• Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #11: “It’s cold outside…I won’t get dehydrated because I am not sweating as much…right?”  Wrong!  Your body actually has to work even harder to stay hydrated in cold weather because it has to warm the cold air as it enters the body.  Also, you are still sweating even if you are cold…so make sure you continue to drink 5-10 oz of fluid every 15-20 minutes during exercise.
• Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #12: Sports drinks like Gatorade and PowerAde are designed to provide carbohydrate and electrolytes for exercise lasting 1 hour or longer or for exercise in extreme heat and humidity.  If thirsty during the day…rely on water, flavored waters and Crystal Light for hydration.
• Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #3: Did you know a 2% dehydration level in your body can decrease performance?!  It can actually decrease performance by 10%…so we want you to stay hydrated!  The best way to check if you are hydrated is to look at the color of your urine.  If it is clear or pale yellow, you are likely hydrated.  However, if it looks more like apple juice or oil, you are dehydrated and need to start drinking some extra fluid before practice or your game!
• Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #14: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!  Overnight your body uses its liver stores of carbohydrate to maintain blood sugar while you sleep.  Thus, you need to replenish those losses when morning comes.  Plus, good carbohydrate jumpstarts the metabolism & gives you energy.  Aim to get a good whole grain carbohydrate, a lean protein, and a low-fat dairy product in your breakfast EVERYDAY!
• Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #15: Snacks can be a great nutrition benefit for exercisers if they snack healthfully.  Try to eat a whole grain carbohydrate (granola bar, whole grain cereal, whole wheat crackers, pretzels, fruit, etc) AND a lean protein (yogurt, 2% cheese, 2% cottage cheese, turkey jerky, lunch meat, etc) or a healthy fat (peanut butter, nuts, seeds, avocado, etc.) at every snack.  Examples include peanut butter crackers, fruit and string cheese, yogurt and whole grain cereal, granola bar and nuts, etc)

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Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD

 

•  Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #6: A pre-workout snack is essential to give you a burst of energy to start a workout or a game.  The goal is to have complex carbohydrate and some protein plus 8-16 oz fluid.  So bring something you can throw in your gym bag like an energy bar & apple, peanut butter crackers & banana or a baggie of homemade trail mix with granola/nuts/dried fruit.  Avoid foods that are fried, high in fat or loaded with sugar.
• Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #7: During a workout or game, aim to stay hydrated by drinking approximately 8 oz water or sports drink every 20 minutes.  If you are working out more than once in a day, have a snack between workouts to keep the body fueled.  Good snacks for during a workout are granola bars, energy bars, bagels, pretzels, fruit and sports drinks.
• Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #8: Post-workout your goal is to grab a snack as fast as you can…for sure within 30 minutes after the workout!  The snack should be mostly carbohydrate with some protein to help your muscles replenish what was burned off and start muscle repair.  Low-fat chocolate milk, cereal with milk, yogurt with granola, and energy bars with a sports drink are all great choices to help you re-fuel!
• Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #9: Great post-workout snack choices…8-16 oz low-fat chocolate milk

              – 8-16 oz low-fat chocolate milk

              – 1 scoop whey protein powder mixed in 8 oz low-fat milk with a dash of 100% juice & fresh fruit

               – 1 scoop whey protein powder mixed in 8 oz low-fat milk and a granola bar

• Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #10: Whey Protein: A terrific workout partner!  During exercise the body uses small amounts of amino acids for energy, specifically glutamine and the BCAAs leucine, isoleucine and valine.  Thus, after a workout the goal is to replenish these and start the muscle repair process.  Research shows that consuming a high quality protein like whey in combination with resistance exercise can boost the rate at which the body makes lean muscle mass.  In fact, combining whey protein with a carbohydrate source, post-workout, shows to have the greatest benefit.  Optimally a goal is to consume a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein.

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Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD

 

 Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #1: As a recreational or competitive athlete, aim to fuel your body with 5-7 meals and snacks throughout the day so that you have optimal energy to perform.  Aim to have a carbohydrate and protein at all meals and snacks for sustained energy!

• Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #2: Exercisers should try to eat by the 80/20 rule.  80% of the time, eat to fuel performance with whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables.  20% of the time, enjoy foods like pizza, ice cream and French fries. 
• Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #3: Carbohydrate is your body’s #1 source of energy and should be eaten at all meals and snacks!  Try to eat whole wheat/whole grain as much as you can as they provide your body with long-lasting energy.  Good examples include: whole wheat bagels & bread, whole grain granola bars & cereals, oatmeal, pasta, brown rice and potatoes with skin.
• Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #4: Protein is great for building and repairing muscles and strengthening your immune system.  As an exerciser, you want to eat lean proteins like chicken without skin, lean cuts of red meat, fish, eggs, beans, peanut butter and low-fat dairy products.  Try to include a lean protein in all of your meals and snacks!
• Sports Nutrition Performance Tip #5: Carbohydrate is the body’s #1 source of energy & quickly digests to give the body energy. Protein can be used moderately in a pre-game meal/snack, but cannot provide the same effect as carbohydrate for “quick energy” to perform!

Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD

 

 

Can your favorite childhhod food actually be good for you?  Yes, it can!  Most of us can think back to grilled cheese sandwiches with a smile on our face, but associate it as a “bad for you” food.  Not the case if you choose your ingredients wisely.  So let’s go green and balance organic ingredients with our grilled cheese and organic sandwich!

First, let’s talk bread!  When making a nutrient rich sandwich of any kind, choose 100% whole wheat or Ezekiel bread which are both less processed and rich in fiber.  Whole grains provide a vast amount of B-vitamins in addition to folic acid and iron.  As an athlete or everyday exerciser, the goal is to consume a whole grain carbohydrate with every meal to provide your body with energy.  To grill the bread, use Smart Balance Butter & Canola Oil Blend.  Smart Balance is rich in omega 3s as well as plant sterols and has less cholesterol than other butters making it a heart healthier choice.

Now for the gooey, delicious inside!  Here is your chance to go organic to limite hormones and additives!  Choose 1.5 oz of organic low-fat Swiss cheese.  Cheese is rich in protein which helps build and repair lean muscle mass.  It is also rich in calcium which helps strengthen and build bones.

Finally, go green with your grilled cheese by adding a summer fruit…avocado!  Remember the organic rule of thumb, because you don’t eat the avocado skin, you can save a buck or two and buy conventional.  Avocados are rich in healthy fat and high in vitamins B6, C and E as well as a great source of potassium, an electrolyte athletes need, especially as we enter the hot Dallas summer months!

“Grilled Cheese and Avocado Sandwich”

• 2 slices Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bread

• 1 Tbs. Smart Balance Butter & Canola Oil Blend

• 1.5 oz organic low-fat Swiss cheese

• 2 oz avocado

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 425
Carbohydrates: 36 gm
Fiber:  10 gm      
Protein: 21 gm    
Fat: 22 gm               
Cholesterol: 30 mg

Need a little more calories?  Double up on the low-fat cheese and add an extra ounce or two of avocado.  You will be increasing both the protein and healthy fat of your sandwich. (Living Fit Dallas Healthy Bites June 2012)

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Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD

The goal of any young athlete, regardless of his or her chosen sport, is to become the best athlete possible and reach their full athletic potential. Unfortunately, with the competitive nature of youth athletics, and the emphasis that has been placed on sport specific skills instead of athletic development, the occurrence of major imbalances is growing. As coaches and parents, the main objective should be to build a strong athletic base before concentrating on specializing in any specific sport or skill set. This approach tends to develop the whole athlete first.

With a strong athletic foundation, the athlete can become a successful player of a variety of sports. Developing key athletic qualities such as stability, agility, balance, coordination, rhythm, reaction, speed, strength and power will, strongly compliment any skill set required of the athlete in their chosen sport.

 It is more desirable for an athlete to be well-rounded rather than being technically sound in one particular sport. Well-rounded athletes are usually more injury resistant, better equipped to learn and better equipped to adapt.  Whereas a “one sport athlete” may struggle to adapt to changes as a particular sport and/or competition continues to develop around them.

 So remember, to reach full potential in any sports environment, first emphasize overall development and then narrow the focus to one sport-specific skill set. 

