Why Coaches Should Take Nutrition Seriously…
In almost every scenario you can think of, whether it be an athlete, a team, a medical diagnosis, or just someone wanting to lose body fat, a healthy change in diet can be beneficial. I’m always surprised when I hear how resistant people can be to changing their eating habits, yet they are ok with taking a pill that has tons of side effects. YOU are in control of what goes into your mouth...you can eat to heal your body or you can eat to kill your body. Some of the best things for you are things you can do without tons of money or equipment and gadgets. Walking and running...just need some shoes, drinking water...preferably it’s filtered but either way, water is the best option for you, and controlling what food and drinks you buy in the grocery store is up to YOU (or if you are a younger athlete, your parents/guardians and coaching staff should help you help yourself).
It’s time to stop thinking that more training and working harder is the answer. That thought concept is antiquated. Working hard is important, but controlling what you eat and what you put into your body is a simple concept with huge gains from a performance and recovery standpoint. Coaches are sometimes the key contact for an athlete when it comes to nutrition information and education. Don’t overlook this huge opportunity to help not only your team overall, but an athlete and their wellbeing.
If you think diet doesn’t make a difference, I hope to enlighten you in this post and I dare you to try it for a few weeks and see what happens!
Nutrition and Performance
At the most basic level, the foods we eat break down into chemical messengers to tell our cells what to do. Do you want more energy for activity, that’s food related; the carbohydrates and types you ingest, the fats and how much and when. Are you dehydrated and cramping? That’s micro-nutrient related. Do you need increased strength to lift weights, that’s also food related...protein, amino acids, hormones. I know for a fact that in soccer, body composition is important. Even if it’s not the focus, a soccer player wants to feel light on the field and not weighed down by extra bloat and weight. This is not just genetics and how hard you train...this too is diet related!
You should not ignore how much impact nutrition can have on Performance.
Proper nutrition can help with:
Energy levels and delaying the onset of fatigue
Preparing for the next days training or competition
Improves body composition
Improves strength
Enhances concentration and mental alertness (the gut communicates with the brain via neurotransmitters; essentially what you eat is telling your brain what to do…therefore, food impacts mental health too!)
Nutrition and Recovery
There is always emphasis on the performance side of sports, but don’t overlook the importance of recovery! When you are training hard, breaking down those muscle fibers, losing those electrolytes, and depleting the body, how are you supposed to perform at the highest level the following training day if you didn’t recover properly. What happens when this cycle occurs over and over again? Don’t set yourself up for this failure.
Proper nutrition can help with:
Injury prevention
Muscle healing
Decreased muscle tiredness and soreness
Increases immune function
Better sleep quality
How Coaches Can Help
Athletic goals for the team and/or individual athletes will determine nutrition needs including the type of sport, gender, length of trainings, weather if playing outside, etc. However, if you are just starting out, ALL athletes can benefit from a solid nutrition foundation where general healthy choices are emphasized, water is recommended, unhealthy options are not readily available, and when eating as a team, healthy options are highly suggested with some nutrition education thrown in as to why those choices are best. Providing a list of healthy snacks, better pre-game options or post recovery foods, starting a “no soda” challenge, emailing a weekly nutrition tip, or simply getting parents involved if the athletes are younger and explaining to them why this is important...I have yet to meet a parent that doesn’t care about their child's performance and health and want the best for them!
It doesn’t have to be ALL or NONE. Just start somewhere and start sooner than later if you want to experience these benefits. It is not just good for the athletes, but higher quality nutrition can make you a better coach as well. If you want the respect of your athletes, you should practice what you preach. I was fortunate enough to have full support of the coaching staff while working in the MLS. This top down support made a huge impact on the overall success of the club, the sports nutrition program, and the athletes involved.
***If sports nutrition is something you would like to implement for your athletes but don’t feel like you have the knowledge, or maybe the time to move forward, there are options available to assist you. After being an athlete myself and then working with college and pro athletes, I realized there is a lack of nutrition knowledge amongst all levels. And, not all teams can afford a sports nutritionist or dietitian to help. I decided to take my nutrition knowledge, sports background, and experience in the MLS and create an online sports nutrition program that any team (or athlete) can purchase and implement into their curriculum at their own pace. All the work is done for you! Vidoes, presentations, pdf handouts...check out www.amydirkssportsnutrition.com if this sounds helpful!
“Hard work should be rewarded by good food.”
It makes complete sense…eat well, then you feel well, you feel well, then you are going to play better all of which leads to positive mental health and more success for the individual and the team.
