The ABC's of Youth Tournament Nutrition

If you ask The Administrator, the man who invented air conditioning deserves a holiday in his honor after today.  While it is cool and comfortable in the air conditioned office, the current temperature outside here in Atlanta is a scorching 99 degrees Fahrenheit, and these temperatures are bound to continue into the weekend. 

Seemingly inhospitable temperatures are characteristic of August, and so too are youth soccer tournaments. It is not uncommon for youth teams to play three or sometimes even four games in a day at these events during the summer months.  In order to prepare the body for such exhaustive physical exertion in such extreme temperatures, it is vital that your club’s players take the necessary dietary precautions.  A player, who does not prepare their body for summer tournament participation, faces serious health risks. 

Nutrition, From A to D

Always Carb Load Before The Tournament

Players should start adding additional carbohydrates to their diet a week before the competition.  By increasing carbohydrate intake a week in advance, a young player’s muscles will become fully saturated with glycogen… muscle fuel.  A player’s weight should increase 2-4 pounds in the week prior to the competition.  Your players should stick to cereals, breads, rice, fruits, and pasta with tomato sauce, instead of fat-filled carbs like pizza, lasagna, or doughnuts. 

The Administrator’s Suggestion: Blast out a bulk email to all players a week in advance to remind them of the importance of Carb-loading.

Be Sure To Drink Extra Fluids Before The Competition

While it may sound crude, “the urine never lies”.  Starting several days before the tournament, a youth player must properly hydrate themselves for the competition.  While water will properly hydrate a player leading up to the competition, juices kill two birds with one stone, as they provide important carbohydrates as well.  The night before the tournament, your club’s players should have to use the restroom every 2-4 hours. 

The Administrator’s Suggestion:   Post a hydration link on your clubs website to remind players to hydrate before tournament preparation.  This link can be added and removed in 5 seconds assuming you have a modifiable website.

Consume Breakfast Every Morning

Everyone has heard the adage, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”.  Guess what?  It’s true.  While your muscles would be well stocked from your pre-tournament diet, it is the brain that suffers without morning sustenance.  The brain gets its limited amount of sugar from the blood.  By not eating breakfast your players blood sugar levels will drop significantly and the quick thinking necessary to succeed in the sport of soccer will be significantly diminished.

The Administrator’s Suggestion: Create a new discussion on your club forum to highlight the necessity of breakfast.  Players and families alike will be able to discuss pre-game food suggestions.

Drink Carb-Filled Liquids During Preparation

Believe it or not, the sports drink providers aren’t lying in their commercials.  When your players are running and sweating, they lose more than just water.  Carbohydrates must be replaced during play in order to not only stay hydrated, but also compete at the highest level possible.  Your players should try to consume over 16 ounces of sports drink after the first hour of competition (or at halftime).  With your players easily burning 200 calories in a single half, if is important to replace what was lost. 

The Administrator’s Suggestion:  Address the sports drink issue on your club’s blog and supply a link to a sports drink provider’s website.  These sites are packed full of important hydration information.

If your players can stomach it, they can increase their available energy output by eating pieces of energy bar, or even drinking watered down soda.  The Administrator suggests that players not try these tactics for the first time at the event, or you may very well see recently consumed food all over the field.  Players who consider taking this additional approach should test their stomachs during practice to see what suits them best.

As an administrator with a baker’s dozen ways to communicate to your club members, it is your responsibility to make sure that your players are not only well aware of healthy nutritional practices for tournament preparation, but also actively work to ensure they are ready for competition.  Your players will perform at a higher level, while ensuring their bodies are properly nourished to take part in their summer soccer tournaments.  Your club can chalk this one up as a win, any way you look at it!

The Administrator wants to know how your club uses and communicates good nutritional practices.  Do you have any suggestions for improving your player’s diets?  Post a comment below, send an email to Jon@bluesombrero.com, or call 404-835-0305.

Comments

[Nick the Intern]

Heat can really be a killer, as in the case of the NFL lineman last year. It is always a tragedy when something like that happens. Im glad to see that you have taken it upon yourself to educate!

[Laurie]

I had a son come close to serious injury from practice during the summer. I wish I would have known how he could have better prepared for the heat. I will be sure he reads this article. Thank you Administrator!

[Tom]

As a coach i will make sure to inform all my players of your recommendations. The last thing I want is for any of them to get hurt.

[Tini]

Check out the top part of this: http://www.fitness.gov/fastfacts.htm. The Presidential Council of Fitness and Sports says sports drinks replace electrolytes lost through sweat during workouts lasting several hours. Carbohydrates in sports drinks provide extra energy. The most effective sports drinks contain 15 to 18 grams of carbohydrate in every 8 ounces of fluid.