Fuelling An Intense Training Session
Football / Intermediate
If you play team sports like football or rugby, you’ll be used to regular training sessions with general fitness, sport specific drills and set plays in the mix. The often high intensity of these sessions make getting nutrition right important to get the most out of the session.
BEFORE
Training session can be early in the morning or later in the evening; either way it is important to consider you pre-training meal. This is a key meal as it allowing you to top up your energy stores before training. This meal needs to predominantly carbohydrates, as due to the high intensity of the training session, carbohydrates will be the dominant fuel source for the session. Aim to have 50% off your plate carbohydrates alongside a portion of protein and always include some salad or vegetables. Ideally you would consume this 3 hours before the start of the session.
Here are some ideas:
• Salmon, rice and roasted vegetables
• Roast chicken breast, boiled potatoes and vegetables
• Spaghetti Bolognese and a green salad
HYDRATION
Hydration is important too. As little as 2% loss of body weight due to dehydration can negatively affect your performance, therefore starting the training session hydrated and maintaining it throughout is important. Try sipping an OTE Hydro Tab in the lead up to training. Sipping little and often is better than taking on board large amounts at one time.
