Nutrition For Female Hockey Players

Note: The following information is not intended as a substitute for appropriate physician, and nutritionist guidance.

Below we will give you some guidelines on what to eat during the camp which would be
considered preseason and also guidelines to use during the season.

The typical sports year is comprised of three parts: preseason, competition, and off-
season Nutrition can make or break performance. Preseason is the phase that you will be
in during our camp. Nutrition for preseason training should vary based on your goals.
Typical preseason goals include weight gain or loss, muscle building, developing
endurance and speed, and perfecting skills. We will be working on all of these elements
during the camp and it is important that you eat and hydrate appropriately in order to get
maximum benefits from the camp.

Perfect your diet to thrive during the preseason.

General guidelines for nutrition during the camp:

Pre-workout meal:

You must eat breakfast before our sessions. Ideally you want to eat a combination
of complex carbohydrates that will give you sustained energy for a long period of time as
it absorbs into your body and simple carbohydrates that will give you that quick burst of
energy. You want to avoid high fat and high fiber foods before training. If time permits,
you want to eat 2 – 4 hours before a workout. Since our sessions will start early in the
morning it is more realistic that you should eat a light breakfast or a snack 1 – 2 hours
before the camp.

Simple Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are made up of two sugars and have a basic chemical structure.
This makes them easy to break down, giving your body short energy boosts. Eating
simple carbs right before a workout could give you extra energy. But, be careful which
types of simple carbs you are eating:

• Fruits contain healthy, simple sugars. They give you quick boosts of energy and
can even provide antioxidants for your body. Incorporating a banana or berries
into your meal before the workout is a great, healthy choice.
• Sweets are an example of simple sugars that can lead to fat production. These
give you a quick energy increase, as well, but will leave you feeling sluggish after
they burn out. Some simple sugars to avoid include soda, candy, and cakes.

Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are often referred to as starches. Complex carbs provide you with
long-term energy. They are made up of complex sugars, which takes your body longer to
breakdown and digest. The sugars enter your blood stream much slower, causing a steady
flow of energy throughout the day. As an athlete, you need to constantly tap into your
supply to maintain the energy needed for long-term endurance. Just make sure you are
taking in the right starches:

• Some healthy complex carbohydrate choices include wholegrain breads, pasta,

oatmeal, brown rice, and potatoes.
•
• The unhealthy complex carbs to avoid are crackers, biscuits, cookies, cakes, and
most other foods made with flour.

As sample breakfast 1 hour before your workout:

A bowl of cereal or oatmeal, fruit, toast and peanut butter.

Hydrate... hydrate...hydrate

You must get into the habit of drinking water all day long. Tests have shown that losing
only 2% of your water during a workout can decrease your performance by 10%. The
goal is to replace 100% of your water lost through sweating by drinking water on a
consistent schedule. Perspiration and exertion deplete the body of fluids necessary for an
optimal performance and lead to dehydration and hypothermia (over heating). It is
important to drink plenty of cool water. Try to drink at least 16 oz of water before our
sessions and drink at least a half a cup of water every 20 minutes during the sessions.
Adding a teaspoon of sugar, a little fruit juice or a small amount of powdered drink mix
flavors to plain water may encourage fluid intake.

Post- workout

Following the workout you should consume some sort of sports drink or protein, fat and
carbohydrate mixture. This will help replace the lost fluids along with helping to speed up
the muscle rebuilding process. It also helps your body recover quicker and helps in you
becoming stronger.

A sample post-workout drink:

Low fat chocolate milk is the perfect drink. It has the exact combination of proteins, fats
and carbohydrates. Bring a bottle to the camp and drink it immediately following your
workout. You can also drink a protein shake or a sports drink such as Gatorade.

For the rest of the day you want to maintain a high protein diet with lots of fruits and
vegetables. Try to avoid sweets and sugars.

Get lots of rest and get a full nights sleep every night. This will help in the recovery
process. Sleep is your best friend.

If any athlete needs other diet suggestions we would recommend on an individual type of
program, weight loss or weight gain.

