Ian Harteveld writes..... What are your thoughts on taking in food / drink at half time? All of the players take fluids which can be in the form of lucozade or squash etc, in terms of food I have provided Jaffa cakes which seem to replenish energy levels and kick start them for the second half. What are you thoughts on this? I believe Manchester United have a stock of Jaffa cakes for half time intake, and I think we all remember the famous TV pictures of Rio Ferdinand munching on a small pack of Jaffa cakes during the second half! I look forward to your feedback.

Hi Ian,

At half-time foods and drinks high in carbohydrate are the obvious choices.  These will help to maintain energy levels over a longer period and help to delay tiredness. The types of foods and drinks to those eaten before and after training are the most appropriate such as:

Bananas

Dried fruit – raisins, apricots

Fruit, cereal and energy bars

Water or diluted fruit juice (2 parts fruit juice, 1 part water) – about a ¼ pint

It’s important that you eat the right amount eg: 1 banana – not a bunch!  However in saying that, it’s advisable that your players eat and drink something rather than nothing at all.

With regards to Jaffa cakes they are widely recognised as a “healthy biscuit” if there is such a thing and could be eaten.  This is because they contain 25% less calories in comparison to say a chocolate digestive and about 65% less fat.  Fig rolls are also a good option.

Always avoid high-fat foods as they are harder to digest and will speed up feelings of tiredness.  Also ensure your players avoid fizzy drinks as this will give them a quick burst of energy followed by a rapid fall.

Personally I would recommend a banana and water for half time – probably a bit boring but it will do the job.  The banana is a healthier option than biscuits.  And it encourages the children to eat fruit which is never a bad thing.

Hope this helps…

Tony Glasscoe writes…… My question relates to bananas as they are often identified as a "super" food especially before doing exercise etc. Do they really offer any benefit and if so how far in advance do they need to be eaten? (noticed that two hours is the general rule ?)

I think it was Gordon Strachan who first brought bananas to the fore with his 6 a day eating habit.  Wherever you look bananas are classed as a “super food” and nearly always appear in the best top ten food charts. 

Nutritionally bananas have a huge amount to offer.  Compared to other fruits they are high in carbohydrate and have a relatively high GI count which means they raise your blood sugar levels quickly so providing a quick energy boost.  They are also a great source of a) potassium which helps lower blood pressure and b) the vitamin B6 which provides healthy skin and hair (but doesn’t unfortunately prevent hair loss….!).

The other great thing about bananas is they taste really sweet so you generally don’t get any kick back from children turning their noses up.  A good way to introduce children to porridge is by slicing up some banana which is a superb energy boosting combination.  Bananas are also a mild laxative so can help in that department also.

As you can tell I’m a huge fan!  In terms of when to eat if they are eaten on their own, as a snack, you can aim to eat about 1 hour before you exercise.  If you eat them with anything larger eg: breakfast, then roughly 2 hours would apply.  Bananas are also great to eat during and after exercising again due their ability to provide a quicker energy boost which helps our body to recover.  Maybe Geoff in the White Lion could contemplate laying on some banana sandwiches (with wholemeal bread) instead of sausage and chips?!

Hope this helps…

Question from Paul Wilby - Looking forward to some informative contributions - Can I kick this off by asking what you would recommend regarding intake prior to a match, bearing in mind that our games usually start at 11am?

Hi Paul.  Thanks for making the first entry into the Nutrition Blog!  The question you ask is very important with regards to making sure we last the full duration of the game without tiring.

For 11am kick offs you really need to be looking to have breakfast AT LEAST 2 hours before (which as I write this I know is not easy trying to get your kids up at 9am on a Sunday morning!).  However anything later and the body will not have time to digest the food/drink in time for the match. 

In terms of what to eat it is important that foods high in carbohydrate are taken on board.  This will help to fuel the kid’s energy levels.  You may have heard of the term "GI" (Glycaemic Index).  I'll go into GI in more detail at a later stage however it is important that the foods you digest have moderate to low GI.  When you are shopping it might be worth you looking out for logo “Low Gi” as these types of foods are more beneficial for the active person. Breakfast egs of low GI foods include: Porridge, Wholemeal Bread, Baked Beans, Museli and Wheetabix.

It is important that we don't eat breakfasts with high sugar content as this will give us a quick surge in energy followed by a sharp fall which could mean we concede silly goals in the last 10 mins of a match due to our inability to keep going at a good pace (so ditch the Coco Pops!).

In terms of experimenting with what's best for each individual it's probably best not to try out new foods before a game just in case you get a reaction.  Trial and error will allow you to find out what's best.

