATES
Intense workouts use up the carbohydrates in your system.  In order to provide energy, it is very important to replace the carbohydrates (carbs) burned, and store some additional carbs for the next workout.  It is recommended that an athlete consumes 50-100 grams of carbohydrates after practice or workouts.

PROTEIN
Protein is used for muscle fibers in order for them to build up stronger and faster and to prevent muscle breakdown.   The recommended amount for refueling is 10-15 grams.  A study with Marines during  54 days of basic training reports those who refueled with a 100 calorie recovery drink that contained only 10 grams (40 calories) of protein, not only enhanced muscle protein deposition but also contributed to 33 percent fewer total medical visits, 28 percent fewer visits due to bacterial and viral infections, 37 percent fewer visits due to muscle and joint problems, and 83 percent fewer visits due to heat exhaustion. (Flakoll, Med Sci Sports and Exercise, 2004)

REFUELING SNACKS
Below are some suggested snacks for after workout nourishment.

• Chocolate milk low-fat ( 2 cups )  and 1  banana
• 4 oz. snack size container of lowfat cottage cheese:
• Two tablespoons of hummus on four Kashi Heart to Heart crackers
• 6 oz. container Chobani vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt
• String cheese (part-skim mozzarella) and  Bagel
• Peanut butter and jellysandwich and Powerade (2 cups)
• Yogurt ( 8 oz.) low-fat mixed with 1/2 cup granola cereal

So next time you do your speed and agility training, speed exercises or agility training, refuel to  make your  hard work count.

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