Refueling
ESP is so lucky to have Dr. Tara Larowe on our team. Take a look at a little something she prepared to help our athletes and their families make good choices when refueling for competition:
Tournament play, swim and track meets all require special planning to keep energy levels up throughout the day. Ideally, a solid carbohydrate-based meal will be eaten prior to the first game or event. After that, pack items that are familiar and will settle well in your belly. Snacking on gummies or fruit snacks isn’t going to cut it if there are long breaks between events or if the next meal is 2-3 hours away. Plan smart with these key items:
Hydration: Water, water, water! Keeping hydrated is the best defense for being alert and ready to perform. A sports drink can also be handy if there are back-to-back games/events and little time to eat. The carbohydrates + hydration from sports drinks will help keep energy levels up. Sports drinks also have a place in replacing fluids and electrolytes if play is in hot, humid weather and lasts more than 60 minutes.
Quick energy snacks: Easy digestible carbohydrate foods are the best. Think orange slices, pretzels, applesauce pouches, sips of sports drink. Choose foods that you are familiar with and will not cause stomach upset. Small sized snack bags are good to control portion sizes when eating less than 60 minutes before an event. Being too full might cause discomfort and lead to poor performance.
Recovery foods and long breaks: Following events and games, recovery items that contain both carbohydrates and protein are good choices. These can include chocolate milk + piece of fruit, or energy bar + grapes. Pack other snacks to hold you over until your next meal: turkey slices, yogurt smoothies, hard boiled eggs, trail mixes, PB&J sandwiches, string cheese. Note that some foods may require a cooler and kept cold for food safety purposes.
A little pre-even planning can go a long way to keep energy levels high and have peak performance!
Summer Training
Check out our new website (ESPathletes.com) and get your assessment set up to start off your summer training! Purchase the assessment before June 1 before prices go up! Any questions, contact Kevyn at [email protected].
Summer Schedule
Check out our finalized summer schedule HERE:
