This is a short presentation based on sports nutrition for young athletes. It was created to educate hockey players age 12-16 on how to have the nutritional edge for optimal hockey performance

2. Sports Nutrition
for Athletes

3. The 3 Principles of Sports Nutrition
•Stay Hydrated
•Provide fuel for your muscles
•Promote optimal recovery after exercise

4. Hydration
During exercise you lose fluids and electrolytes as
you sweat:
•They key electrolytes is sodium
•If you don’t replace both fluid and sodium during
exercise you can become dehydrated

5. Hydration
The single largest contributor to fatigue during exercise
is dehydration caused by fluid and sodium losses:
•Inadequate fluid and sodium makes your heart work harder
and makes exercise much more difficult
•Dehydration also impairs concentration and the ability to
make tactical decisions.

6. Electrolytes
Electrolytes help transmit nerve signals in your
body
To replenish them, reach for sports drinks
If your losing a lot of fluid as you sweat, dilute
sport drinks with equal amounts of water to get the
best balance of fluid and electrolytes

7. •Endurance athletes such as hockey players should
consume 8-12 oz of water every 10 to 15 minutes
during the event.
• Drink chilled fluids, which is more easily absorbed
then room temperature water. Chilled fluids also
help cool the body down.
Hydration

8. Providing Fuel for your Muscles
Load up on Carbohydrates
•Carbs are an athletes main source of fuel
•Your body changes them to glucose, a form of sugar and
stores in your muscles as glycogen.
•When your participating in a sport your body changes
glycogen into energy

9. Carbohydrates
Maintain a diet that get about 70% of its calories through
carbs.
On game day, eat your last meal 3-4 hours before exercise
which gives your stomach time to empty.
Avoid eating sugary or starchy foods within 30 minutes of
playing a game because this can speed up dehydration

10. Carbohydrates
Replenish carbs, minerals and water during the
duration of a hockey game
Eat snacks in between periods such as fruits and
protein bars which are easily absorbed for higher
energy levels throughout the game.

11. Carbohydrates
Reload on carbs after game play, since you don’t
need quick energy source it best to choose complex
carbs for quick recovery

12. Protein
Protein doesn’t provide a lot of fuel for energy but
you need it to maintain your muscles.
Athletes need at least 1g of protein per pound of
body weight to maintain strength

13. Protein
Consume high quality protein such as lean meats,
eggs, fish, poultry, nuts and beans.
One of the quickest ways to fuel your muscles for
recovery is supplementing with whey or casein
protein powder immediately after a game.

14. Fats
Keep low amounts of fats in your diet
Consume foods such as nuts, avocado, vegetable oils,
and fish such as tuna and salmon which is high in
omega 3 fatty acids
Avoid fatty foods on the day of a event, since they can
upset your stomach.

15. Optimal Recovery After a Game
Many hockey teams have discovered that if their
players eat carbohydrates during intermission they will
get the energy they need to win the game.
However what you eat and how much you eat can
make or break the players.

16. Tips for Fueling Between
Periods
1. Hydrate immediately after you get off the ice
2. Have healthy foods on hand after the game,
can help promote recovery. Take advantage of
the window of opportunity (30-60 minutes post
game) This is the best time for your body to
replenish glycogen stores.

17. Fueling during the game and
proper recovery after the
game are critical
components to having the
winning edge!

18. To find out what your nutritional edge should be in
order to increase your hockey performance consult
with Brooke Harrison- and Brandon Coccimiglio of
Power Elite Training.