Download a very thorough Nutritional Discussion

NUTRITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

Copyright © 2008 M.O. Dagenais & Associates Inc.

Bonus Nutrition Tips for Softball
Sport requirements: Softball combines power and anaerobic capacity. Depending on the
requirements of the position you play, you may need to increase strength and power.
Breakfast: Don't skip breakfast, or you'll start your day at a deficit. You will feel sluggish most of the
day, which may affect your practice. Your carbohydrate stores will be low, and you will not be able to
perform well. Breakfast will boost your metabolism and fuel you throughout the day.
Pre-competition: For pre-competition snacks and meals, choose primarily carbohydrates. A little fat
and protein are fine, but high-fat meals do not digest quickly or easily and can leave you feeling
sluggish. If you are eating a carbohydrate meal allow three to five hours for a large meal to digest and
two to three hours for a smaller meal to digest. You should try to eat two to three servings of foods that
each contain about 15 grams of carbohydrates. Eat foods that will digest easily. Eat foods that will
digest easily. Nerves may make it more difficult to digest pre-competition meals. Try these foods before
practice before eating them prior to competition.
Competition: Drink a carbohydrate fluid-replacement drink between innings. This will ensure that you
keep your energy levels up. Try to eat within two hours after competition. This will allow you to refuel
your energy sources quickly. Post-competition and practice: To recover from practice every day, you
need to refuel your reserves. Eating high-carbohydrate foods within two hours after practice is the best
refueling tactic. Try to eat 0.3 - 0.5 grams of carbohydrates for each pound of your body weight. This is
also important to keep you fueled and ready to go on game days.
Drink up: Drinking fluids is extremely important for softball. Drink whenever possible during the game,
and really fill up after the game. Drinking water will help you keep your coordination and performance
level -- both diminish as you become dehydrated.
· Do not wait until you are thirsty to begin drinking. If you only drink when you are thirsty you will replace
just 50 percent to 70 percent of your body's needs.
· Try to drink 4 to 6 ounces of fluids every 15 minutes during exercise to stay well-hydrated.
· For every pound of body weight lost when exercising, drink 2 cups of fluids.
· Avoid beverages containing caffeine -- they may have a diuretic effect, which can lead to dehydration.
· Fluid requirements: Softball players should drink 1 milliliter of fluid per calorie consumed to maintain
average fluid levels. For example, with a 3000 calorie diet, drink 3000 milliliters of fluids (30 milliliters =
1 ounce). To calculate into ounces: Divide 3000 milliliters by 30 = 100 ounces of fluids. Hazards:
Dehydration is the main hazard to watch for in softball.

Basic Nutritional Guidelines
The goals of nutritional care for athletes are simple and straightforward. For the most part, nutritional
care should:
** Ensure that athletes are properly hydrated during periods of active training and competition.
** Provide adequate calories to meet growth and development needs, if in youth and adolescent
years, and the extra needs of the physical activity
** Supply nutrients from food
** Instill sound nutrition principles and practices that will last a lifetime.
The best eating habits for the athlete may be as follows:
1. Design a meal pattern that fits your daily cycle. Plan to eat several times a day using regularly
spaced meals and snacks to help meet caloric and nutrient needs.

2. Eat a diet rich in complex carbohydrates (starches). Starchy foods such as pasta, breads,
cereals, potatoes, corn, peas and others provide a major energy source to fuel your activities.
These foods are also a source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
3. Drink sufficient fluids to stay hydrated during training and competition periods - don't wait until
you are thirsty to drink.
4. Eat a diet that contains a variety of foods from breads and cereals; fruits; vegetables; meat and
meat substitutes; and dairy foods. It is your best insurance for getting needed nutrients. .
Pre-Game Rules
1. Eat lightly before an athletic competition.
2. Eat complex carbohydrates, keep protein and fat intakes low since these slow digestion.
3. Avoid bulky foods. They may stimulate bowel movements. Bulky foods include raw fruits and
vegetables, dry beans and peas and popcorn.
4. Avoid gas-forming foods such as vegetables from the cabbage family and cooked dry beans.
5. Eat slowly and chew well.
6. Drink water to be adequately hydrated. One suggestion is to drink 2 cups of cool water 1-2
hours before the event. Follow this by drinking 1 to 2 cups of fluid 15 minutes before the event.
7. Avoid drastic changes in your normal diet routine immediately prior to competition. Some
athletes prefer to use favorite foods which may give them a psychological edge.
Post-Game Rules
1. Consume carbohydrate-rich foods and beverages as soon as possible after competition. They
will replenish glycogen stores quickly and get the athlete back into performance shape. Fruits,
juices, high carbohydrate drinks and pop are examples.
2. Replace fluids that have been lost. For every pound that is lost, drink 2 cups of fluids.
3. Replace any potassium or sodium that has been lost during competition or training by using
foods. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of potassium. Replace sodium by eating
salty foods. If activity has exceeded 2 hours and is vigorous, a sports beverage will be helpful.
4. Return to your normal high carbohydrate diet at your next meal.

