Instruction
NUTRITION
> Peanut butter and jelly sandwich (also made with almond butter)
Game Day Nutrition – avoiding the blood sugar rollercoaster > Mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, macadamias, and
pecans.)
Golf takes longer to play than most sports, 4-5 hours, and what
you eat before, during, and after this time will have a major effect > Added to mixed nuts: dried fruit pieces (pineapple, mango,
apricot.)
> Fruits (apple, banana, grapes.)
> Justin’s Almond Butter Squeeze Packets
> RX Bars made with whole foods or other minimal ingredient
bars.
> Jerky (beef or turkey)
When do they eat?
on your performance. The goal is to create as stable blood sugar
levels as possible, avoiding both highs and lows. This means
avoiding high sugar foods and snacks all day. Otherwise, you’ll
experience short lived spikes in physical and mental energy,
followed swiftly by a crash, leaving you feeling hungry again.
Remember, sugar stimulates the appetite, the more you have, the
more you want! Whereas whole foods will typically release their
glucose slowly and have much longer lasting effect on energy
levels.
Breakfast is usually 3 or more hours before tee-off, so they’ll
aim to eat a snack again 1 hour before tee-off to avoid blood
sugar levels dropping too low before game time. On the course
most players will eat around hole 6 and hole 12, with the goal of
creating steady energy levels throughout the round. It’s not too
much food that it knocks them out of their mental fl ow, overwork
the digestive system, or send blood sugar levels too high, but it’s
just enough to keep them going steady - mentally and physcially.
HYDRATION
The human body is composed of up to 70% water. The brain is
made up of 85% water.
By sheer volume, water is the most abundant nutrient in the body.
Water is Thinkerade - Many of us wake up in the morning feeling
groggy and sluggish. For adults our fi rst thought is usually coffee.
For Juniors it’s usually “eat something with sugar”. However,
when we wake up we are in a dehydrated state. And if you were to
just stay hydrated through the evenings, sip of some water when
you wake up in the night, and have a large glass of water as soon
as you wake up, the truth is you would probably feel a surge of
mental clarity after rehydrating after sleep.
Drinking water fi rst thing in the morning is the best thing you can
do to clear morning brain fog.
How much water do you need minimum daily:
Winter: 50% bodyweight (in pounds) in ounces of water per day
Avoid high sugar foods for breakfast such as cereal, pastries and
fruit juices as this begins the roller coaster cycle.
What TOUR Players are eating?
Each meal and snack should aim to include some protein, good
carbohydrates, fi ber, and healthy fats. Breakfast for example:
veggie omelette on multi-grain toast. The eggs have protein
and fats, and the multi-grain toast gives some slow releasing
carbohydrates and the veggies and toast will give some fi ber
creating a feeling of fullness. This establishes good blood sugar
levels for the day.
Below are snacks you’ll typically see TOUR players eating
on the course:
> Sandwiches: Turkey, chicken, ham and cheese.
Summer: 75% bodyweight (in pounds) in ounces of water per
day
*If you are a heavy sweater, add 25% to both recommendations*
This recommendation is for active individuals playing sports and
exercising on a regular basis. The amount is for plain water and
does not include liquids from any other sources (juices, coffee,
tea, fruits, energy drinks, etc).
Aim to drink 25% of your total water intake fi rst thing in the
morning.
(150lb person = 75 ounces per day, 19 ounces fi rst thing in the
morning.)
Water has a major affect on your cognition, especially fi rst thing
in the morning.
Remember, it’s the best way to get you going in the morning!!!
GolfPlus Junior March-April 2020
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