Post-game nutrition recovery for late night games

One of the most frequent questions I get asked by athletes is whether or not it’s ok to eat after a game that finishes late at night.  The common misconception is that dinner should not be eaten after a certain time in the evening.  This does not apply for athletes! If you are on the couch for the night, then yes, eating dinner earlier may be a good choice.  However if you have just finished a tough away game at 10pm it doesn’t matter what time it is, you should be eating after! Sports nutrition recovery principles apply regardless of the time.

Recovery Nutrition

Getting your recovery right helps to set yourself up for the next training session or game, which for most junior basketballers is likely the following day (for example, a late Friday night game, into school basketball the next morning and/or a domestic game in the afternoon).  Friday night recovery food is important!

Priorities:

Refuel carbohydrate stores for energy for the next day

Repair muscle damage to reduce soreness and promote muscle growth

Rehydrate by replacing fluid and electrolyte losses

Revitalise by choosing anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense foods

Key Nutrition Elements:

CARBOHYDRATE - FUEL Rice, quinoa, noodles, potato, sweet potato, pasta, bread

PROTEIN - MUSCLE Meat, fish, chicken, eggs, milk, cheese, yoghurt

HEALTHY FATS - INFLAMMATION Avocado, nuts, fish, olive oil

SODIUM - HYDRATION

ANTIOXIDANTS, VITAMINS, MINERALS Vegetables, fruit, herbs, wholegrains, nuts, seeds

How do we achieve these recovery goals with food? Unfortunately it’s pretty difficult to achieve with the typical take-away options on offer on the drive home.

OPTIONS:

• BYO from home - you’ll need a food thermos and a good cooler bag, but with some planning and organisation it can be done!

• OR bring some nutrient-dense snacks for immediately post-game then have leftovers ready to heat when you get home.

• OR be selective with the type of take-away purchased

The following snack options work well and can be a good start to the recovery process if it’s more than an hour or so before you can get home to eat.

• Chicken and salad wrap

• Sushi rolls

• Pasta or rice dish with chicken or meat and vegetables

• Soup and a cheese roll

• High-protein yoghurt with handful of almonds or cashew nuts, plus berries

• Vegetable frittata

• Home-made sausage rolls

• Up’n’Go or Rokeby Farms smoothie and a piece of fruit

  Even though some of these need be kept hot or cold, there are lots of storage options out there that will keep food at the right temperature for a few hours. The biggest challenge is being organised and thinking ahead of time.  Some options are easier than others!                        

If you get a good snack in during the car ride, then aim for another small meal or snack once you get home. This should be pre-prepared so it can easily be re-heated quickly. I would recommend to eat straight away on arrival home before a shower, as this allow a little bit of time for digestion before heading to bed.

Example leftovers for recovery:

·        Beef and vegetable stir-fry with rice or noodles

·        Pasta or lasagne with chicken or lean meat tomato sauce, add vegetables

·        Home-made souvlaki or burritos or hamburgers

·        Chicken and vegetable curry with rice

        Soup with pasta/noodles/rice and meat/chicken/legumes

Even a toasted sandwich with some fruit, or a fruit smoothie can be a great recovery choice for when you haven’t had time to pre-prepare food and everyone is tired. Kids’ appetites can drop as it gets later and they are more fatigued, so it’s important to make sure they do have something to eat and drink before they fall into bed. 

Yes, the golden arches do tend to call us when it’s a long drive home from a late rep game, and sometimes (or often) that’s where you end up.  However with a little forward planning you can put in place some strategies that become habit for post-game nutrition to help improve energy levels and performance for the rest of the weekend.

Lisa has worked with NBL teams Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix over 10 years and currently works with Basketball Victoria junior high performance programs. She also has two very active children who play a lot of sport, including basketball.

Fluids for junior basketball – why, what, when and how much?

Anyone else’s kids get home at the end of the school day with a water bottle that has barely left the school bag?  The same child who then only has about an hour at home before heading off to training?  Starting training or games dehydrated puts you well behind before you even step on the court.  On the other hand, starting hydrated provides an advantage that many other kids in junior sport won’t have.  

Here’s why it pays to get through the drink bottle (with maybe even a top up from the tap!) during the school day:

Why hydration helps?

Starting training hydrated means setting yourself up for: 

- better passing and shooting accuracy

- improved concentration and judgement

- improve co-ordination and speed

- ability to keep running hard, right up until the last minute of the last quarter

- makes training feel easier, so you feel better and can work harder

You are always going to sweat and become more dehydrated once exercise starts, so arriving  hydrated and continuing to drink while training are going to help you perform at your best – and win games. 

