Parent and Athlete guide to Re-Fueling

When bringing your daughter to our WAGS games after or before another meet, they must be refueled. An entire meal is neither always manageable nor smart so I have handpicked products and homemade snacks that will make for the best possible athlete playing several hours a week.

Recovery is a challenge for athletes who are undertaking two or more sessions each day, training for prolonged periods, or competing in a program that involves multiple events.  Between each work-out, the body needs to adapt to the physiological stress.  In the training situation, with correct planning of the workload and the recovery time, adaptation allows the body to become fitter, stronger and faster.  In the competition scenario, however, there may be less control over the work-to-recovery ratio.  A simpler but more realistic goal may be to start all events in the best shape possible.
Recovery encompasses a complex range of processes that include;
• refueling the muscle and liver glycogen (carbohydrate) stores
• replacing the fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat
• manufacturing new muscle protein, red blood cells and other cellular components as part of the repair and adaptation process
• allowing the immune system to handle the damage and challenges caused by the exercise bout

This important information will serve our teams and daughters better during this time period of high activity and stress.

There are protein bars, energy bars, diet bars and food bars. Not that there are any industry standards on applying these labels to bars, but let’s start with the premise that a protein bar is high in protein, an energy bar is high in calories, a diet bar is lower in calories, and a food bar is one that serves as a meal replacement by containing a balance of the three macronutrients (protein, carbs and fats).

Beware of:

Cereal or protein bars that contain over 20% sugar (about 6-10g per bar)

These products should simply be in the confectionery aisle. KELLOGGS K-time Muffin Bars give you more than three teaspoons (15g) of sugar and CADBURY BrunchBars and Snickers Marathon Bars are 20% chocolate.

The use of polyunsaturated fats: canola, vegetable oil, and margarine

SOY- If soy is one of the first 6 ingredients I would advise not to consume the product because soy is toxic as it is chemically treated, the benefits soy boasts have only been proven for menopausal women, and soy is processed using high heat and pressure robbing it of nutrients that it may have had.

Good ideas:

Raw, unsalted nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts. You only need a small handful for your daily allowance on these, but they are high in fiber, protein, and “good” fats.  Bars that use nuts and nut butters as a main ingredient.

Easily digested protein for match recovery- whey protein or branch chain amino acids.

Product list

Protein supplementation

CLIF Shot Rocks (if you must take the processed food route, this is the only protein product I would buy off the shelf)

They are chewy little protein balls in a protective candy coating. There are about 9-10 gumball-sized pieces in each packet, combining for 20g of protein. The shell is slightly crunchy, and is supposed to be temperature-resistant in both extremes: they won’t freeze in the cold, and they won’t melt if they’ve been tucked in your pocket on a hot day. They’re designed as a portable protein source during activity or as a snack to speed muscle recovery after a hard workout.

Advantages: Contains easily digestible whey protein and taste yummy, lots of protein, ideal for an athlete who needs to make up some slack from their morning meal.

Disadvantages: One or two is efficient for one sitting, since there are ten in a pack and easy to pop in your mouth, one could easily consume too much. There is a lot of sugar packed into these little protein balls.

http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_shot_roks/

Liquid or smoothie with protein supplements

Dos

Branch Chained Amino Acids (BCAAs) and Whey protein are the best for absorption and recovery.

Bananas in the smoothie

Kefir smoothie (already packaged at Whole Foods in the yogurt aisle)

Electrolyte Replenishment

For extra sweaty days drink grape flavored Pedialyte, coconut water, or almost any other electrolyte product except traditional Gatorade and Powerade.

Cliff Bar Shot Blok

http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_shot_bloks/

I would describe these as gummy bears with electrolytes, antioxidants, and a small amount of caffeine. They have non caffeinated and caffeinated versions.

Natural or homemade snacks

Almond or cashew Butter on a whole grain (bread, rice cake, multi grain, pita, etc). This is the easiest and BEST option. Almonds and cashews are packed with magnesium and protein!

Yogurt or Kefir

Trail mix with banana