According to dietitian Shelley Meltzer, a consultant from the Sports Science Institute, carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel for the body during a game.
How carbohydrates work
Carbohydrates are broken down in the body to form glucose and this is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. During high-intensity exercise and in the early minutes of exercise, the body uses this as fuel in the form of blood glucose and muscle glycogen.
Alternating between fast and slow running can easily deplete a player's energy stores. Just six seconds of all-out sprinting can trim muscle glycogen by 15 per cent, and only 30 seconds of upscale running can reduce muscle glycogen concentrations by 30 percent.
Carboloading
Most players start to run low on carbohydrates at the end of a match. When this happens, players become sluggish, reaction time slows down, co-ordination and balance decline, concentration dwindles and they will begin to feel light-headed.
A high carbohydrate diet for a few days before a match can help elevate muscle glycogen levels and increases the body's ability to endure prolonged exercise. In a study cited by the Australian Sports Institute, a high carbohydrate diet prior to the match helped the players to make fewer errors.
Replenishing carbohydrates
Drinking carbohydrate drinks during a match can also help reduce fatigue and prevent dehydration. These drinks make the biggest difference after a match, as the most rapid restocking of glycogen stores occurs during the first few hours after exercise, with the first two hours being the most crucial.
"Ideally, players should aim to have 50-100 grams of carbohydrate within 30 minutes of finishing training or a match," says Meltzer.
The Australian Sports Institute gives examples foods containing 50g carbohydrates:
Bookmark with:
What are social bookmarks?