For young athletes coming from High school, sports activities are more than play. Participating in athletics helps them improve on coordination, physical fitness, discipline and gives the adolescents valuable opportunities to learn teamwork.
Healthy Foods
Because high school athletes are still growing, they do not take proper care of their diet. Often, they run to the practice or game on an empty tummy or with a little craving of whatever is easily available. Although training and skills are important for any sport, the body’s fuel needed for better performance matters too. You may be ignoring this, but eating the right food on the game day is the secret weapon for your top-notch performance. That’s why you need an effective and nutritious meal plan for the game day.
To plan out a healthy diet for the whole day, you can go for the pre-defined dietary plans offered by many online sites, one of them is Nutrisystem. TheSmartNutrition offer the best diet packs that aid you gain the energy while playing and ensure the intake of sufficient nutrients your body requires. You can easily find out a plan that best suits your needs and they also have Promotional Offers for Nutrisystem Diet Program under which, you can get their products and dietary plans at discounts and offers.
Healthy Eating
Follow these simple tips to gear you up for the day and never miss the shot:
Have a Hearty Breakfast : Most of us know that Breakfast is an important meal of the day and should not be missed out. But it’s eventually essential to have a healthy meal to kick start your day. So, you can have food containing carbs – cereals and whole wheat bread, proteins – eggs, yogurt, milk, Oatmeal with milk, smoothies made from fruits, yogurt and milk, an egg sandwich before leaving for the practice.
Don’t Lower-down or Miss Lunch : Most of the students play after the school timings, and make lunch as an essential fuel for their source of energy. So, it’s important that your Lunch is a complete meal, that represents as many food groups as possible including lean protein, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy items. Many youngsters choose to have Salad in order to have a light lunch, some even miss their lunch – result? Your tank will remain empty in the game and it may leave you light on your feet.
Keep High On Proteins & Carbs : Proteins help your muscles stay strong, recover from an intensive exercise and build up more. So, young athletes should spare high protein foods such as eggs, meat having some at each meal throughout the day. They should focus on energy giving carbs such as whole grain bread, cereals, pasta, crackers etc.
Fluids To Fill Up : It is quintessential to drink plenty of water whole day and be hydrated. Dehydration is the monster for your body and your performance. You should stay hydrated atleast before two to three hours before the game and continue to drink during the game and afterward to re-hydrate for the sweat you lost.
Avoid Fatty Foods & Be Safe : Whatever you eat keep safety in mind. Fatty foods are slow to digest and are not good for the athletes going for a competition. Avoid greasy and fatty deserts, fried foods which may fill you and leave you tired and sluggish. Additionally, make sure that you don’t get stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea or nausea on eating. So make sure your food is stored at the required temperatures and under hygienic conditions. You can carry some nuts, fresh fruits and granola bars in your duffel bag for your extra cravings.
Time Matters : The time when you eat is as important as what you eat. Generally, your body takes two to three hours to digest your regular lunch or breakfast before competition, whereas fruits or nuts can be consumed 30 minutes or an hour prior to the competition. You should not load up your tummy as you get closer to the game time.
All the young athletes now you have a handful tips for the right kind of food for the game day. So implement these advice and spread the word to your team members to chase the opposite team and spirit of sportsmanship.
Images courtesy of http://www.gheir.com/big/fitness-2-06-01-2014.jpg.
Daniel Clark
Author Bio: Daniel Clark is a food and nutrition professional writing to promote his goal – To convert the lifestyle of our youngsters to a healthier one so that they perform better in life and in community.
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