Summer is a time when many of the athletes I see in my office ask about shifting body composition either to gain lean functional muscle for more power and explosiveness or to lean out in order to improve speed and agility.
Hockey players are at the top of this list. However, some, depending on age and level of play, are faced with the challenge of doing so in the midst of camps, tournaments and summer league. Players’ goals certainly can be met as long as they are willing to plan ahead for games, practices and travel.
Younger players also may take advantage of the tips below. Following a busy spring schedule and the flurry of end-of-school activities, they can benefit from recommitting to healthy nutrition habits including more meals at home.
Parents, take advantage of more time with your young hockey players by asking for their input into family meal choices.
Take them grocery shopping and ask them to choose the vegetables, fruit and lean protein that they will eat. I understand that this exercise might require more time and patience, but ultimately it will save time and make mealtime more peaceful by decreasing tableside arguments and the need to make separate meals. Involve your son or daughter in food preparation and cooking or grilling. There is a sense of satisfaction when a player is able to serve and eat a meal that he or she had a hand in making. And once they realize the effort that goes into a home-cooked meal, they might be more appreciative.
Tips for gaining lean functional muscle:
1. Work around your playing schedule to fit in lifts/training whenever possible.
2. Maximize the benefits of your workout through recovery. Within 30 minutes, eat or drink an easily digested protein and carbohydrates from fruit. One of the most popular options for recovery is a fruit smoothie with banana, berries, pineapple and either yogurt or protein powder or both along with coconut or almond milk and ice.
3. Eat clean, real food you can recognize — food that swam, ran, flew, grew from the ground or fell from a tree — and eat more than you have been.
4. Eat more often than you have been.
Tips for losing body fat:
1. Hydrate fully. Thirst can be mistaken for hunger. Drink more water and less of everything else, especially sugary beverages such as sports drinks, soda and lemonade.
2. As above, eat clean real food that you recognize, but instead of eating more, eat only until you are satisfied, not full.
3. Decrease sugar. Goal: Consume less than 25 grams of added sugar per day.
4. Eat smaller portions four or five times a day, making sure you have protein at every meal and more vegetables than fruit when possible.
Nutrition impacts body composition, and body composition impacts performance. Set your goals and get to it.
#FueltheChampionWithin
