Best Practices Trainers’ Blog

Here are two articles from the SouthEnd Hockey Association that you might wish to bring to the attention of your team.

1. Properly fitting your children's hockey equipment
2. Energy drinks pose a serious health risk to kids


 

September 6, 2012 by Gary Roberts


As the off-season begins, I hope each one of you reap the benefits of smart training, eating well and getting lots of rest so that you are ready to go this season. It will pay dividends not only this season but in the long term.

The theme of this blog post is preparation. Whether you are a hockey player, a parent, or a coach, you have tasks ahead of you – maybe a game, running a practice, daily activities or a tournament.  How you choose to prepare for it will play a key role in the outcome. I believe that the nutritional part of your preparation can be a crucial component to your success.

Let’s use a tournament as our task. One of the biggest nutritional challenges I see is when players go to tournaments.  They are often playing 2 or 3 games in a day and as many as 7 in a weekend. For optimum performance it is very important that players fuel their bodies properly so that they have long lasting energy and the right nutrients to support their recovery.  This will help ensure they are physically and mentally ready for every game.
I can tell you that arena food like hot dogs, pizza, and fries ARE NOT the types of foods that provide long lasting energy that support a player’s peak performance. In fact, their high levels of refined carbohydrates and fats cause your energy to spike and crash and they make you sluggish.  They are also high in sodium, which dehydrates you and can lead to cramps, injuries and loss of mental focus.
 
So, what I would suggest is that you pack a cooler to take with you to your tournament.  Fill it with: 1) foods that are a combination of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates (i.e., carbs that provide long lasting energy), healthy fats and fibre; and 2) lots of quality water. The following is a list of the foods I bring in my cooler for myself and my son who now spends a lot of time in a hockey arena.

Night Before:

Grilled skinless chicken breast, sweet potato and asparagus
A good blend of lean protein, complex/nutrient dense carbohydrates and veggies. The foods your body needs to repair itself!

Gary’s Tournament Cooler:
Lots of water (a least one 500ml bottle per game and more to sip on between games)

Breakfast
Breakfast:

Muesli (rolled oats, seeds, nuts, unsweetened coconut, dates, raisins, ground flax seeds soaked in coconut water or water for 5 minutes and then mixed with berries, 1/2 a sliced banana and a couple tablespoons of Greek yogurt)
or
Two slices of whole grain bread spread with raw unsweetened almond, pumpkin seed or peanut butter, honey and sliced banana.

Post-Game Recovery
Following Each Game:
Post-game recovery shake or snack
Shake:  Berries, 1/2 a banana, water, coconut water, vanilla yogurt and baby spinach (my Magic Bullet blender is very convenient for me to bring along – the blender containers double as the drink cups so I fill them at home or at the hotel, pack a coolly with them and blend them up as I need them).

Snack: Chocolate milk and a banana or fruit and yogurt

Pre-Game Meal
Pre-game Meals:
Whole grain wraps or sandwiches with either lean nitrate-free meats (e.g., roast turkey, grilled chicken, ham), tuna or egg salad. I always wrap some greens around the meats, tuna or egg salads to add more nutrient-packed fibre and to help stop the bread from getting soggy. I like to use baby spinach, lettuce, sprouts or arugula as my greens.
Cut fresh vegetables (e.g., carrots, peppers, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, grape tomatoes) with a dip, which is usually hummus or some other type of bean dip.

Healthy Snacks
Snacks Between Games:

1) Healthy trail mix which could include some or all of the following: almonds, cashews, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkinseeds,
Raisins, goji berries, dried cranberries and blueberries, unsweetened coconut, raw cacao nibs.

2) Apple with unsweetened almond, pumpkin seed or peanut butter.

3) Healthy granola bars or cookies made with raw oats, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, and healthy oils like coconut oil or sunflower oil.

4) Raw energy bars with all naturals ingredients and no protein powder (two of my favourites are Raw Revolution bars and Dr. Vie bars)

I do try and pick cooler items that travel easily and can be made quickly – no doubt about it though; coolly packs are a must along with a few different containers and a travel blender. But I believe that if you take a bit of time to prepare your cooler, you will be well energized for your tournament and you will have a good weekend of hockey.