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Basic Diet Training // Endurance // Fluid Balance // Need For Muscle Building |
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The
term nutrition describes the process by which materials from the
environment are taken up by the body in order to provide the nutrients and
energy necessary to keep the body alive and healthy.
Nutrients: The food that you eat can be broken down into components
called nutrients i.e. Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, alcohol, vitamins,
minerals, trace elements, dietary fiber and water. Different foods contain
sufficient amounts of each of these nutrients to meet the body’s needs,
hence the necessity to eat a wide variety of foods. Diet: Diets are best described as patterns of everyday eating habits and food
selection which result in a specific nutrient consumption, for example, a
low-fat diet, a weight-reducing diet, a high fiber diet or a
high-carbohydrate diet. Digestion: Digestion is the process by which the enzymes in your gut
break down the larger compounds within foods to smaller compounds so that
they may be absorbed by your body. Absorption: Absorption is the movement, in the stomach and small
intestine, of digested food into the body tissues and blood.
Not all of the food you eat is absorbed; this passes straight
through your body and is eliminated as faces. Excretion: Excretion is the removal of potentially noxious or
poisonous end-products of metabolism from your body, normally in the urine
and faces. Metabolism: Metabolism is
the sum of all chemical processes or reactions taking place in the
body’s organs and cells. Carbohydrates
: It is an important nutrient provided almost entirely from plant sources
and is the major source of energy and dietary fibre. Carbohydrates are
classified into two major groups: Complex Carbohydrates: - Primary Starch & cellulose found in whole grain cereals & vegetables Simple Carbohydrates: - Various Sugars found in fruits & sweeteners. We normally get it from fruits, vegetables and cereals . Proteins
: Protein is a constituent of every living cell. 1/5th of the
adults’ total weight is protein. Protein is needed for growth &
repair of tissue. As part of every enzyme & many hormones, proteins are
vital in the regulation of body processes.
After these needs are met, any remaining protein is used as a
source of energy.
Fats : Fat is the most plentiful nutrient in the diet after water and carbohydrates. Some sources of fat are easily recognized because they are visible fats and oils such as butter margarine, salad oils and fat surrounding meat. The sources however account for less than half of dietary fat. The rest is invisible fat. This inputs fat that is marbled through out meat fibers, dispersed in a finely divided form in egg yolk, homogenized whole milk or found in cereals, vegetables and nuts. Good
nutrition can make its greatest impact by helping you to recover between
squash training sessions. Improvements in performance are primarily the
result of your body’s adaptation to the stresses of intensive training.
With consistent training comes adaptation, with adaptation comes
improvement. So it is important that you pay attention to your eating
habits 365 days of the year not just on those days of competition. One
of the prime considerations is that your diet meets the demands placed
upon your body by training. In particular, you must consume sufficient
energy in the form of carbohydrates to maintain the stores of energy
within the muscles. Low carbohydrate intakes while you are training hard
can only result in low muscle glycogen stores. Training on low glycogen
stores is hard. Start
the refueling process as soon as you can after you finish training.You
have only a limited time available to consume a relatively large amount of
food. The muscles capacity to refuel is greatest over that first hour
after training. Organize
yourself, remember that you must refuel, so don’t compromise. Fit your
eating around your training. If you miss breakfast to train, have a
high-carbohydrate mid-morning snack. If you train in the evening, eat
something around 3-4 in the afternoon and have your main meal after
training. Your appetite will probably increase as the volume and intensity
of training increases, so eat more carbohydrates but don’t overeat. Don’t
restrict your eating to traditional mealtimes. You may end up gorging on
just three meals a day. Try taking smaller but more frequent meals. Plus
several snacks. At
least one rest day a week is important give your body time to recover from
the stresses of training.Use the extra time to eat sensibly and make up
for any hurried meals eaten during training Above all, refuel your
carbohydrate stores. It is probably better to work on a three day training
programe, then rest for one day, than train for six days before having a
day off. Eat
more fresh or frozen vegetables (particularly root and green leafy
vegetables), potatoes, fresh and dried fruit (particularly citrus fruits),
cereals, nuts and beans. All these foods are high in carbohydrate, fiber,
vitamins and minerals in one tasty package while being relatively low in
energy. They’re only fattening when you add large amounts of fat. Place
the emphasis on starchy rather than sugary foods when attempting to
increase your carbohydrate intake. Do not rely solely on confectionery or
sweet foods to provide you with carbohydrate. Increase
your bread consumption (preferably whole meal, whole-wheat) but take care
not to layer it with fat. If making sandwiches with a moist filling,
reduce the amount of butter or margarine. There
is no need to eat large amounts of red meat.Select leaner cuts of meat or
try using white meats such as chicken or fish. Alternatively reduce your
overall meat consumption and fill up on high-carbohydrate foods. Try
eating at least one meat-free meal each day or construct meals that use a
little meat sparingly throughout the dish (Indian dishes, Pasta, Chinese
or Thai) Reduce
your consumption of fried foods – try boiling or grilling, stir-frying
or steaming instead. Pour off any fat that appears during cooking. Try not
to add excessive amounts of fat to a dish (gravy, sauces, butter on hot
toast or baked potatoes). Try
alternatives to mayonnaise or oil-based dressings for salads natural
yogurt or citrus fruit juice can be used on their own or as the basis for
less oily dressings. Invest
in a wok and ‘flash-fry’ foods at a very high heat with minimal fat or
oil. This type of cooking seals the food rapidly and helps to retain its
nutrients. Alternatively,
try to gain access to a microwave cooker. Microwave cooking food does not
cause any appreciable losses in nutrients yet can save considerable
amounts of time-something vital to the busy athlete. Ensure
that you maintain a high-fluid intake by drinking plenty of water and
fresh fruit juice (high in minerals) as part of your normal diet.
