Youth Athletes Competition Tips

As a mother of teenage boys and Celebrity Yoga Coach to hundreds of professional athletes I have a few tips to share with the sports community.

My main pet peeve of the athletes I train and lecture to is that sugar is your enemy. If you do one thing eliminate processed sugars from your diet completely. It may take a bit of time due to addictive feelings but you will never regret it. Even athletes at the Pro level argue with me and think they are in their peek physical shape but fail to realize if they do eliminate sugar they can excel even more. Do not let your shape fool you. Here are my top ten reasons specific to athletes to eliminate sugar from your diet:

  • It suppresses your immune system
  • It weakens your eye sight
  • It is major cause of obesity
  • It can cause premature again by changing the structure of collagen
  • Can cause arthritis
  • Can cause asthma
  • Can interfere with absorption of protein
  • Can decrease growth hormone
  • Can promote and elevate LDL’s
  • Lowers enzymes ability to function
  • Can make tendons brittle
  • Promotes dehydration

If that is not enough to motivate you I do not know what to say! Give it a go and watch the magic that will happen in your performance on the field.

In addition to my quest to eliminate sugar a common question I get asked it about dehydration. Lets start with the definition of dehydration:

de·hy·dra·tion

[ d hī dráysh’n ]

  1. removal of moisture from food: the removal of moisture from food as a way of preserving it
  2. loss of body fluid: a dangerous lack of water in the body resulting from inadequate intake of fluids or excessive loss through sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea
  3. loss of water by chemical compound: the process by which a chemical compound loses water molecules or the proportion of hydrogen and oxygen atoms present in water

Synonyms: dryness, drying out, drying up, desiccation, thirst

According to experts:
Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluid than it takes in. This condition can result from illness; a hot, dry climate; prolonged exposure to sun or high temperatures; not drinking enough water; and overuse of medications that increase urination. Dehydration can upset the delicate fluid-salt balance needed to maintain healthy cells and tissues.

Water accounts for about 60% of a man’s body weight. It represents about 50% of a woman’s weight. Children need more water because they expend more energy, but most children who drink when they are thirsty get as much water as their systems require.

Mild dehydration is the loss of no more than 5% of the body’s fluid. Loss of 5-10% is considered moderate dehydration. Severe dehydration (loss of 10-15% of body fluids) is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical care. Some of the professional venues I have been privileged to work in actually have charts to show urine color. If an athlete is not responsible enough to maintain proper hydration and their urine is darker than is should be an athlete can get benched from the game. If they play they can risk severe cramping, and even scarier tears or strains.

When the body’s fluid supply is severely depleted, shock can occur. This condition, which is also called physical collapse, is characterized by pale, cool, clammy skin; rapid heartbeat; and shallow breathing.

Blood pressure sometimes drops so low it can not be measured, and skin at the knees and elbows may become blotchy. Stress, restlessness, and thirst increase. After the patient’s temperature reaches 107 °F (41.7 °C) damage to the brain and other vital organs occurs quickly.

Strenuous activity, excessive sweating, high fever, and prolonged vomiting or diarrhea are common causes of dehydration. Not drinking enough fluids, and alcohol, caffeine and diuretics or other medications that increase the amount of fluid excreted can cause dehydration.

Symptoms of dehydration at any age include:

  • cracked lips,
  • dry or sticky mouth,
  • lethargy, and sunken eyes.
  • Muscle weakness
  • headache
  • A person who is dehydrated cries without shedding tears and does not urinate very often.
  • The skin is less elastic than it should be and is slow to return to its normal position after being pinched.

Dehydration can cause confusion, constipation, discomfort, drowsiness, fever, and thirst. The skin turns pale and cold, the mucous membranes lining the mouth and nose lose their natural moisture. The pulse sometimes races and breathing becomes rapid. Significant fluid loss can cause serious neurological problems.

It is easy to see why dehydration is an enemy to athletes and should be a main concern of their diets and lives for optimum performance and health.