Below is a guideline of foods to eat and avoid along with a nutrition guideline to follow
during the the 48 hours leading up to game days.

Nutrition
Note: The following information is not intended as a substitute for appropriate physician, and nutritionist
guidance.

The rule of thumb for eating before exercise is to allow 4 hours for a big meal
(about 1,200 calories), 2 hours for a light meal (about 600 calories), and an hour
or less for a snack (about 300 calories). Sample carbohydrate-rich menus:

Large Meal Light Meal Snack

2 large bagels 2 c spaghetti 1 medium banana
2 tbsp peanut butter 1/2 c tomato sauce 1 pkg instant oatmeal
2 tbsp jam 8 oz low-fat milk 8 oz low-fat milk
8 oz fruit yogurt
16 oz orange juice

Carbohydrates

• One of the main sources of energy for working muscles

• 60-70% of your calories should come from carbohydrates

Foods to be eaten before exercise:

Moderate
Low Carbohydrate High Carbohydrate
Carbohydrate
foods foods
foods
Gatorade
Baked potato
Apples Bran muffin
Rice cakes
Pears Bran chex
Vanilla wafers
Power bars Pasta
Cheerios
Fruit yogurt Potato, boiled
Graham crackers
Chocolate milk Rice
Honey
Lima Beans Popcorn
Watermelon
Skim milk Corn
Bagel
Apricots Sweet potatoes
White bread
Green Beans Bananas, overripe
Shredded wheat
Lentils Peas
Grape nuts cereal
Kidney beans Baked beans
Wheat Thins
Barley Orange
 Baked potato
Apples Bran muffin
Rice cakes
Pears Bran chex
Vanilla wafers
Power bars Pasta
Cheerios
Fruit yogurt Potato, boiled
Graham crackers
Chocolate milk Rice
Honey
Lima Beans Popcorn
Watermelon
Skim milk Corn
Bagel
Apricots Sweet potatoes
White bread
Green Beans Bananas, overripe
Shredded wheat
Lentils Peas
Grape nuts cereal
Kidney beans Baked beans
Wheat Thins
Barley Orange
Couscous
Grapefruit Spaghetti (no sauce)
Raisins
Apple juice, unsweetened
Oatmeal
Ice Cream

Protein 15-20% of your calories should be from lean protein sources

Good sources of protein:
• Fish-baked, broiled or grilled • Tofu and other soy products
• Turkey or chicken without skin • Eggs or egg whites
• Lean red meat • Beans

Fat
• Source of stored energy that is burned mostly during low level activity
and long term activity
• No more than 20-50% of your calories should come from fat

Avoid saturated fats such as:

• High fat cheeses
• Butter • Fried foods prepared with oil
• Whole milk
• Fatty types of beef

Foods to Use!
Dining out:

Breakfast: Lunch/ Dinner:

Avoid the high fat foods
such as:

• Burgers
• Fries

Go for:

Deli sandwiches with

lean meats such as
turkey, chicken or low fat
ham with lots of
vegetables and low fat
• Choose high toppings such as:
carbohydrate
foods • Mustard
• Pancakes • Pickles
• Bagels • Mozzarella cheese
• Cereals made with skim
• Juices
 Deli sandwiches with
lean meats such as
turkey, chicken or low fat
ham with lots of
vegetables and low fat
• Choose high toppings such as:
carbohydrate
foods • Mustard
• Pancakes • Pickles
• Bagels • Mozzarella cheese
• Cereals made with skim
• Juices milk
• Waffles
• Bran muffins Other low fat choices:
• Fresh fruits
• Thick crust pizza
• Chili
• Spaghetti with
marinara sauce
• Soups
• Grilled chicken
with baked potato
• Rice
• Steamed
vegetables
• Salad with kidney
beans, chick peas
or fresh bread

Fast food attack!