Ensure that you are never dehydrated before or during any squash training
session. Organize your training so that you can take small amounts of
fluid regularly. Be careful of alcohol, don’t try to train on a
hangover. Take
a positive interest in your food. Don’t simply eat what is put in front
of you. Take care in planning meals and choosing and preparing food, even
if this means learning to cook for yourself. Above all, enjoy your food
don’t become fanatical or obsessed with your training diet. Chew
your food slowly. There
are two kinds of endurance. Aerobic endurance refers to the
process of taking in, transporting and using oxygen, whilst muscular
endurance represents the capacity of the muscle for continuous
performance of localized activity. They are, of course,
inter-related. AEROBIC
ENDURANCE The
lungs, heart and blood vessels perform a vital function as the body’s
supply system. They supply
the muscles with the necessary fuels and oxygen, and carry away waste
products such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid.
Consequently, the cardio-respiratory system in the
athlete needs to be developed to match the muscles which it supplies and
cleanses. Aerobic capacity,
known by the abbreviation VO2max, is a
physiological parameter much measured by sports scientists, and is
the maximum volume of oxygen which can be used per minute by an
individual. It is
measured in liters per minute, but as there is variation in body size
between individuals it is usually reported per kilogram of body weight.
Endurance training should increase an athlete’s
aerobic capacity (VO2max), and it is, known that trained endurance male
athletes can have high aerobic capacities of 60/70ml per kg compared to an
average figure for a twenty year old male of 45ml per kg. Squash
will require high levels of muscular endurance, but it can be recommended
as a desirable quality for almost all athletes to have a good aerobic
base. MUSCULAR ENDURANCE Muscular
endurance represents the capacity of the athlete for continuous
performance of relatively heavy localized activity which may make only
small demands on the functions of respiration and circulation before
exhaustion sets in. The more often a muscle performs a movement in
training, over the same range, against the same resistance, and at the
same frequency and speed as required in competition, then the less likely
it is to become locally fatigued by that movement during competition. The improvement is primarily due to the functional involvement of more muscle fibers (motor units) as a result of overload. Overload also improves the utilization of oxygen by involving more capillaries, thus providing the working muscles with more oxygen and fuel, as well as facilitating the removal of the metabolic waste products of strenuous exercise. 1. You must condition your body to get used to taking fluids by using fluids during squash training sessions, not just during competition. 2. Make sure that you are always fully hydrated before taking any exercise. Never start exercising in a dehydrated condition. Avoid large amounts of alcohol the night before. 3. Take some fluid prior to exercise, say 250-500ml of water 20-40 minutes before activity. As urine formation is reduced considerably once you are exercising, the need for an emergency pit stop is unlikely. 4. During exercise, small amounts of fluid should be taken little and often. You should start drinking early on during exercise – do not wait until you are thirsty before drinking. Try using a cyclist’s water bottle as a container. 5. Plan for regular water breaks where possible. Athletes should be encouraged to drink even if they are not thirsty. 6. Cold drinks empty from the stomach faster than warm or hot drinks. While larger volumes empty more quickly than smaller volumes, be aware of having too much fluid in the stomach. 7. The most important consideration throughout is fluid intake, so plain water is the immediate choice. However when used with care commercial drinks can assist in the replenishment of fluids while also providing additional carbohydrate to supplement the body’s energy reserves. But if used incorrectly they may actually impair performance by causing nausea and stomach discomfort. Worse, they may inhibit fluid absorption and thereby accelerate dehydration. The electrolytes they contain are not present to replace those lost in sweating but to help increase absorption of the fluid. 8. Following exercise, start the dehydration process immediately – do not wait for several hours. Ideally always carry your own supply of fluid in your kit bag so that you are never caught short. Do not rely on the coach or organizer of an event to provide fluid. 9.
Salt
are to be avoided at all cost. There is ample salt in the diet
without having to take salt at mealtimes. 10.
Splashing
water on the skin during exercise will also help lose heat through
evaporation. 11.
Acclimatize
to exercise in warm environments carefully and adequately prior to
competition. Note that young children take longer to acclimatize than
mature adults. 12.
Wear
suitable clothing to cope with prevailing climatic conditions. 13.
Be
aware that as you slow down the rate of heat production also decreases.
While you may have started out in suitable clothing you may find that too
much heat is lost as you tire and your body temperature may fall
considerably unless additional clothing is available.
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