Some tips for athletes to maintain proper hydration are:

  1. Drink 6-8 oz of water every 20 minutes of exercise
  2. In addition to that you should drink at least half your body weight in ounces per day (the same is true of eating protein)
  3. Eliminate sugar
  4. Eating a salty snack between events is also a way to replace electrolytes, but avoid salt tablets, because they can cause stomach irritation.
  5. Get water through fruits and vegetable

Another interesting study to chew on was done by the British Journal of Nutrition,

The study says,”it is likey with the presence of sodium and the relatively large quantity of potassium in milk accounts fr the effectiveness of milk of restoring fluid balance following exercised induced dehydration.” I recommend the links below to view the study fully!

“It is likely that the presence of sodium along with a relatively large quantity of potassium (approximately 45 mmol/l) in milk accounts for the effectiveness of milk at restoring fluid balance following exercise-induced dehydration,” they said.

“The results suggest that milk is more effective at replacing sweat losses and maintaining euhydration than plain water or a commercially available sports drink following exercise-induced dehydration by approximately two per cent of initial body mass,” added the researchers.

“Given that hypohydration results in an increase in cardiovascular and thermoregulatory strain, and a reduction in exercise capacity in the heat, it is important to ensure that fluid losses accrued during exercise are replaced prior to the performance of a subsequent exercise bout,” they concluded.

“Commenting on the research, Judith Bryans, director of The Dairy Council, said: “This study joins the growing volume of literature which suggests that skimmed milk is a natural and effective post exercise recovery aid. Drinking milk is not only a valuable way to re-hydrate the body but also provides an excellent source of energy, protein and a vast array of different vitamins and minerals essential to the good health of hardworking sportspeople and the population as a whole.”

In the UK, semi-skimmed, or half-fat milk, now accounts for 60 per cent of total milk sales. Skimmed milk is also growing in popularity, now accounting for a further 14 per cent of the total.

Source: British Journal of Nutrition
Volume 98, Pages 173-180
“Milk as an effective post-exercise rehydration drink”
Authors: S.M. Shirreffs, P. Watson, R.J. Maughan

– See more at: http://www.royonrescue.com/2010/05/is-milk-or-water-better-for-treating-dehydration/#sthash.6U967q09.dpuf

“It is likely that the presence of sodium along with a relatively large quantity of potassium (approximately 45 mmol/l) in milk accounts for the effectiveness of milk at restoring fluid balance following exercise-induced dehydration,” they said.

“The results suggest that milk is more effective at replacing sweat losses and maintaining euhydration than plain water or a commercially available sports drink following exercise-induced dehydration by approximately two per cent of initial body mass,” added the researchers.

“Given that hypohydration results in an increase in cardiovascular and thermoregulatory strain, and a reduction in exercise capacity in the heat, it is important to ensure that fluid losses accrued during exercise are replaced prior to the performance of a subsequent exercise bout,” they concluded.

Commenting on the research, Judith Bryans, director of The Dairy Council, said: “This study joins the growing volume of literature which suggests that skimmed milk is a natural and effective post exercise recovery aid. Drinking milk is not only a valuable way to re-hydrate the body but also provides an excellent source of energy, protein and a vast array of different vitamins and minerals essential to the good health of hardworking sportspeople and the population as a whole.”

In the UK, semi-skimmed, or half-fat milk, now accounts for 60 per cent of total milk sales. Skimmed milk is also growing in popularity, now accounting for a further 14 per cent of the total.

Source: British Journal of Nutrition
Volume 98, Pages 173-180
“Milk as an effective post-exercise rehydration drink”
Authors: S.M. Shirreffs, P. Watson, R.J. Maughan

Skimmed milk better than isotonics for post-sport rehydration?

Drinking skimmed milk after exercise may promote recovery and rehydration better than water or an isotonic sports drink, suggests a new study from the UK.

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Skimmed-milk-better-than-isotonics-for-post-sport-rehydration

 

Stay Health and Stay Inspired

Gwen