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Derek Mendoza
MS,CSCS,USAW-1,Pn1
Athletic Supervisor

 

When training athletes there are many different approaches to take and a joint-by joint approach is one of them.  As of recently many strength and conditioning coaches have been referring to this approach as the “future of training”.  The concept is simple; the body is just a stack of joints with each joint having a specific function.  These joints are also apt to predictable dysfunctions.  As a result, each joint has a particular training need.

Let’s take a look at the body on a joint-by-joint basis from the bottom up and address the primary needs of each.

Body Part	Requirement
Ankle	Mobility
Knee	Stability
Hip	Mobility
Lumbar Spine	Stability
Thoracic Spine	Mobility
Scapula	Stability
Gleno-Humeral	Mobility

 

 Dysfunctions of joints are closely related to injuries.  Loss of mobility/stability in a joint usually creates pain in the joint above or below it. Many athletes that complain about having knee pain usually have ankle (joint below) or hip (joint above) mobility issues.  A great example is knee pain in basketball players.  Sprained ankles are common among these athletes. Because of this, ankle taping has also become common for practice and games. This provides stability but takes away the needed mobility in the ankle joint.  If the ankle cannot move, the knee will, causing a stable joint (the knee) to become unstable.  Additionally, losing mobility in the ankles transfers the stress of landing from a jump directly to the knee. 

When training athletes, routinely adding simple stretches to warm-up or post workout cool down can increase mobility and stability and aid in training the body’s joints for their intended purpose and primary needs.

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Derek Mendoza MS,CSCS,USAW-1,Pn1
Athletic Supervisor

 The Athletes Scenario

“For my strength training and cardio workout at the gym, I take a water bottle with me and casually take a drink when I feel thirsty. My workout usually lasts anywhere from 1-2 hours and I sweat a lot. When I leave the gym, I am usually exhausted and never quite feel recovered for the next day’s workout. What, when, and how can I feel fully recovered before my next workout?”

 The Solution

Ever had the same feeling as the athlete above? It could be because you are not taking in enough fluids throughout your workouts. Hydration is one of the “biggest players” with fatigue. When the body is not completely hydrated with fluids and electrolytes (sodium and potassium), muscles can become dehydrated which in turn makes the entire body feel tired, can cause headaches and even make you feel nauseous.  Thus, being hydrated is essential for hydrating your workout and recovering after!

Here are some tips to keep our bodies hydrated in and out of workout.

1)       Begin exercise well hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day and consume 16-20 oz fluid the hour before the workout session

2)       Replace sweat losses by drinking fluids during workout

    *Recommendation: 5-10 oz every 15-20 minutes

• For a workout of low intensity and lasting no longer than 60 minutes, water is a good choice
• For a workout of greater intensity and longer than 60 minutes, a low calorie sports drink is a good choice and can help replace electrolytes lost with the sweat.

3)       Rehydrate 150%  (24 oz fluid for every pound lost during workout) after exercise to replenish your body with all of the fluid and electrolytes lost through sweat.

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Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD

I am curious as to just how many of you are logging on and reading these blogs? It can be a daunting task to write on massage therapy, physical therapy, nutrition and sports psychology. We try to pick topics that we think are important for you to know. We love helping and educating you, but WHAT do you really want to know? This is my question to you. Do you have questions that our blogs simply are not answering? Do you feel there is a something that we keep missing? Can we change the format a bit to suit you more? I think so… 

This episode of the Ben Hogan Sports Medicine blog is my attempt to reach though the computer and lend you my ear! I can go on about soft tissue manipulation and various other massage topics, but if you are not interested, it’s like listening to the parents on Charley Brown have a conversation. Blah, Blah, Blah! or is it Waw, Waw, Waw!? You tell me.

I would love to hear from you. I will answer your questions and re-post them in the next sports massage blog. If you don’t have any questions, simply tell me your story or experience using sports massage. I want to get to know you. 

Caution: I have not run this format by the other blog contributors but I don’t see why they would be opposed to answering your questions in their blog posts as well. After all, I have found, especially in a class room, when one person asks a question, it will answer the question of 3-5 other people. So you can help others just by asking a question.

Now that my ramble is done, let me touch on a quick topic that might interest you. Let me know if you’re not, Please!!! 

