Healthy Diet and Lifestyle

Whatever sport you play, whatever your skill level, your performance will certainly be improved if you follow some simple principles of nutrition. Rugby League is a tough contact sport and you will cope much better with it’s physical demands if you are in good physical condition. Your body needs the correct fuel to perform at its best under physical and mental pressure.

Water and other fluids are very important to ensure effective performance. Even small reductions of water in the body will dramatically affect performance.

The body tries to stay at a temperature of around 37 degrees; during hard exercise the body sweats to try to control this temperature. This leads to a loss of body fluid and could lead to dehydration. (You are probably already dehydrated if you are thirsty and have a dry mouth.) Being dehydrated will mean you will not perform as well as you should, and has potential serious consequences.

You should drink enough water throughout the week and try never to feel thirsty. A good way to check if you have had enough to drink is to check your wee! (Should be a pale yellow colour!)

During matches or training you need to increase your intake of water, start drinking water or fruit juice on match day at breakfast. You should then drink some water about 15 minutes before kick-off. And during the match it is advised to drink small amounts of water at least every 15 minutes, and this is especially important in summer.

Try to drink immediately after the game to prevent dehydration.

Water is always available at training and matches and is very effective. However ‘Isotonic’ drinks are the best, these contain a small amount of carbohydrates and some salt which allow the body to use the fluid effectively. Lucozade and Powerade are good isotonic drinks.

Drinks such as coke, lemonade and high energy fizzy drinks are not advised.

One of the aims of the Club, and the Coaches, is to promote health & fitness. As Rugby League is a very active sport it is important that our players stay hydrated. Whilst Coaches will always have water available at training and for matches, many players will want to bring their own drink. This is actually more hygienic as there’s less sharing of bottles! It is important, however, that the drink is “appropriate” and fizzy drinks are to be discouraged! There are several “sports drinks” available but they can be expensive, so why not make your own! Here are two recipes for DIY “Isotonic” drinks:

  200ml fruit squash (cordial)

800ml water

¼ tsp salt (optional)

500ml fruit juice

500ml water

¼ tsp salt (optional)

 

The salt is optional (and you shouldn’t be able to taste it in the finished drink if you do use it!) but it is useful in an energetic sport like Rugby as the body loses salt (sodium) when sweating.

A good breakfast will provide you with reserves of energy for training and playing. Try to eat Carbohydrates that will release enegy over a long period (e.g porridge, wheat based cereal, toast) and perhaps include some fruit – apples and bananas are particularly good. Always include a drink –water, milk, fruit juice.

The night before a match / training, base your meal on carbohydrates to build up the store of energy – pasta, rice, potatoes are excellent sources of carbohydrates. Add some protein – meat, chicken, fish, nuts, beans – for muscle development and repair, and try to include some fresh vegetables.

Just before playing, a ‘sugary’ snack such as 2 jaffa cakes or a few fruit pastilles will top up your glycogen (short term energy) preserves and may give you an extra edge.

Replenish your fuel tank! Drink plenty of liquid – water, sports drinks, not alcohol! (For 2 hours at least! Alcohol inhibits the body’s ability to repair after exercise.)

Try to eat a carbohydrate based meal with some protein within 2 hours.

Beans on toast is a great example of a meal that includes both protein and carbohydrates!

Stick to a balanced diet, including carbohydrates and protein, but limit your intake of fats and processed / sugary foods. Drink water regularly and include lots of fruit and vegetables (5 portions a day. 1 portion = 80g)

Bring an apple or banana to training on a Saturday morning, and you can even treat yourself to a chocolate bar from the tuck shop afterwards!

Reminder to all members - it is the Club's recommendation that all players have an anti-Tetnus injection, obtainable through your family doctor.