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»Pre-Game Planning«

-History of Gatorade

During the summer of 1965, many University of Florida football players were being exposed to long hours of sun exposure. Many of them would soon develop heat related illnesses because of the prolonged exposure to the sun. One of the assistant coaches was astounded and could not understand why so many players were being affected. After extensive research and studying the Florida Gators, a team of university physicians determined that the Gators’ had an electrolyte and carbohydrate imbalance- that is, they were losing too many nutrients through sweat, and were not replacing them readily enough. From this research, a sports beverage found all over the world was developed – Gatorade. ()

Today, we have a better understanding of how the body works together to produce enough energy for extensive physical fitness. Although Gatorade is a great way to rehydrate after exhaustive exercise or fitness, there are many ways to better maintain energy levels before and during the big game.

-Meal Plans

The best way to prepare your body for a sporting event is to eat a nutritious diet several days before the game. This is key for giving your body the optimal nutrients it needs before game day. Eating a balanced and nutritious diet is important for peak athletic performance. A nutritious diet should include the following daily (female/male):

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In addition to eating right throughout the week before the big game, it is especially important to eat right the day of the game. Your body will need certain nutrients to keep energy levels high. Eating correctly will also prevent hunger and supply the body with enough nutrients to maintain your athletic edge. Here are some suggestions for meal choices the day of the big game:

→ Eat several hours before your event, so that your stomach can digest the food and supply the energy and nutrients to all your bodies’ cells

→ Limit or eliminate sugary foods (as much as possible) before, during, and after the game

→ Restrict excess fat and oil consumption

→ Do not eat foods that you know will give you excess gas

→ Hydrate with water well in advance of the event, during the entire event, and after the event

→ Do not eat or drink any foods that have caffeine – this could cause dehydration and fluid loss

→ In the event of hunger during the game, keep a small snack with you to munch on, such as trail mix, fruit, or a cereal/nut mix

→ For more information, visit Sports and Nutrition: The Winning Connection

-Make Your Meal

Many times, young athletes think they do not have the time or resources to prepare for games by eating “healthy” foods. Other times, athletes reject eating “healthy” foods because they do not like their taste. However, the choice to eat right can be made with little time and preparation involved (and still taste good!)

Here are some basic meal items that can meet your bodies’ nutritional needs, and still taste good: Spaghetti/pasta (with or without sauce), breadsticks, a bagel, a mozzarella cheese stick, milk (low-fat or skim), orange slices, whole grain oatmeal, cereal, fruit juice (100%), applesauce, turkey or tuna sandwich, and many more. You can probably think of more foods that you enjoy, too.

-Foods to Avoid

As with anything else in life, there are two sides to every coin. While there are many food choices that can enhance your game day performance, there are food choices that will inhibit your performance as well. Remove these foods from your meal plan:

Too often, athletes spend endless hours practicing and honing their skills on the field. However, off the field, you would never know they were athletes by the way they eat. While these guidelines may be scary for some athletes, eating right is just as important as practicing your jump shot, and working as a team. While many people may not want to admit it, the old saying is true…

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-“Day Before” Tips

To close out this newsletter, it is important to clear up a few minor details. In general, this newsletter focused on the nutritional aspect of pre-game preparation. However, there are also fitness tips that can help many young athletes.

→ Stretching is imperative for an athlete to perform on a regular basis. Not only does stretching keep help prevent injuries, but maintaining flexibility is important for all people, regardless of athletic status. While it is one of the easiest and most beneficial aspects of personal health, it is one of the most overlooked and under-utilized. Stretch often the week before any athletic or sporting event. Note any painful or injured areas, and if it is of concern, alert your coach and/or athletic trainer.

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→ While building muscle is important for many athletes, it is not wise to lift heavily immediately before a game. Each muscle group needs at least 48 hours to build up and repair the torn muscle fibers from a workout. For some, it may be beneficial to get one more workout in the day before the game. If this is the case, lift at about half to ⅔ of the intensity of a normal workout. This way, the workout can still perform its’ purpose, but the muscles can recover in time for the game.

→ An athlete, especially in training needs, at least, 8 hours of sleep, each night. Various studies have shown that muscle tissue is repaired at the greatest rate when subjects received 8 or more hours of sleep. [pic]

-Closing

Athletes are an incredibly unique set of human beings. They love pushing their bodies to the limit, reveling in the thrill of challenges and challengers, and putting their well-being’s aside for the common good of the team. However, many times, they need additional information and instruction. This is where we come in - the parents, the coaches, the teachers. We need to communicate effectively to our athletes, and all of our students. That is the goal of this newsletter, to inform the community of athletes, students, and parents of both, how to live healthy lives.

Mr. Gregor, Health and Physical Education Teacher (gregor29@)

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üôðÝÊ·Ýʳ®¦¡¦“ˆ}ncQnDn}hIy¼hIy¼0JCJaJ#[?]?j¸[pic][pic]hIy¼hIy¼CJU[pic]aJhIy¼hIy¼CJaJjhIy¼hIy¼CJU[pic]aJhIy¼h]ÌCJaJhIy¼h'€CJaJjha}PU[pic]mHnHu[pic] h-#G5?hŒDÐhŒDÐ5? hŒDÐ5?h'€%h@h-#GB* |CJ OJQJaJ pinternet is full of many different sources of information. But how do you know which is the right information for you? How do you know that it is verifiable? Below is a table of credible websites to for those interested in more research. All age groups and populations can use this list of websites to live a long and healthy life! (Key: **** = Best)

|Name of Site |URL |General Content|Audience |Rating |

|My Pyramid | |Nutrition, |Everyone |**** |

| | |lifestyle | | |

|American College of Sports | |Sports |Everyone |**** |

|Medicine | |nutrition | | |

|EXRX (Exercise | |Diet, |Athletes, |*** |

|Prescription) | |nutrition, |weightlifters, | |

| | |fitness |exercisers | |

|Harvard School of Public |hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/staying-active/ |Staying healthy|Everyone |*** |

|Health | | | | |

|Men’s Health | |Diet, exercise,|Males – athletes,|** |

| | |fitness |bodybuilders | |

|Women’s Health | |Diet, exercise,|Females – |** |

| | |fitness |athletes, | |

| | | |bodybuilders | |

→ A variety of vegetables (2.5 cups/3.5 cups)

→ A variety of fruits (2 cups/2.5 cups)

→ 3 glasses of milk

→ Grains (6 ounces/10 ounces)

→ Meat and beans (5.5 ounces/7 ounces)

→ For more information, visit

→ Soda, coffee, energy drinks

→ Fast food

→ Foods or drinks with artificial fruit flavors

→ Sugary snacks

→ Foods high in fat

→ Whole milk

→ Foods high in protein

→ Foods/condiments high in fat

→ Any fried/greasy foods

“You Are What You Eat!”

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