Next week Friday, 20 September 2019, we once again become a rugby-obsessed nation as we scrum down and prepare to support the Springboks on their successful journey (hopefully!) to reach the finals and emerge victorious again as the World’s Best for the 3rd time in the history of this championship!
The amount of time, work and energy that goes into preparing for the World Cup is unimaginable, and while training is obviously the main building block to success, other factors like proper sleep, adequate hydration and healthy nutrition are also important.
According to the Springbok site, ‘the best food choices may not make a champion out of a rugby player with no talent, but an inadequate diet can certainly prevent a talented player from reaching optimal training and performance levels.’
After years of research and fine-tuning, the Springboks implement smart nutrition principles, which means players’ eating plans are:
- Targeted and individualised
- Adjusted according to various training phases
- Tried and tested well before any match
- Food-focused and not supplement-led
- Practical to implement and manage
- And supported by all role players from coach to doctor to player
So, while meals and snacks are all finely worked out and tweaked according to person and training phase, what exactly do the Springboks eat in the lead up to a big game?
Two to three days before the match they’ll eat carbohydrate-rich, low fat meals and snacks; and they’ll stay well hydrated by consistently sipping on water throughout the day.
Two to four hours before the match they’ll eat a high-carbohydrate, low fat meal with some lean protein. They’ll choose low fibre, easy to digest carbohydrates like rice, potatoes or cereal to prevent digestive discomfort and in some cases, they’ll be advised to avoid lactose-containing foods and drinks to avoid abdominal cramps.
One to two hours before the match they’ll again have a high-carbohydrate, low fat and low fibre snack like a low-fat muffin, cereal with low fat milk and fruit, a fruit smoothie, or an energy bar and sports drink.
Less than one hour before the match they’ll have a small snack/drink with at least 50g of carbohydrate to top up fuel stores in the form of a sports drink, carbohydrate gel, sports bar or fruit lollies, and immediately before the game, they’ll drink between 250-500 ml of fluid.
During the match, they’ll keep drinking fluids to prevent dehydration and consume 30-60g of carbohydrate every hour to delay fatigue and maintain skills and concentration.
There’s so much preparation and hard work that goes into preparing for a championship of this magnitude, but it’s worth every moment to ensure the Springboks perform at their best! So, from all of us at N1, your leading Johannesburg and Cape Town meat wholesalers, best of luck Bokke and bring home the cup!