This is a list of healthy food to help you increase your calorie intake and fulfill your energy requirement
when competing and training intensely. This is not for regular diet but for active people that have
energy needs.
Cold Cereal: Choose dense cereals such as – granola, muesli, Grape-Nuts, Wheat Chex – top with
nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, banana and other fruits.
Hot Cereal: Cooking with milk adds more calories; mix in powdered milk, peanut butter, walnuts,
sunflower seeds, wheat germ or dried fruit.
Fruits: Bananas, pineapples, raisins, dates, dried apricots, and other dried fruits have more calories
than water fruits such as grapefruit, melons and plums.
Juices: Apple, cranberry, grape, pineapple, and apricot have more calories than grapefruit, orange and
tomato juice.
Milk: boost the calories in milk by adding ¼ cup powdered milk to 1 cup of 2% milk; try Ovaltine,
Carnatron Instant Breakfast, Nestle?s Quik and other flavourings; make blender drinks.
Toast: Spread with lots of peanut butter, margarine (nonhydrogenated is best), jam and honey.

Sandwiches: Choose hearty, dense type breads such as rye, pumpernickel, multi-grain, bran and use
thick slices; spread with tuna salad, chicken salad, peanut butter and jam, roast beef..
Soups: Choose hearty lentil, split pea, minestrone, and barley soups which are higher in calories than
brothy chicken and beef types; when making canned soups, add extra powdered milk and garnish with
parmesan cheese and croutons.
Meats: beef, pork and lamb have more calories than chicken or fish but they are also higher in
saturated fats. Choose lean cuts, and eat in moderation. Sauté chicken or fish in canola or olive oil and
bread toppings to boost calorie content.
Legumes, beans: Lentils, split pea soup, kidney bean chilli, limas, and dried beans are high in calories
and are also high in proteins and carbohydrates.
Vegetables: Peas, corn, carrots, and beets have more calories than green beans, broccoli, and other
watery vegetables; add grated cheese, or slivered almonds to increase calories.
Desserts: Choose desserts with nutritional value, such as: oatmeal-raisin cookies, Fig Newtons, rice
pudding, chocolate pudding, stewed fruit compotes, pumpkin pie, carrot cake, banana bread, muffins.
Snacks: Fruit yogurt, cheese and crackers, peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, granola, pretzels,
English muffins, bagels, muffins, peanut butter and crackers, milk shakes, dried fruit.
This list is only a reference and any healthy food with quality carbohydrates would probably represent a
good choice. It is recommended to consult a sport nutritionist if you have specific needs or questions.