Best fluids for training

For most junior sports, including basketball, water is the drink of choice and totally adequate.  For a typical junior game, kids don’t need sports drinks or electrolytes.  The only time I’d say you might potentially need a sports drink is during prolonged training beyond 2 hours, or in hot and humid conditions and maybe during tournaments.  These are times where carbohydrate as fuel and electrolytes for hydration can be useful and a sports drink provides an easily consumed form. There’s also the question of whether sports drinks or electrolytes are more important – you can find more info on this here Hydration is important but what is the role of sports drinks and electrolytes and who needs them?

The marketing and accessibility has us fooled - most of the time sports drinks are a waste of money for juniors.  The sugar combined with acidity is also not great for kids’ teeth.

Even during the day at school, water should be the main drink.   Milk-based options are also a terrific option for children, and research shows that as children and teenagers get older, milk intake drops.  Plain milk or milk-based fruit smoothies are perhaps the best options for a nutrient-dense, calcium-rich option.  The chocolate milk thing is still doing the rounds as a recovery option, however a smoothie type drink would actually be much better - providing good quality protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals from the milk but also added anti-inflammatory and recovery nutrients from the fruit.

How much do I need to drink?

You have probably heard that you need ~2 litres of water per day to stay hydrated. This may be a reasonable estimate of total fluid needs for the average adult, however kids’ needs can vary significantly. This relates mostly to growth and development.  Younger children don’t sweat as much, and due to their smaller body size won’t need as much fluid as a larger teenager who is well-progressed through puberty.  This however also makes young children more susceptible to heat illness – sweating is a cooling mechanism, so great care should be taken with kids training and competing in the heat and appropriate policies and cooling strategies applied.

Other factors in addition to growth, development and body size that will impact fluid needs include weather (temperature, humidity) and the amount of training on any given day.  Sweat rates differ between individuals also.

Often we talk about using thirst as a guide to needs, however kids and teenagers often need some planning and prompting to ensure they drink enough.

How do you know if you are drinking enough?

Try the pee test. Pale yellow to clear is a good indicator that you are hydrated.  No need for it to be crystal clear but you don’t want it to look orange either. (the urine colour test doesn’t work if you take vitamin/mineral supplements because these often cause urine to be darker in colour).  Look out for other symptoms of dehydration also, such as fatigue, headache, light-headedness, and  infrequent toilet stops.

In professional sport we have equipment that can measure the concentration of urine to determine hydration, however the pee test is still a pretty good indicator! Professional athletes may also check fluid loss by measuring weight before and after training or games, however this is usually not necessary for junior athletes participating in a single training session or game (and unless under the guidance of an accredited sports dietitian as junior athletes should not be subjected to weight measurement in their sporting setting for any reason).

Individual fluid needs vary significantly due to a number of factors.  Work out how much you need and the best fluids for you for different scenarios, and ask an accredited sports dietitian if you need some help working it all out. The average body is made up of over 60% water and your body doesn’t function at its best without it.

Lisa has worked with NBL teams Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix over 10 years and currently works with Basketball Victoria junior high performance programs. She also has two very active children who play a lot of sport, including basketball.

Why junior athletes are not small adults when it comes to body composition

I am fortunate to work with many talented young athletes and teams where performance is a strong focus.  I enjoy seeing young athletes learn, progress and improve – but I am also acutely aware of the potential negative aspects of a high performance environment for kids and adolescents.  I watched one of the ‘The Mighty Ducks’ movies over the weekend with my family and it was a great reminder of what junior team sport is all about – teamwork, friendship and fun (as well working hard, together!).  Those who have an influence on junior athletes can play a role in either helping or hindering development and performance, and the importance of enjoyment should be given due attention, even (or especially) within an increasingly competitive environment. 

Many junior athletes experience significant, and sometimes unbearable, pressure to perform.  Pressure can come from various sources, both internal and external, with a focus on performing at their best, beyond basic genetic ability.  This is where body composition (both muscularity and/or leanness) can become a focus, and for some this experience is far from fun.

Discussions around body composition – how much body fat or muscle an athlete has – and its impact on performance are an accepted part of professional senior sport.  Fortunately, sports dietitians are no longer known ONLY as the ‘fat police’ in teams, and there is more of a focus on nutrition for fuelling, recovery, injury management and performance strategies. However team dietitian’s will still have a role in measuring, monitoring and setting goals with senior athletes around weight and body composition - it’s just not the priority focus that it was previously.  In fact many athletes don’t like having measurements done and there are processes at many professional sporting clubs to support this. Thank goodness the days are (mostly) long behind us where player weight and skinfolds are posted up on the wall at AFL clubs alongside the 2km time trial results, in full view of all passers by.  Naturally, in a competitive sporting environment, the first thing people want to know is who came first….or last.  However, being the leanest or the most muscular person in a team does not necessarily translate to being the best player.  This is particularly true for young junior athletes – in fact the role of body composition for sports performance at a junior level is often of very low significance.