Drinking is also very important.  During breakfast it would be good to drink a glass of fruit juice (you'll also be getting one of your “5 a day” in early doors).  Then 15/30 mins before you kick off have a glass of water or diluted fruit juice to ensure you stay hydrated.

My personal breakfast favourite is what I call Power Porridge.  I know Porridge does not always conjure up the tastiest of foods in children’s minds (maybe it's the Oliver Twist/Victorian connection???).  But there are ways of sweetening the taste and still making it an extremely good start to the day - as follows:

1) Breakfast Bowl of Porridge Oats

2) Suitable amount of preferred milk (although I would recommend semi-skimmed or even better skimmed milk)

3) Handful of raisins

4) A squirt of honey

This can either be eaten hot or cold.  I used to do mine hot but found, for speed (and now taste), I prefer it cold.

Of course the other important point to your question Paul is that, in order to ensure we get the best performance from our team, it is just as important that we prepare ourselves not just on the morning of the game, but also that we prepare ourselves throughout the week.  Something we can explore further at a later date.

Hope this helps.  If there’s any areas you’d like to discuss please let me know.

Question from Martin Pulford "My initial interest and first question is about fluid intake.How much or what is considered to be the correct amount of fluid to be consumed before,during and after a match/training session,and what is considered to be the most appropriate drink.You see many of the pros with Lucozade,and powerades prior to games.Any ideas?"

Thanks for taking the time to ask the question regarding fluid intake.

As I’m sure we’re all aware fluid intake is vitally important to ensuring performance is adequately maintained during matches.  This especially applies to children who are more susceptible to dehydration when compared to adults.  When we do become dehydrated our brains do not work as smartly, which stops us concentrating, which allows the forward who, for the majority of the time we’ve been marking out of the game, to drift away from us in the last 5 minutes to score the winner!

In terms of how much children should drink to remain hydrated the best rule of thumb is to divide their drink into manageable amounts, before, during and after games.

Before a game aim to drink 150-250ml of fluid (250ml is just under ½ pint).  During exercise, or at half time, you should aim to drink 75-100ml (roughly ¼ pint).  After exercise aim to drink freely until the child is no longer thirsty.  These are all approximate amounts.  You will need to take into account weather conditions which may call for increased amounts of fluid to be taken on board.

In terms of what to drink I’ve read lots of different material on this subject and the overwhelming answer seems to be that you can’t beat good old plain water.  This especially applies to activities lasting less than 90 mins.  The problem with water however is that it’s a bit boring and some kids won’t drink it – which defeats the object somewhat!  I would encourage water wherever possible (healthy teeth etc..) but if this isn’t an option you could provide a flavoured drink such as sugar free squash or ordinary diluted squash, although some of these can be weighed down with additives etc..

With regards to Isotonic drinks my honest belief, especially for children, is that they are over the top.  Although they are a fluid and tend to taste nicer, therefore if your child only wants to drink isotonic drinks maybe you could alternate with water also.  Another more healthy and probably cheaper option than Isotonic Drinks is diluted fruit juice (2 parts water 1 part juice). 

The most important thing is that children drink enough.  If they don’t like the drink they won’t drink it, so you need to be prepared to experiment.

As a rule children should be drinking 6-8 cups (1-1 ½ litres) of fluid per day.  We all know the benefits that a hydrated body brings – not just in sport but in school also.  Therefore we should all be encouraging our children to get into the habit of drinking regularly.

Hope this helps.  If you need any further information please let me know.      

There will be various ways to access information:

1. Managers can request sessions involving myself and the team in which we’ll have the opportunity to discuss nutrition in general.
2. A regular update will appear on the website giving guidance on various subjects for example: pre-match preparation, understanding additives, hydrating, post-match eating etc. There will also be a “nutrition string” on the website where questions or comments can be posted and then responded to.
3. I will be available for any specific questions you may have which will be responded to on a one to one basis.

To be clear this is not a directive telling you what you can and cannot eat.  That choice will be left entirely with yourself.  What this guide is aiming to do is provide you with a greater understanding of nutrition to enable you to perform at the highest levels possible.

My philosophy is optimistic but realistic.  I am very aware that it is impossible to not want to delve into the odd crisp packet or bar of chocolate.  I am also aware it can be a nightmare understanding the complexities of fat content, additives, GI index etc.  With that in mind what I will try to do is keep the content as straightforward as possible.

In saying that I firmly believe a healthy, balanced lifestyle, which includes healthy nutrition, is extremely important.  I think we all agree that the amount of foreign players now playing in England has certainly helped to influence our approach to sports diet - no more steak and chips as a pre-match meal!

Over the coming weeks I’ll be looking to post some ideas and advice on the website which I hope you will find helpful.  If there are any questions that you would like me to discuss in more detail please do not hesitate to contact me.