Tight Iliotibial Bands 

(IT Band) for short. This is one of the most common areas of the body that I have to deal with on a daily basis. The IT band, which is that area located on the lateral (outside) side part of the leg. It can reek a lot of havoc for the weekend warrior up to the professional athlete. Why does this pesky soft tissue stay so tight? Well it is simple. You are moving, possibly incorrectly, but moving non-the less. You see, the IT Band crosses two different joints. The hip and the knee. Constant activity such as running, jumping and especially cycling creates action around both joints. The IT band sits over top of those joints and as you bend the leg, it can rub on the bone, in simple terms. This can cause an inflammatory response which will then cause it to get tight. It will affect some people more than others.

There is help!! First you want to determine why it is getting inflamed or staying tight? This can be accomplish by having someone watch your mechanics to see if there is a possible alignment or instability issue with the knee or SI joint. If it is simple mechanics, with some corrective exercise and ice, it will eventually correct the problem. 

Other solutions include the dreaded Foam roll. You can actually YouTube “Foam Roll IT band” to watch how to properly do this. It is like getting a massage, only it doesn’t hurt nearly as much as when I have to loosen it up. If you have had this issue, you know what I’m talking about.

Another Solution is to have someone simply push in the center of your IT band. They must press hard to loosen it up. I know it hurts, but unfortunately it works. If you are suffering from the condition of IT Tendonitis, they must also push on the areas closer to the joints. That will help to break up the scar tissue that may have developed. It is one of those things you will put off until you cannot put it off any longer. The longer you wait to correct it and get help, the more intense the treatments will be. My advice is to knock it out early, and stay as loose as possible.

That is all I have for you today! Please be advised, a rambling massage therapist needs guidance on his topics. So, if you have no questions but you enjoy the blogs, let us know! 

Sportstherapy21@sbcglobal.net

817.308.9958
http://hadl.sharepoint.com/Pages/default.aspx

Nicholas Hadl, LMT, NCTMB, NSCA-CPT
Licensed Massage Therapist

As fall starts, many practices change to mornings often and two-a-day practices are  scheduled. With all the changes that take place in the start of a new season, it is important to adapt your eating to the new schedule to keep your body fueled with proper nutrition.

 If you’re not accustomed to eating in the morning before practice, it’s time to start! Eating a meal or snack before you head out to practice provides adequate fuel and energy needed to keep you going. You wouldn’t put half a tank of gas in a car to go on a 500 mile road trip because you would be stranded on the side of the road before you knew it! If you don’t fuel your body adequately before a long morning practice or camp, your body will quickly hit empty. Grabbing a snack about 30 minutes to an hour before practice will get you energized and ready to take on your workout. Pre-workout meals and snacks need to be high in carbohydrate, moderate to low in protein, and have little to no fat and fiber. 

 Here are some quick and easy pre-workout snack options:

• Energy bar
• Plain bagel with a thin smear of peanut butter and a banana
• Smoothie with protein powder, fruit and juice/milk
• Peanut butter crackers
• Baggie of dry whole grain cereal

 After an intense morning practice, it is time to refuel your body.  Whether you’re done for the day or have another practice in the afternoon, eating post-workout helps you replenish and rebuild. It is important to eat a post-workout snack within 30 minutes after practice to kick-start the recovery process.  Even if you don’t feel hungry, you need to give your body the nutrition it is craving to help you recover faster.  This snack should have a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein and little to no fat. This means for every 4 grams of carbohydrate you eat, you need 1 gram of protein.  The carbohydrate is the energy that replenishes your body while the protein is what starts to rebuild your muscles that were broken down during your workout.  In order to fully complete the recovery process, it is important to eat a well-balanced meal within an hour and a half of eating your post-workout snack. This meal should be rich in carbohydrate and fluid, moderate in protein, and low in fat.