Kids and adolescents are not just small adults and need to be acknowledged and treated as such.

The problem

Awareness at the elite level has improved over the years with regard to individualisation of body composition goals and recognition that it is just one of a number of factors that contribute to performance.  However this understanding has not necessarily translated to junior ranks (although many clubs and sporting organisations are doing a great job in this area).  Whether due to increased competitiveness in sport, impact of social media, or other factors, these can all have a significant impact on those individuals who are susceptible to having concerns around body composition and body image.  Both boys and girls can be affected - don’t be fooled that this is only a problem for 15 year old females. Although discussing all of this does bring back memories of myself at that age (as pictured in my junior rep netball team) and dealing with my own stuff when it came to pressure to improve my performance, look a certain way and feel good about myself.

Why is it a problem?

Many factors can contribute to body composition and body image issues.  Some are inherent to an individual, but we cannot ignore external factors such as media, social media, societal factors and culture, and pressure from peers, coaches, sometimes family members or others with influence. 

‘Comparison is the thief of joy’- this quote always sticks in my mind when I think about teenagers these days who do a lot of sport.  Comparison to images on social media and comparison to their sporting idols, as well as their team mates and opponents. 

Realistic goals

I meet many adolescent males who want to be built like an elite AFL or NBL/NBA player  - NOW!  I would pretty much guarantee that adult elite athletes did not have the same amount of muscle mass or level of leanness when they were 16 that they do when they are 25 years old. We need to consistently remind young athletes of this.  Bodies are designed to grow and develop throughout adolescence and teenagers develop at different rates.  The only person you should be comparing yourself to is you.  Easier said than done, but the goal is to get the best out of your own performance.  Sometimes the anxiety associated with striving to achieve a body composition that is unrealistic at a particular age/stage can have a significant negative impact on performance and increase injury risk, which then increases the risk of young talented athletes dropping out of sport due to disordered eating or mental health issues.

IMPORTANTLY - junior athletes should not have weight or body fat measured as part of being involved with their sport. Many sporting organisations (including the AIS and AFL teams) now have clear policies on this, as measuring is generally not required for juniors and there are risks associated. There may be individual situations where a young athlete may work with a doctor and a sports dietitian (and possibly a sports psychologist) to discuss individual needs and goals, but this is private and individualised.

Too much focus on body composition

For many sports, you can’t get away from the fact that body size and composition has an impact on performance. For some sports, a bigger body size may be advantageous for performance – for example in basketball.  As young athletes progress to higher levels and competition gets tougher, there may be a greater need to consider body composition, however great care should be taken with regard to sensitive messaging around body composition for junior athletes.  A wide range of bodies can be elite competitors – it’s important to remember that.

Junior athletes need to progress according to their stage of growth.  Young male athletes are often desperate to gain muscle mass, and although they feel like it is super important right now, there is really no rush.  A smaller junior athlete may rely on their speed and agility as their performance strengths – just because team mates that may be at a more advanced stage of growth and have more muscle, this may not be the best goal for them. Goals should be tailored to individual needs and support existing strengths and genetic potential, and it can be beneficial to seek professional opinion and support, particularly when there are specific needs and sensitivities.

Nutrition for junior athletes

When an overall healthy eating strategy is adopted, with consideration of sports nutrition principles applied to training and competition (and individual growth stage and hunger!), body composition will often work itself out where it is meant to be.  For those junior athletes who may need some extra support, an Accredited Sports Dietitian can assist individuals and their families to make nutrition choices to support their training, competition and day-to-day needs while also considering their growth, health and well-being.

Lisa has worked with individual junior athletes and teams for over 25 years and currently works with Basketball Victoria junior high performance programs. She also has two very active children who play a lot of sport!

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Lose the lollies - why lollies should not be seen at kids’ sport

Lollies are for parties. 

They were when I was a kid anyway.

How confectionery has become part of post-game culture at junior sporting venues has me bewildered.  Somehow, the practice of elite endurance athletes, who are known to use simple forms of sugar as fuel during prolonged training and events, has transcended to kids’ being handed a bucket full of colourful jellies as primary recovery food following a 36-minute basketball game.  Why?  Or why not should be of greater concern for parents across Australia who are effectively the gatekeepers of the regular post-game sugar fest.

How did this happen?

