Pre season training regimes

[JMohan]

The only other supplements worth considering or that have any proof associated with them are ...
- Fish Oil - 3 to 6 grams per day at night - Good for general health and inflammation
- Glucosamine & Chrondrition - to protect joints and longer term health

In my opinion ...
Some young non-well known county player from a weaker county will innocently fail a test in the next 3 years by either

- using a product such as a magic fat-loss supplement from a non-compliant company
  OR
- by using a non cleared cough mixture
.... and will be made a very strict example of. I sincerely hope not, but I see this as happening - Aidan O'Mahony is just a warning in my humble experience.

IMO there isnt actually enough information for players as to what supplements are safe and what is not safe.

Agree completely - which is then why nut jobs jump in on the bandwagon promoting and selling snake oil.

I used to take Whey Protein a few years ago because I needed the extra protein in my diet because of gym work and training.

Good common sense

I find I dont need it anymore as I dont get as sore.

I wish everyone used as much cop-on

But I found out recently that products such as "No-Explode" and "Nitro Bolan" have been taken off the Irish shelves. Now a few years ago if you wanted to you could have easily mad the mistake and got these from any health food or health supplement shop. I dont know what in them, but the nutritionist in the shop told me this week that they were taken off the shelves.

Simply because of the things I suggested above - if they are not made by reputable companies who test - why would you take the chance.
That's apart from the fact that you don't know if they do any good!

I had a link before to a GAA handbook that described what was banned.

I cant understand anyone wanting to take creatine to help with GAA performance, it fills muscles full of water, makes you bigger and heavier and hence slower which is if opposite effect you may want.

Well, there is some benefits - strength increase being one, cellular hydration another - but the bottom line is that it's not the most important thing to worry about in preparing a player! 

[JMohan]

Lads on another slightly different note, I know hydration is a major part for a training regime. I know there are certain drinks that are better for you with regards to hydration such as the isotonic drinks etc. Now I was wondering, is an isotonic drink that much of an improvement on water?
Now as a big fan of me cups o tae, I was told years ago that they could have a negative effect on hydration due to caffeine in the tea. Now I know that while it wouldn't be as good as pure water would it have an actual negative effect?

The first rule of training is - if a player is happy doing something be VERY careful about making a change.
In his old book Joe Lennon even wrote about a fellow player who'd swim the day before a game - crazy in most peoples eyes - but who knows the effect on him if he didn't!

With coffee and tea the diuretic effect is minimal really for a 70 min game. There may be a more negative effect (phelgm) with some players from the milk.
The caffiene benefits may outway it - but in reality it's marginal really.

Water is fine, maybe a small mix of sugar in water with possibly some sodium helps - but to be honest Gataroade and Lucozade sport etc are just sugar drinks and not as beneficial as the hype suggests.

[JMohan]

lads michael phelps has 3 cups of coffee for breakfast. I don't buy this idea one cup of coffee a day is going to make a major impact on hydration.

Agreed

I wouldn't drink one directly before a match or training , but having one the the same day will have little or no impact on your performance. that i can guarantee.

I actually would be of the opposite opinion

I don't see an issue with whey protein or ordinary protein. I found creatine a complete waste of time. Simply doesn't work for everyone's metabolism. In the name of god don't go buying anything on the internet or anything in a health shop that looks iffy.

Agreed

Vast amounts of these products are spiked. Most county teams have any product tested in a laboratory, they simply have to in the current climate.

Well they should - but I doubt many even know that - I know some don't.

[JMohan]

lads michael phelps has 3 cups of coffee for breakfast. I don't buy this idea one cup of coffee a day is going to make a major impact on hydration. I wouldn't drink one directly before a match or training , but having one the the same day will have little or no impact on your performance. that i can guarantee.

I would agree there. Im not really used to drinking coffee but I have had the odd cup in the mornings if I was feeling tired or was having problems concentrating. Dont think it particularly dehydrates you if you continue drinking water during the day.

Speaking of Phelps, I was thinking about his diet too today, and its crazy.

Believe half of what you hear and read

I think most GAA footballers/hurlers watch what they eat and try and eat healthy. I know of footballers who dont eat red meat. I know of footballers who boil their sausages. But other athletes seem to eat what they like for energy which is a contradiction to what we are told.