Better choices when hitting the fast food restaurants
McDonalds:
Wendy's:
• Cheerios
• Wheaties • Apple Danish
• English muffins • Chili
• Pancakes with syrup • Plain Baked potato
• Low fat milk (1%) • Caesar side salad
• Low fat shakes • Grilled chicken sandwich
• Chunky chicken salad with low • Junior hamburger (NOT a
fat or fat free dressing cheeseburger)
• Hamburger (NOT a • Small frosty dessert
cheeseburger)
Burger King: Subway:

• Bagel with jelly • Turkey (hold the mayo)

• Broiled chicken sandwich • Tuna
• Chunky chicken salad (no • Low fat chicken salad
dressing) • Lean roast beef
• Grilled chicken sandwiches
• Salads with low fat dressings
Arby's:
Taco Bell:

• Chicken fajita pizza

• Bean burrito
• Grilled chicken barbeque
• Chicken burrito
• Lite chicken deluxe
• Combination burrito
• Lite ham deluxe
• Spanish rice
• Lite roast turkey deluxe
• Tortilla chips/salsa
• Frency dip roast beef
Be sure to limit fried and high-fat foods like burgers, fried chicken, french fries,
and nachos. These and similar fast foods take a long time to digest.
 Arby's:
Taco Bell:

• Chicken fajita pizza

• Bean burrito
• Grilled chicken barbeque
• Chicken burrito
• Lite chicken deluxe
• Combination burrito
• Lite ham deluxe
• Spanish rice
• Lite roast turkey deluxe
• Tortilla chips/salsa
• Frency dip roast beef
Be sure to limit fried and high-fat foods like burgers, fried chicken, french fries,
and nachos. These and similar fast foods take a long time to digest.

Packable Snacks:

So you won't go hungry if you're traveling to a game, stash 1,000 calories of tried-
and-true food in your bag. (Never try new foods before an important event.) You
might even pack extra snacks for underfed teammates. On game day you can add
perishable items such as yogurt, bagels, apples or other fresh fruit, or even a
sandwich or two. Some possibilities:

• Granola bars or energy bars (about 200 calories each)

• Trail mix (about 200 calories per 1/2 cup)
• Toaster pastries (about 200 calories each)
• Dried fruit (150 calories per 1.5-ounce box of raisins)
• Animal crackers (about 140 calories per 12 pieces)
• Juice boxes (100 to 150 calories per 8 ounces)

Candy? Research suggests that candy doesn't hurt most people's sports
performance. In one study, reported in the March 1987 Journal of Applied
Physiology, athletes who ate a big breakfast 4 hours before and a candy bar 5
minutes before hard exercise improved 20% during the exercise test compared
with when they ate nothing. The results of the study also suggest that just candy
and no breakfast before exercise improved performance 10% in comparison with
eating nothing. Snickers Bars are a good choice.

Some people are sensitive to pre-exercise sugar, however, and have a rebound
blood-sugar low that makes them feel weak. Hence, the safest bet is to eat the
candy within 5 to 10 minutes of starting activity. This span is too short for the
body to respond. (Or, eat the candy more than 45 minutes before exercise to allow
insulin levels to drop.)

Candy is better than nothing, but it's not premium fuel. It's better to eat a more
wholesome snack like cereal, a banana or apple, yogurt, or pretzels and juice. The
urge for a quick energy fix is a sign you've eaten too little food earlier in the day.
To prevent cravings, eat a hearty breakfast and lunch.

Energy Bar Comparison Chart:

(You should drink at least 8 to 16 ounces of water with an Energy Bar)

Carbohydrat
Bar Calories Fat* Protein*
es*
BTU Stoker 252 73% 11% 16%
Clif Bar 250 83% 7% 8%
Edgebar 240 77% 8% 17%
Exceed 280 76% 6% 17%
Gatorbar 220 89% 8% 5%
PowerBar 225 75% 8% 18%
PR Bar 180 47% 30% 31%
Thunder Bar 220 80% 8% 18%
Tiger Sport 230 70% 18% 19%
Ultra Fuel 490 81% 6% 12%
 BTU Stoker 252 73% 11% 16%
Clif Bar 250 83% 7% 8%
Edgebar 240 77% 8% 17%
Exceed 280 76% 6% 17%
Gatorbar 220 89% 8% 5%
PowerBar 225 75% 8% 18%
PR Bar 180 47% 30% 31%
Thunder Bar 220 80% 8% 18%
Tiger Sport 230 70% 18% 19%
Ultra Fuel 490 81% 6% 12%

