Spring 2022 - 30

SUMMARY in a SNAPSHOT
Recovery habits are essential for
athletes. Specific needs will vary with each
individual. Sports Dietitians can educate
and guide athletes to find what works best
for them. Overall, help athletes to focus on
these post-workout practices:
* Carb-rich foods as soon as possible
* Around 20 grams of complete protein
* Fluids to rehydrate
* Sodium for water retention via salty food
or drink
* Adequate sleep at night utilizing sleep
hygiene tactics
found in powder form, but it is recommended
to encourage food first so that the athletes can
get other nutrients from whole foods. Whey
is a milk protein, so it can be found in dairy
products, such as milk, cottage cheese, yogurt,
and ricotta cheese.
HYDRATION
Sweating during a workout is how the body
cools itself, so the loss of fluid during a workout
is normal. However, when we lose two percent
or more of our body weight in fluids, that is
when performance can become impaired via
altered metabolic and central nervous function,
increased glycogen use, cardiovascular strain,
and increased risk of heat illness.
Even if your consuming fluids throughout your
workout, it is necessary to focus on rehydration
afterward as well. The quickest and easiest way
to monitor hydration is by using pre- and postweights.
For every pound (or ~0.5kg) lost during
the workout, drink 24 ounces of fluid. This can
help to make up for any additional fluids lost in
sweat and urine post-workout. This is a strategy
that can be helpful when the weather is hot and
humid, or during a very strenuous exercise.
Simply drinking a bunch of water at once
will not cut it though. In order to retain the
30 | Tactical Training & Conditioning | Spring 2022
fluids for hydration, sodium needs to also be
consumed in addition to the fluids. This can be
done by adding salty foods such as pretzels or
crackers (which also provide carbohydrates),
foods cooked with salt, or a sports drink. After
the initial rehydration with sodium, encourage
athletes to carry around a water bottle so that
they can continuously sip fluids throughout the
day to stay hydrated.
SLEEP
Although sleep is not a nutritional strategy,
it is still important for adequate recovery.
Proper sleep aids in overall performance,
body composition changes/maintenance, and
both physical and mental health. When sleep
is compromised, it can cause occupational
performance to decline, impair memory
and learning, decrease immunity, increase
inflammation, and alter both carbohydrate
metabolism and protein synthesis. Proper sleep
hygiene can utilize small changes to bedtime
routines to aid inadequate sleep. Encourage
tactical athletes to keep their bedroom cool,
dark, and quiet; establish consistent sleep
schedules, even on the weekend to acclimate
the body to a routine; and try limiting screen
time about one hour prior to bedtime. n

Spring 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spring 2022

Spring 2022 - 1
Spring 2022 - 2
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