Back to the essentials before we get to the real good stuff! If you have just joined us last week we looked into bodyweight squats and the week before that we reviewed the importance of flexibility to your Ice Hockey. This week is nutrition! It takes a lot of discipline and is easier said that done.
Number 8: Nutrition
Why is nutrition important? Well if you want your hard work off the ice to pay off, a well balanced healthy diet is key. There is no point doing sprints and a big cardio workout to follow it up with a big mac and a six pack of nuggets (no offense Macca’s and we know you now have a healthy choice menu – and infact you just got a free plug).
Your body needs the right fuel to perform at it’s best. This also becomes a big test of discipline, avoiding those vending machines and choosing a banana over a packet of chips. Now we won’t go into specific’s into what you should eat exactly as everyone is different but lets cover some basics on what you should be working on.
a) Three big meals breakfast, lunch and dinner with healthy snacks in between such as Muesli bars and fruit. Alot of people avoid breakfast which as most know is the most important meal of the day. Wake up earlier so you can make sure you don’t miss it due to rushing out the door.
b) Avoid junk food. This is a general rule and easier said than done believe me. But if you can make this a general habit, you are going a long way.
c) Water. Everyone knows that you should be drinking 1-2 litres of water a day. Hydration plays a big part in ice hockey, especially on game day! Drink plenty of water the day before and on game day so you are hydrated to help your endurance and stamina in the game.
Everything is about making good habits, like we mentioned with flexibility. Do whatever you can to avoid the junk food, maybe even think of them as an opponent trying to stop you from winning the championship next season.
Also a big good luck to club teams going into finals next weekend.
