Today, Adam Korzun, the Green Bay Packers’ Dietitian, came to visit and talk about an athlete's nutrition. They must have a specific diet and exercise routine, so they get tested in April to see what they need to fulfill those requirements to prepare for football season. Some players eat up to 5500 calories a day! That means having six meals daily rather than just the normal three. They also eat a lot of carbs because carbs are the main fuel used for high-energy activities. Most athletes put creatine boosts in their smoothies. Creatin is a supplement that gets stored in muscle and is used for increasing sports performance and as backup energy during high-intensity exercises.
It's the boost that gives them seven seconds of free energy to make a last final push or first, fast, explosive movement in a game or workout session. Another stimulant is caffeine. It usually kicks in after 25 to 30 minutes, so it’s good to take a caffeine nap after taking it for better results. It's best to take around 80 mg of caffeine but if you want more, the limit is 200 mg. Most energy drinks are stimulants too because of their lack of calories. What’s more important than stimulants? Water. Hydration is key when it comes to daily life. It helps you sweat, stay healthy, and maximize your performance. We sweat to cool down, so we don't pass out. If you can’t sweat, you can work for about 70 minutes before you die of overheating and dehydration. Sweat levels of how much you lose show how many calories you need to gain. Nutritionists test the sweat levels of each individual, so they know how much they need to eat or drink. Adam also talked about post-workout meals and how we need to eat after training to aid in the recovery of muscles and regulate energy levels. These meals usually are some type of protein, carb, or energy drink. I asked Adam about good soccer diets and he said that the most important thing is timing your meals/snacks around your soccer schedule. I will be learning to do that soon enough as we enter soccer season. Today’s nutrition lesson was pretty interesting and educational. Adam even told a pretty funny dehydration joke to add to it all. I learned about how important it is to drink water and how much caffeine I should be drinking. I feel that nutrition is a career I might think about pursuing someday.
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