Genetics are one major factor
Nutrition is overrated in some athletes

I for one hardly ever eat anything fried and try to eat as healthy as possible, even cutting down on red meat. If training hard, the most I manage is two dinners in a day. However a guy at work with us competes in Iron Man Triathlons and he eats a crazy amounts of food. He does 2 runs a week, both 11k. He cycles 15k and swims 2k a week. I asked him about energy levels, which he said is mostly psychological but what he had today (so far) is unreal; On his rest day....

A full Irish breakfast (yes a full big fry-up), 4 slices of white toast, 1 bowl of cornflakes, 2 bowls of porridge, orange Juice, 2 bananas. He said he will have a full dinner for lunch, and a full dinner this evening and maybe a sandwich or two later. On training days he also takes energy drinks and even more food.

All that food, especially the type of food goes against every impulse of healthy eating I have.

Yes - BUT the difference is calories in vs calories out
And regardless of what some might say you can't change this basic law of physics/biology

The Michael Phelps Diet....

Coming in at a mere 12,000 calories ( Yes, Twelve Thousand )

Breakfast: Three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise. Two cups of coffee. One five-egg omelet. One bowl of grits. Three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar. Three chocolate-chip pancakes.

Lunch: One pound of enriched pasta. Two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayo on white bread. Energy drinks packing 1,000 calories.

Dinner: One pound of pasta. An entire pizza. More energy drinks.

Remember as well - because it's a primarily endurance activity - the training - there is a need (and demand by the mind) for huge volumes of carbs

[JMohan]

Lads on another slightly different note, I know hydration is a major part for a training regime. I know there are certain drinks that are better for you with regards to hydration such as the isotonic drinks etc. Now I was wondering, is an isotonic drink that much of an improvement on water?
Now as a big fan of me cups o tae, I was told years ago that they could have a negative effect on hydration due to caffeine in the tea. Now I know that while it wouldn't be as good as pure water would it have an actual negative effect?

Water is fine for GAA type activities, you don't need isotonic drinks. Drink plenty of water on a regular basis but in our climate and considering the duration of a football match, dehydration shouldn't impact too much on a player.

A few very important points there
1. MOST hydration research is done on athletes in the states ... we don't get near the same heat
2. Most research is on endurance athletes running for longer


The craziest thing was the 'Lucozade sports keeps you going for 33% longer' ....

... Read the study - it was an endurance runner they tested - little relevance to sports like GAA!!!


Sales pitch

[JMohan]

Lads on another slightly different note, I know hydration is a major part for a training regime. I know there are certain drinks that are better for you with regards to hydration such as the isotonic drinks etc. Now I was wondering, is an isotonic drink that much of an improvement on water?
Now as a big fan of me cups o tae, I was told years ago that they could have a negative effect on hydration due to caffeine in the tea. Now I know that while it wouldn't be as good as pure water would it have an actual negative effect?

We spoke to a dietitian that said the if you mix orange juice or fruit juce with water you get the same hydration effect as isotonic drinks.

True
And Cheaper

Im not sure how true that is. But the isotonic drinks contain more carbs with I suppose provides more energy.

Yeh, some protein might be helpful, but it's fine

I also hear that a pint of water with a pinch of salt is good to re-hydrate and replace lost salts after training.

Yes, sodium, plus has the added benefit of promoting and encouraging you to drink more
(The same reasons Ronald puts so much salt on his food in McDonalds - makes you drink more Coke)

Tea and Coffee have caffeine which is a diuretic and will make you more dehydrated and  in effect you will pass more liquid than you consume. Also tea promotes anxiety in some people.

The dehydration is a bit overplayed
Tea generally has the opposite effect in fact - but of course too many can do that
Coffee certainly can - well caffiene - but in high doseages
AND - it's VERY individual - some people have completely opposite reactions to coffee and tea. 

However, I know of people who are fond of the Red Bull type drinks before rugby matches or GAA training/matches. There is also supplements out there loaded with caffeine for energy. I have never tried any of that stuff so I cant offer an opinion but I dont think I would take red-bull before training. Its better suited to vodka.   

Again
Caffiene is individual
If you are going to use it - use the no sugar one

[JMohan]

Lads on another slightly different note, I know hydration is a major part for a training regime. I know there are certain drinks that are better for you with regards to hydration such as the isotonic drinks etc. Now I was wondering, is an isotonic drink that much of an improvement on water?
Now as a big fan of me cups o tae, I was told years ago that they could have a negative effect on hydration due to caffeine in the tea. Now I know that while it wouldn't be as good as pure water would it have an actual negative effect?