 Post-workout snack ideas:

• Low-fat chocolate milk
• Smoothie/shake with fruit, low-fat milk & whey protein
• Energy bar
• Whole grain cereal with low-fat milk
• Yogurt with granola

 Post-workout meal ideas:

• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread, apple and low-fat milk
• Whole wheat bagel, peanut butter, banana and low-fat milk
• Omelet with low-fat cheese, veggies and ham paired with whole wheat toast and fruit
• 6” Subway on wheat or honey oat with veggies, lean meat, and cheese, baked chips and fruit
• Grilled chicken sandwich and a fruit cup

 Modifying your eating habits for the fall sports season may take a little bit of work, but the benefits of eating a pre- and post-workout snack and meal are worth it! You will have more energy, recover quicker, and feel better because your body has the fuel it needs to power through the season!

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Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD

 In the last blog (May9), I discussed 3 strategies for increasing your chances of Getting in the Zone.  At the end of that blog, I mentioned that staying focused on what you can control may be difficult in pressure situations but it is possible. I would also add that it is not only possible but an essential mental skill to learn for competitive sports. 

 One of the most common referrals I get is an athlete who “performs well in practice but not in the game”.  A golfer shoots around 78 consistently on the course by himself, but then 86 (or higher) in a competitive match.  A basketball player shoots 60% in practice but can lose confidence quickly in a “big game” and drop to 10-20%.  A tennis player has smooth, powerful ground strokes while drilling with her coach or friend, but becomes tentative in a tight match, feeling unable to “hit out” on the ball.  These situations all relate to handling pressure. 

 So, what can you do to work on Focusing Under Pressure?  Here are 3 strategies to work on.  First, make practice as similar to game situations as possible.  In the field of sport psychology, this is called simulation training.  Let’s take the golfer mentioned above.  When I ask golfers how they practice, they typically discuss “beating balls on the range for hours”, which usually translates to hitting a 7-iron (for example) 20-30 times in a row to “grove the swing” then changing to a different club and doing the same thing.  So I ask, “How many times in tournament play do you hit a 7-iron 20 times in a row?”  The answer?  ZERO!  So, he is practicing something he will never do in a pressure situation.  Instead, this golfer needs to practice imagining himself being in the upcoming tournament…see the crowd, his parent(s), his coach, his teammates, his opponents and anyone else that may be watching.  He needs to see himself in the pressure situation…maybe it’s as simple as a 100 yd wedge to the center of the 18^th green or as challenging as needing to draw a 168 yd 6-iron around the edge of a the trees to the pin tucked between the front and a side bunker.  Then, tell himself “I’ve got this one shot to hit the target”, go through his pre-shot routine, trust his swing, and hit it.  Next, he should hit some others shots with a different club, then come back to this situation and go through it again.  Each time he gets one chance to do it.  Bill Walsh, former football coach of the San Francisco 49ers, was one of the first coaches to religiously practice the 2-minute offense repeatedly in practice including having the scoreboard on, a loud audio of fans cheering, coaches sending in plays from the sidelines, and refs moving the first down chains.  When his teams got into those situations in the game, they had already experienced the time pressure hundreds of times BEFORE the game ever started!

 Second, remember your successes.  Research is very clear about what factor has the biggest impact on confidence:  PAST success.  If you’ve done it before, then you are capable of doing it!  Michael Jordan said that any time he had a last second shot to take during his NBA career he would recall his game winning shot as a freshman in the 1982 NCAA National Championship game against Georgetown.  Now, if you feel you have not played well in a pressure situation, then it’s best to recall times when you have done well even in low pressure situations.  To help, I encourage athletes to keep a “Confidence Folder” where they jot down past successes, keep newspaper clippings and/or tangible positive feedback from others (e.g., an email or letter of congratulations from a coach regarding a top performance), or videos of a top performance. 

 Third, if you didn’t perform well in the “pressure situation”, don’t ruminate on it.  Move on and practice the two strategies mentioned above.  Back to Michael Jordan…perhaps you’ve read his quote that, at one point in his career, he had MISSED at least 26 last second shots.  So, if it helps, remember that even one of the best basketball players in the history of the game has missed repeatedly in pressure situations.  Don’t let others stereotype you into believing you “can’t perform well under pressure”.  Feeling “pressure” comes from focusing on the wrong things, like what other people think of you (or what you perceive they will think of you) and/or the outcome. Instead, practice shifting your focus onto what you can control and just play the game.   

Dr. Matt Johnson, LPC, CC-AASP
Sport Psychology Consultant