25 More Free Softball NutritionTips

Drink a lot of water. You've heard that hundreds of time for a good reason: water does wonder to the body. You should always carry a bottle of water with you. As a rule of thumb, try to have at least 7-8 glasses of water a day.
Coffee increases alertness. Every sports nutritionist will tell you that coffee dehydrates and that it should be consumed in moderation. However, taken in moderation, coffee can help you increase performance because it increases your alertness. Sharp alertness is crucial to react quickly defensively or read the trajectory of a pitch and decide whether or not you want to swing at it when you are at the plate.
Don't over do energy drinks like Red Bull; they are quick fixes. Try not to become dependent. They are full of chemicals that your body doesn't like.
Go for Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade. They are designed for athletes and have been engineered not only to hydrate but also to provide real energy (carbohydrates) and replace electrolytes. You should definitely consider taking sports drinks especially if you are going to quite active for more than 90 minutes.
Never go hungry! Softball requires mental sharpness, alertness and quick judgment to perform. Your brain lives off blood glucose exclusively. Blood glucose is sugar or carbohydrates circulating in your bloodstreams. When you are hungry, your blood glucose is low which means that you have a low functioning brain and reduced mental sharpness, alertness and judgment. This is especially important when you play several games in a day. Make sure to feed yourself on a regular basis.
Coffee, sodas, juice and tea don't count! As you know, you need to keep yourself well-hydrated and these drinks won't do it as they more are likely to do the exact opposite: dehydrate you. To stay well-hydrated, rely on water and sports drinks.
Feed the machine with appropriate foods! Whatever you put in your mouth is what your body is going to use to repair itself. If you put cheap food in your mouth, your body is going to use cheap food to make new cells. You are literally what you eat! Your body is an amazing athletic machine and it requires high-quality food to function at a high level.
Eat to be healthy first; then eat to perform. There is no point at using advanced nutritional strategies if your foundation isn't right. Focus on eating healthy first by developing sound nutritional habits and only then, you can consider using advanced nutritional strategies to boost your performance.
Create a world-class shopping list. Here are the ten best foods taken from the grocery lists of the world's best softball players: tomatoes, flaxseed oil, red grapes, nuts, whole grains, salmon (and other fatty fish), blueberries, spinach, green tea, and broccoli.
Focus on natural whole food, organic if possible. These foods are what your body has been designed to eat and contain all of the essential nutrients that the body needs to grow, repair itself and stay healthy. Don't buy into the hype of food companies that claims to "engineer" superior food. You can't outsmart Mother Nature; nothing will ever beat natural, whole food!
Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Your body is not designed to eat cheap, processed food loaded with chemicals. Processed food is low-quality food. It doesn't provide your body with all the nutrients it needs even though it's fast and usually inexpensive. Stay away from it as much as possible.
Eat a variety of food. You can only get all the nutrients you need by eating a variety of food. Humans are creature of habits and people tend to eat the same thing over and over again. In fact, the average person typically consumes only about 10-12 foods 90% of the time. Even if it's healthy food, this lack of variety can lead to deficiencies.
Fresh is best. Nothing can beat fresh food. The fresher it is, the healthier it is.
Replace coffee with green tea. Green tea - and we are talking about the authentic loose-leaf stuff - is one of the most powerful substances on the planet. It has one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of any food or beverage. Green tea is a mainstay of the Japanese diet, which may account for their remarkably low incidence of cancer.
Juice up your performance. The simple act of juicing will take your physical performance to another level. Eight ounces of vegetable juice a day is the simplest, most cost-effective and powerful way to boost your health nutritionally. The best part is that even if you don't eat all your veggies every day, you can just drink them in five minutes!
Eat something right after you exercise. You should always eat something within 15-30 minutes of the end of your workouts, practices, and games. Doing so will accelerate your recovery because at that time, your body is starving for energy and nutrients to recover and regenerate itself. Choose high-quality foods. A mix of complex carbohydrates and protein is the ideal.
Focus on quality proteins. Eat at least one lean, quality protein per day: fish, egg whites, lean ground beef, tofu, or beans. If you do that while avoiding the "simple or refined" carbohydrates like white flour and sugars, your body will highly benefit from it.
Eat enough. Most athletes don't eat enough to meet their energy needs. As an active person, you have much greater energy needs than a sedentary person. You have to provide your body with the required energy because if you don't, you will feel tired and lethargic, your performance will suffer and you are not likely to feel that you get anything out of your training session.
Eat 5-6 times a day. Eating often throughout the day increases your metabolism, helps build more strength and power, and increases the flow of energy throughout the day. Elite athletes eat small meals throughout the day. The key is not to overeat but to eat smaller meals more often.
Don't buy into the supplement hype. More than 90% of nutritional supplements don't work and are worthless. Quality nutrition will provide you with most, if not all the nutrients that you need to perform at your best. Some supplements might be useful to make-up for specific deficiencies such as calcium or iron. However, in most cases, nutritional supplements are not worth the money.
Scrutinize foot labels before you buy. This is not a conspiracy, but doesn't it seem as though food manufacturers are trying to hide things from us? Learn how to read food label and decipher its meaning. Also, if r eading the list of ingredients of a certain food requires contains words that you can't even pronounce, takes more than five minutes and a magnifying glass to read, something is wrong. Go for foods that are made simply.
Watch out for the suffix "ose". Anything with the suffix "ose" means sugars. Instead of writing sugar as an ingredient, food companies try to hide it by using more complex, technical terms to confuse you.
Minimize simple refined sugars. Simple refined sugars are usually found in processed foods like chocolate, white bread, fries, and so on. You want to focus on ingesting complex sugars which are typically found in fruits, vegetables and whole grain products.
Always pack healthy food when you go on the road. Sometimes, you will not have access to any healthy food. Your choices might be a hot dog, a bag of chips or a chocolate bar. Fruits, yogurt and granola are just a few examples of healthy food that you can pack up.

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