Jelly lollies have become popular with endurance athletes as a convenient, portable and enjoyable carbohydrate source for lengthy training sessions.  Long rides or runs, where it may be difficult to consume adequate solid foods, make lollies an easy choice for a quick energy boost.

A typical junior sporting event usually takes less than 1 hour.  I am talking typical team sports here, in particular the ones I attend on a regular basis - basketball and footy.  Every time I attend a game, at any venue, I almost always spy lollies or chocolate in some form (ok, Saturday 8am basketball perhaps less likely, but not completely unexpected…).

This concerns me……a 10 year old does not need a quick acting carbohydrate immediately before, during or after a game, especially if they have eaten well beforehand.  Yes, kids do get hungry after sport, and recovery may also be a consideration for particularly active children.  Give the child some proper food to eat.   There is absolutely no need for lollies post-game. 

Why am I so angry!

Lollies and junior sport should not be used in the same sentence and here’s why:

-        Feeding children lollies after a game creates the perception that lollies are an everyday food, or even worse teaches kids that lollies and sweet foods are a reward for effort.

-        During and after sport a child’s saliva production is reduced and teeth are vulnerable to attack (so my wonderful dentist thoughtfully reminds me) – introducing a sticky, sugary sweet is asking for trouble.  Want a massive dental bill – keep giving your kids lollies (and sports drink) every time they run around a court.

-        There are SO many better choices out there to help kids recover, feel good and fill them up after sport. 

Sure, it may just be a jelly snake here and there and you may think I am over-reacting, but kids get enough opportunities to eat lollies at other times.  Keep the lollies where they belong – in beautifully packaged little bags handed to guests as a birthday celebration thank you.  Not in the sports bag.

Is soft drink the new sports drink for junior sport?

I usually don’t feel alarmed too often when it comes to food, but a recent observation at a children’s sports camp left me certainly shocked, and genuinely disappointed.

As you may have guessed, this disappointment relates to soft drink, and children.  I know there is an entire aisle in the supermarket dedicated to sugary, bubbly drinks but I never really thought about who actually buys and drinks this stuff….until I saw it with my own eyes – and I didn’t like it.

When I was a child, the only time we ever had a bottle of soft drink in the fridge was for someone's birthday or Christmas!  It was a special occasion drink, and contributed to the excitement associated with kids’ parties and resultant sugar highs!  I'm just not quite sure when carbonated water with sugar and additives became an everyday drink? 

Research shows that a large proportion of the population’s sugar intake comes from sweetened beverages.  This includes children, but I naively have never really taken much notice of what kids drink.  I am pretty aware of the amount of sugar that my own children consume from foods and drinks, but I am not over-the-top when it comes to avoidance.  I think that being a dietitian the assumption is that kids’ lunchboxes will be filled with only organic beans and kale crisps – so far from the truth!  They eat what I would consider pretty standard school-age fare, including whatever they want when they are at a party (I don’t send them with a personalized bag of chopped vegetables!).  But one food habit I am particularly solid on with my own children is the sugar-rich drinks, and I have now discovered this does make me a bit of an outlier when it comes to family fluid habits.  

I am usually not one to bother too much about what other people are eating or drinking - adults can make their own food choices and we all have different needs at different times so I am certainly not one to judge.  But I couldn’t look away, and to be honest felt really sad, when I saw the drinks popping out of the childrens’ lunchboxes at the junior camp.  I just happened to be in attendance over the lunch break and noticed a group of girls  who each had a can of soft drink in hand.  I was then compelled to look around me a little bit more and honestly, I was truly shocked at the number of soft drink cans I saw.  There was no canteen at the venue, so all of these primary school-age children had been sent to a sports camp, where they were going to be active all day, with soft drink packed in their bag?!  I don’t understand.....

I am not sure whether the perception is that these kids will be active all day so a bit of sugar won’t hurt for energy, or that they need extra fluid for hydration so throw a can in?   I totally get it that packing super-nutritious lunches everyday for kids is a challenge with busy lifestyles, but I don't understand the need to add a can of drink – especially for kids doing sport.  Even traditional sports drinks aren't necessary most of the time for active kids (see my article Hydration is important, but what is the role of sports drinks and electrolytes and who needs them?)

The obvious downside of sweetened beverages is the sugar content, but we also need to consider the additives and acidity - the combination of sugar, acidity and reduced saliva production with exercise leaves young teeth exposed and particularly vulnerable to decay.  

Water, milk and dairy-based fruit smoothies are all great options to hydrate and fuel young athletes.   

Active kids don’t need sugar in a can for energy to run and play. 

Keep an eye out for my next Thoughts post about infused water and making water more appetising if you don't love plain water. 

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