S.T.A.R.S.
PUTTING RECOVERY FAND COMPETITION
UELING INTO ACTION
We asked Team USA dietitians Dr. Dan Be- nardot, professor of nutrition and kinesi- ology at Georgia State University, and Ali- cia Kendig, USOC sport dietitian, for their advice on keeping your body fueled.
Dr. Benardot says that in normal
(non-athlete) individuals, blood sugar fluxes in about three-hour units (rises, reaches a peak about an hour after you eat and then goes back to premeal lev- els about two hours after that). He notes that if you don’t eat at the three-hour point to satisfy your body’s blood sugar needs, your body starts manufacturing its own sugar by making cortisol, which causes your lean mass (aka your mus- cle) to break down. What happens with physically active people like competi- tive skaters is that the time frame gets compressed (maybe 2.5 hours instead of three hours). Therefore, he urges ath- letes to have a strategy for keeping their blood sugar stable on a competition day.
Kendig’s tips for eating on compe- tition day:
• Practice your competition-day eating during a practice day (i.e. no surprises or trying anything new at a competition).
• Avoid dietary fats around competition time. Fats will slow down absorption of the carbs and proteins needed for fuel- ing.
•Again, attempt to eat the final pre-com- petition meal about four hours prior to your skate. Sometimes both the travel and the timing of your competition can make this difficult. This may mean tak- ing food on the road, packing a lunch or making smart decisions to postpone a large meal that’s served immediately before a performance for later, after you skate.
• Two hours before competing should be the last time you fuel up with solid food. Eat something simple (taste-wise) containing mostly carbs and protein. For example, low fat yogurt and fruit, hummus and pita, a small smoothie. It’s wise to steer clear of strong flavors and seasonings; these are more difficult to digest and on a nervous stomach can cause indigestion.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate; Urine color should be clear. Don’t worry, when it’s time to shine, your urge to go to the bathroom will go away. Water and sports drink are both great to have on competition day. S.T.A.R.S. is U.S. Figure Skating’s
program for off-ice testing of ath- letic abilities related to on-ice skills. S.T.A.R.S. helps young athletes prog- ress on the ice and prevent injury.
40 JANUARY 2014
EAT LIKE
TEAM USA ATHLETES
CHAMPIONS by PETER ZAPALO Nutrition is a hot topic in figure skating. Athletes want to eat well to fuel their perfor-
mances, but skating is a sport that can require a lot of travel for training and competition. Making good choices on the road or in a time crunch can be tricky for athletes, parents and coaches.
Last season, the S.T.A.R.S. focus topic was about training, overtraining and recovery.
In the presentations given at the various combines held in 2013, we received many im- portant questions pertaining specifically to recovery and recovery nutrition. Based on the demand for more information, this season’s focus will be on recovery nutrition and competition-day fueling, with the goal of improving our athletes’ performances through optimal fueling.
We asked some of our top athletes and nutrition scientists to share their advice and
experiences. To learn more about this important topic, attend one of the 20+ S.T.A.R.S. combines to be held starting in April 2014.
(subject to change, watch online for more cities and dates) 2014 S.T.A.R.S. CITIES
Atlanta Boston
Charlotte, N.C.
Columbus, Ohio Dallas
Denver
Detroit area L.A. area
Louisville, Ky.
Rochester, Minn. Seattle
Orlando, Fla. (with Synchronized
Skating Spring Training/Elite Camp) Hyannis, Mass.
(with U.S. Adult Championships) Charleston, S.C.
(with Program Components Camp) Ft. Wayne, Ind.
(with U.S. Pairs Camp) Chesapeake, Va.
(with U.S. Dance Camp) Chicago (with DREAM Camp) Newark, Del.
(with Synchronized Skating Festival) Registration opens March 3, 2014, at
www.STARScombine.org.
DAVIS, BROWN AND ZAWADZKI SHARE THEIR TIPS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETITION FUELING
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