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Nutrition for Beach Volleyball, Part 2

January 30, 2006 Print This ArticleShare

Author: Trainer-X

Daily Nutritional Needs

Power athletes like beach volleyball players require the majority of daily food intake to come from carbohydrates (CHO), which help maintain stamina and replenish lost glycogen stores (i.e. stored carbohydrates in muscle) in the muscle and liver during practice, a game and/or weight training. Liver glycogen is the primary fuel for energy. When the stores are low, focus and timing begin to suffer.

It should be noted that young beach volleyball players tend to have large energy needs to support not only their sport, but also their growth. Add the CHO requirements of a heavy training schedule and the extra CHO required to build muscle, and we discover how elite volleyball players end up with a large daily requirement for CHO.

For athletes, the American and Canadian Dietetics Associations recommend 55 to 58 percent of calories be carbohydrate, 12 to15 percent protein and 25 to 30 percent fat. However, this recommendation is intended also for athletes who do not require as much weight training and physical contact as beach volleyball players. The protein and fat requirements have been slightly altered here for the recommended training diet as described below.

The Training Diet – your daily nutritional plan.

During the season, a training diet should be comprised of 55 percent CHO, 25 percent protein and 20 percent fat. The goal of the training diet is to provide adequate energy for recovery and tissue repair quickly and efficiently, without adding body fat.

Protein

The Recommended Daily Allowance of 0.8 g/kg bodyweight per day protein is based on what is healthy for the average individual, which is not necessarily enough for athletes – particularly younger athletes, who may still be growing.

The additional protein is crucial not only for muscle repair, but also as an energy source. Beach volleyball is an intense game, and the body may start using its own muscle as an energy source if CHO is not available. Because it is so difficult to build and maintain muscle, athletes should be careful not to lose it.

Fat

Keep fat intake to about 20 percent of your total calories, consisting primarily of essential and monounsaturated fats. Essential fatty acids are a type of fat that the body cannot create from fish and walnuts. Monounsaturated fats, which are fats with one binding site, can come from olive or canola oils, seeds and/or avocados.

Generally, fat is used as a fuel source for endurance events. Little fat will be used during a game or practice because of how short and intense each volley is.

You may be tempted to ingest as little fat as possible, however, this is also unhealthy. Keeping your fat intake to less than 15 percent may have a harmful effect by inhibiting vitamins that dissolve in fat, and it has no effect on improving your body fat percentage. A detailed discussion of fat can be found here.

Pre-Game Meal

The primary purpose of the pre-game meal is offset fatigue during the game.

There is no one-size-fits-all prescription for the pre-game meal. Different people react differently to the same foods. Some trial and error may be needed. Athletes should try to find food that won’t cause GI distress and will help to maintain focus and endurance. A few guidelines:

  • Eat low-glycemic foods, such as whole grain cereals, certain fruits, sandwiches made with whole wheat bread, etc., approximately two to three hours before a competition. The closer to your match, the smaller the meal. This will help sustain blood-sugar levels.
  • Keep protein and fat intakes low because they slow digestion.
  • Avoid bulky foods, like raw fruits and vegetables, dry beans, peas and popcorn, which can stimulate bowel movements.
  • Avoid gas-forming foods such as vegetables from the cabbage family and cooked dry beans.
  • The American College of Sports Medicine and the National Athletic Trainers Association recommend drinking 400 to 600 mL of fluid two to three hours before exercise. Pay attention to see if you have to urinate before or during the game with such an intake.
  • Do not try new foods just before a match. Eat foods familiar with your digestive system.
  • Some athletes prefer to use their favorite foods, which may give them a psychological edge.

During the Match

Although eating as directed above will allow you to top off glycogen stores coming into the event, you're not in the clear yet. You still have to contend with two potential enemies: 1) dehydration, especially in heat and humidity and 2) rapid glycogen utilization and depletion.

Dehydration

Because beach athletes are often playing in hot humid temperatures, dehydration represents a significant concern. When matches are longer than expected, you can amass large sweat losses. A player’s rate of fluid loss will depend on the environmental conditions, intensity of play, acclimatization, aerobic fitness, hydration status, age, and gender.

During hot and humid days, the body can lose up to three liters of water per hour. This water loss creates an unacceptable four to six pounds of weight loss each hour. This is detrimental to performance because weight loss as small as one to two percent of body mass (one to three pounds for a 150-pound individual) can lead to impaired blood volume, stroke volume, cardiac output and oxygen consumption. Therefore, it is important to keep fluid intake high during exercise. You should focus on consuming two liters of water an hour to prevent dehydration.

