What should we eat?

As i was walking out from the shower room on Sunday, I spied my younger bro, Oli, accompanying his block in a sepak takraw match. This, coupled with a talk with zs regarding sports nutrition has led me to wonder - what should certain sports players eat specifically for their sport??

For IHG, tennis, squash players and plain ol' athletes, this is what you should eat...

SOCCER

Soccer matches last for 90min. The training for a soccer match, however, lasts for HOURS. Henceforth, you should eat differently for the different sessions.

a) Vitamins

Your body needs Vitamins. As you run, kick, take headers and dive for your team, you will burn up precious vitamins that you need to sustain your energy output. All the energy drinks in the world will not work if you do not have the proper vitamins to put them to use. My suggestion - pop a multivitamin in the morning, and take another just after training or a match.

b) Creatine

Creatine occurs naturally in your body and is used in quick bursts of explosive energy. The sudden cuts and sprints of soccer make this a necessity. Needless to say, marathon runners dont need as much as sprinters. No need to buy those powders and bodybuilding formulas for this. The best source of natural creatine can be found in RED MEATS. The best source is SALMON. So those, who love salmon sashimi, indulge all you want, especially before a training session or match.

c) Protein

Protein will help combat muscle fatigue after training and will sustain muscle strength and output through rigorous running. The best sources of protein come from FISH. If it swims, eat it. Salmon, marlin, ikan bilis, makaral, crocodile, eat it. Okay, not really crocodile, but it would freak out the opposition if you say you eat crocodile. Eat more of it during your meal before your training session, you will need it. Just before a match, dont sweat it, a small packet of milk will be just enough without too much bloat.

d) Anti-oxidants

Long hours in the sun, and training produces a lot of free radicals in your body. These are harmful and contribute to lactic acid buildup in the legs. For soccer players, once you lose your legs, you're basically out of the game. This is a MUST for soccer players. Anti-oxidants can be found in most of the daily minerals you take with your multivitamins, eg. Zinc and magnesium. Some fresher sources of anti-oxidants are TOMATOES, ASPARAGUS and BROCCOLI, with broccoli being the best.

SQUASH

Squash is one of the fastest calorie burning sports in the world and is a nice neutral ground between hardhitting tennis and reaction-time dictated badminton.

a) Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

EFAs support healthy joints and tendons. The rapid sport of squash takes a VERY hard toll on shoulders, elbows, ankles and knees, ESPECIALLY knees. Good sources of EFAs can be found in fatty fish oils - which is most commonly seen in those white streaks you see on raw salmon. That's the stuff you want. Girls, pls note, it's also good for your skin.

b) Vitamins

Same as soccer.

c) Calcium / Protein / Carbohydrates

I put these together because there is one best source of both. MILK. Drink your bloody milk every damn morning. Milk is a SLOW burning source of protein and calcium. Squash matches can last an hour, and typically involve non-stop movement. You will burn up proteins VERY fast, faster than soccer. The milk will sustain the release of protein to your muscles over a long period of time. Carbs too, same as protein. The calcium is there to support bone structure, and complements the joint support provided by EFAs.

d) Water.

Nuff said. Especially for squash, water is ESSENTIAL. It is easy to get caught up in the adrenaline and forget to hydrate, leading to loss in concentration, milk headaches/dizziness and the loss of half a step of reaction time. Water is a must. Hydrate whenever you can.

TENNIS

Tennis combines the long distance running of soccer with the speed of squash and multiplys it by 3. Tennis matches last longer than soccer matches and squash matches, and as such, dictate a slightly heavier diet than both.

a) Vitamins

In addition to your morning pill, take another just before the match starts, with all the running and hitting, you will need the extra boost.

b) Creatine

Will the legs do the running, the arms do the hitting. While this is the same for squash, remember that squash takes place on a WOOD court that is easier on the legs and requires less energy to push off and recover. Tennis takes place on concrete, which is harder to move on. You will also expend creatine while you are hitting those stinging baseline shots. Also imagine going from a stationary position to suddenly moving your whole body just to hit a shot - that's the serve, and it's the personification of why you need your creatine. Eat a shitload of sashimi or beef before a big match.

c) Water

Of course, you are in the sun, and you are running on hot cement. You will lose water and fast. Hydrate during every change of set.

d) Protein / Carbs

Lots of carbs and protein are needed to sustain a high level of tennis. A tennis player requires more protein and carbs than a soccer player. Why? Because in addition to his legs and his core muscles, he also uses his arms. My suggestion? A simple fish pasta before a match. Pasta is loaded with long burning carbs and fish is almost pure protein. The fish also provides a good source of EFAs which will help your joint recover from the punishment of hard courts.