Water is fine for GAA type activities, you don't need isotonic drinks. Drink plenty of water on a regular basis but in our climate and considering the duration of a football match, dehydration shouldn't impact too much on a player.

True - most/many hydration studies were done ...
- by Gatorade/Lucozade
- in hot countries
- in endurance sports
- for long periods of testing

However a small amount of sugar/glucose is fine and may have a small effect

Certainly not make you go 33% longer though!

[JMohan]

Have a look at this about hydration.

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/hydrationandfluid/a/ProperHydration.htm

As for the caffeine thing well I was always led to believe that it was a diuretic and made you lose more water than you were gaining much like alcohol and that drinking caffeine would cause you to become dehydrated but apparently through recent study this is not the case although most articles say to drink it in moderation.

Unless you get Starbucks on tap you'll be fine


Another controversial statement coming up ... 

The effect of hydration is over played in sport - there is a greater danger of someone over hydrating than under-hydrating

I believe there have been more records of people dying from over hydration than dehydration.

Also - the whole weight thing is a bit issue - I'd rather be a little lighter with no fall in performance than heavier....

[Jinxy]

I'd agree that the hydration issue is massively overstated in terms of field sports in temperate climates.
The sports drinks manufacturers fund much of the research in this area so people need to read between the lines.
If a study says something improved someones performance take a very close look at the exercise protocol used.

[Jimmy14]

I think the days of teams running around race tracks is nearly gone!
I know Kilkenny & Dublin used to do this!

[Hank Everlast]

Anyone ever tried those caffine kicks??? A mate in work who plays rugby at a relatively high level uses them before every training session or match and he swears by them....

I tried them twice and to be honest i did feel they had an impact, i was flyn through the whole training and felt great however when i got home i got cramp and then couldnt sleep for ages that nite.... the negatives definetly outweighed the positives so they werent for me... but he swears by them and now there is another few lads i know who think there magic!

[AbbeySider]

The effect of hydration is over played in sport - there is a greater danger of someone over hydrating than under-hydrating

I believe there have been more records of people dying from over hydration than dehydration.

How much is over hydrating?

Id say I drink about 7 pints of water a day at work alone, and maybe 2-3 more in the evening. Thats on days im not training... Sometimes I think im addicted to the water but it could be the air conditioning in the office. When I first started here they actually had to remove the Tipperary water fountain and get in a filtered system because I was drinking so much! At work they make a joke of it and say they budgeted for electricity... budgeted for basic kitchen supplies... but didnt budget for the amount of water I would drink... 

Is it possible to drink too much water?

There is that old wives tale suggesting that you are flushing out nutrients by drinking too much water. 
I dont know if that is possible though....

[Zulu]

I wouldn't worry about over hydrating, it's not a serious concern for most people and what your drinking wouldn't affect your sporting performance.

[JMohan]

Anyone ever tried those caffine kicks??? A mate in work who plays rugby at a relatively high level uses them before every training session or match and he swears by them....

I tried them twice and to be honest i did feel they had an impact, i was flyn through the whole training and felt great however when i got home i got cramp and then couldnt sleep for ages that nite.... the negatives definetly outweighed the positives so they werent for me... but he swears by them and now there is another few lads i know who think there magic!

Exactly - look at the long versus short term effects - especially over a campaign/season/match

[JMohan]

The effect of hydration is over played in sport - there is a greater danger of someone over hydrating than under-hydrating

I believe there have been more records of people dying from over hydration than dehydration.

How much is over hydrating?

Id say I drink about 7 pints of water a day at work alone, and maybe 2-3 more in the evening. Thats on days im not training... Sometimes I think im addicted to the water but it could be the air conditioning in the office. When I first started here they actually had to remove the Tipperary water fountain and get in a filtered system because I was drinking so much! At work they make a joke of it and say they budgeted for electricity... budgeted for basic kitchen supplies... but didnt budget for the amount of water I would drink... 

Is it possible to drink too much water?

There is that old wives tale suggesting that you are flushing out nutrients by drinking too much water. 
I dont know if that is possible though....

Like I said the chances are slim - but possible.
If you're spending more time holding your piece or a water bottle than working then you're drinking too much.
Just enjoy your water.

You can test for it - but it's not fool proof.

Someone spoke about caffiene as a diuretic - but drinking water is one of the most diuretic things you can do also!!!
The problem of flushing nutrients is very real and also can cause cramping due to re-distribution and disposal of nutrients.

Water is good for you etc - but overrated.