Glycogen Depletion

Glycogen depletion, or decreasing muscle and liver CHO stores, varies with the intensity of the match and your aerobic fitness level. Although liquid carbohydrates can help restore lost glycogen, it is not replenished as fast as it is lost.

To remedy both problems, bring a water bottle containing a solution of six to seven percent carbohydrate and electrolytes, such as CytomaxTM, HeedTM, Hammer GelTM, or GU2OTM. Try to avoid GatoradeTM, PoweradeTM or any of the common sport drinks seen on commercials because they contain a considerable amount of table sugar, which may lead to GI distress and poor replacement of muscle glycogen.

Still, something is better than nothing. It is important to consume carbohydrates in order to prevent performance decrease. For matches longer than an hour, a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink, rather than water, is recommended. If in doubt, try testing a drink during a practice match. If you feel good, go with it during competition.

Post-Match Meal

DO NOT FORGET the post-match meal!

Consume CHO-rich foods and beverages within 30 minutes or as soon as possible after a match. This is especially important during tournaments, where competitions are held day after day. Failing to do so will encourage under-recovery and potential muscle wasting.

After physical activity lasting longer than an hour, the body best restores lost glycogen when carbohydrates and protein are consumed together in a ratio of 4:1 or 3:1, rather than simply consuming carbohydrates alone. Furthermore, the combination of CHO and protein has the added benefit of stimulating amino acid transport, protein synthesis and muscle tissue repair, all of which will further speed recovery and re-energize you for your next competition.

Products such as Endurox R4 TM by Endurox and RecoveriteTM by Hammer Gel will provide both nutrients.

It is better to consume the meal as a liquid in order to facilitate recovery faster, and follow with a variety of whole-foods between two and four hours later.

Return to the normal Training Diet at the next meal.

Tournament Nutrition

When several games are played in succession over as many days, pro-active recovery techniques will be important in maintaining performance through the end of the schedule.

The tournament schedule in volleyball is difficult to incorporate nutritional strategies for recovery, flexibility and ingenuity. Not only should the athlete be committed to looking after fluid and CHO needs between matches, but the athlete must do so without a definite time-table.

As soon as a game schedule is known, plan a meal routine that schedules convenient pre-event meals and recovery strategies. When several games are played in succession over as many days, pro-active recovery techniques will be important to maintaining performance through the end of the schedule.

A lack of a nutritional plan can be a critical mistake. For away games, plan where you will be eating meals and try to organize the menus in advance. While on the road, take control of meals eaten on planes, buses and other travel options. Do not depend on others to have optimal nutrition choices available. Always carry some high-carbohydrate snacks or meal replacements, such as health bars, ready-to-drink shakes and fruit and yogurt for emergencies.

Hydration

The importance of replacing fluids that have been lost while playing beach volleyball must be emphasized. Do not underestimate the importance of hydration and its effects on performance and concentration, especially during competitions. When exercising in a hot environment (temperature of 30 degrees Celsius or more), even two percent dehydration impairs exercise performance and increases the possibility of suffering a heat injury.

For every pound that is lost, drink two cups of water. This must be determined by taking weight measurements before and after competition or following the end of the day.

Be aware hydration is also necessary for proper digestion of food. By avoiding proper hydration, health can be negatively affected on several levels.

Water, Water, Water. Avoid sodas, beer, malt liquor, Red Bull, juice or sports drinks. Drinking cold water is the best way to stay hydrated in the heat.

Alcohol

More so than other sports, beach volleyball possesses a unique association with alcohol. The audience is there to have a good time, and alcohol may be readily available at any time.

You need to know what a sensible amount is for your own tolerance. Generally, it means one drink for women and two drinks for men.

The temptation to go on a drinking binge can arouse from a celebration of victory, an excuse to build morale or to ease the pain of defeat.

But alcohol intake can interfere with the game and post-exercise recovery.

Get a post-exercise meal and fluids in first before drinking any alcohol. This way, less alcohol will have a tendency to be absorbed into the bloodstream and pass into the small intestine with the rest of the food.

Avoid any alcohol 24 hours post-exercise if you have any soft tissue injuries or bruises. Alcohol and injuries are a bad combination, and it may actually increase swelling, bleeding and delay recovery.
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