48 hrs before the game

The 2 days before a game are the most critical for stocking the muscle with adequate fuel.
The most important fuel for a hockey player is carbohydrate which is stored in the muscle
as Glycogen. Glycogen takes 24-48 hrs to recover to full stores. This explains why the 2
days pre-game is so important for consuming carbohydrates. Glycogen is the fuel burned
in anaerobic situations. In other words, any time you are out of breath on the field you are
relying on Glycogen as your fuel. If your stores begin to run out during a game, you?ll ?
hit the wall? or run out of energy.

Tips for maximizing glycogen stores:

Rest. A hard workout even 2 days before a game will deplete your glycogen stores. Take
it easy, stretch and avoid any high intensity work.

Consume High Carbohydrate Foods: At each meal be sure to include foods such as
breads, bagels, rice, pasta, fruit, juice, vegetables?

Eat Often: every 2-4 hours

24 hours before the game

The day before a game often includes travel. Even with the best intentions, many athletes
fall short on their nutrition when trying to eat ?on the road?. Some of the challenges of
eating on the road are: high fat foods, unfamiliar foods, bizarre eating times, jet lag,
motion sickness etc? Here are some guidelines to follow when eating on the road the day
before a game: 
Carry your own food: so you have the flexibility to eat the right foods at the right time 

Avoid unfamiliar foods: You don?t know how they will affect your stomach 

Avoid spicy or high fat foods: They can cause stomach irritation and slow digestion 

Graze: Frequent small meals and snacks (every 2-4 hours) help to load the muscle with
energy 

Game day nutrition

Game times will vary but your meals should always stay consistent. The purpose of game
day nutrition is to keep blood sugars stable, stay hydrated and avoid any unnecessary
stomach upset or depletion of muscle glycogen. In other words, all of your energy for
your game should ALREADY be stored in your muscle if you ate properly the 2 days
prior. Large meals are unnecessary game day because if you recall from above, the
energy won?t even reach your muscle for 24-48 hours. The best plan is to eat frequent
small meals that are easy to digest and that provide enough carbohydrate and protein to
keep blood sugars steady. Here are some examples of foods to choose and foods to
avoid: 

Foods to choose on game day

Easy to digest foods are those that are high in carbohydrate, moderate fat, low in fiber.
(This is not a complete list, use foods that you enjoy as long as they meet the criteria
listed above) 

Fruit: note bananas should have no traces of green on the peel. If they are not completely
ripe they may cause gas.
Bagels
Fig Newton's
Trail mix
Yogurt
Sandwiches: peanut butter, turkey, lean ham?
Sport bars
Sport drinks
Pasta?.

Foods to avoid

Anything that you?ve never tried before

Chocolate bars
High sugar cookies or candy
High fiber muffins
Beans or legumes
Spicy foods
Caffeine: some athletes are accustomed to drinking coffee on game day. There is no
problem with this practice as long as adequate fluids are consumed AND caffeine does
not upset their stomach.

A pre-game meal should be eaten 2-4 hours before your warm-up. If your warm-up starts
at 2:30pm you should be eating a meal or snack every 2-4 hours prior. For example:

Breakfast between 8 and 9am: Bowl of cereal, fruit, toast and peanut butter, 500ml of
juice

Lunch between 11-12:00noon: Submarine sandwich (hold the onions, hot peppers and
mayo) with lean meat and mustard. Fruit and granola bar for dessert. 500ml of water or
juice.

Snack 1-2:30 Sport Drink (1-2 liters) to keep blood sugars stable.

2:30pm WARM-UP starts: GOOD LUCK!

Remember: this plan is only an example. You should come up with your own plan and
practice your eating plan before your actual game day to see what works best for you.
Every athlete is different. The most important component of game day nutrition is that
your plan is familiar to you and that you know it works in practice.