By Annie Marie Mulholland

EACH month, I aim to write an article that will hopefully relate to players and their sport, aiming to provide relevant nutritional advice for that specific time point in the season, but this may not always prove useful to each and every reader.

With this in mind, I thought it would be useful to collate some commonly asked questions from GAA players I work withhave worked with or who have reached out through this column, to provide clarity around certain topicsareas of performance nutrition and fuelling as an athlete. So, let’s get started!

1: What can I eat or drink to prevent muscle cramping?

Approximately two in every three athletes experience painful muscle cramps at some stage during sport and exercise, referred to as Exercise Associated Muscle Cramping (EAMC). Although a number of theories have been put forward for causation, it is thought fatigue in the exercising muscle is the primary cause (this is why cramping typically occurs in the calf muscle in runners or feet in swimmers).

In addition, although many theories have alluded to the significant loss of electrolytes during exercise as a cause of cramping (such as sodium, magnesium and potassium), recent studies have found that this is not a key contributing factor. However, it is still hugely important that athletes minimise the level of dehydration during both training and competition by replacing both fluid and electrolytes lost during activity.

How can we minimise our risk of cramping during exercise?

Training and conditioning: A playerathlete is less likely to experience cramping when they have undergone appropriate training and conditioning for their sport i.e., footballhurlingcamogierunning.

Fuelling: fuelling appropriately around sessions with energy dense foods i.e., carbohydrates, will prevent early onset muscle fatigue therefore reducing the risk of cramping.

Hydration: Although hydration is not solely associated with cramping onset, it is important to reduce dehydration to prevent early muscle fatigue onset during exercise.

Pickle juice: current research on the use of pickle juice consumption for cramping is promising. Although optimal dosage and use is not yet established, it has been observed that pickle juice consumption at the onset of EAMC can in fact reduce cramping timeseverity. If you are a chronic cramper, it may be worth a go!

2: What can I eat to help me through Covid-19?

As we are all aware, Covid-19 remains a relatively new virus with research emerging weekly on its management. As it stands, we know that we require our immune system to fight off and protect us against harmful diseases; therefore, our diet strategies should be directed at supporting a robust immune system. So, to put it simply, you should eat a variety of fresh and unprocessed foods to provide the vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, protein and antioxidants required by your body to support immunity. And remember to keep hydrated.

Let’s not forget about energy as we require energy to fight off illness and support immune function. If your body weight is declining, this is a sign you aren’t consuming enough energy and intake should be increased. And remember to fill your plate with colour as fruit and vegetables are jam packed with micronutrients, essential in the functioning of your immune system to help fight off any unwanted illnesses (consider increasing vitamin c and zinc intakes during illness bouts).

And what about symptom control?

Loss of appetite: If you are struggling with appetite, choose smaller, energy dense options to increase your calorie consumption. Choose milky puddings such as yoghurts, custards and mousse, smoothies, milkshakes and soups.

Loss of taste and smell: Enhancing food flavour can promote total food uptake and therefore increase your nutritional intake when suffering from Covid-19. Flavour your foods with strong seasonings such as cinnamon, chilli, curry and fruits to help with stimulating taste.

3: What supplements should I be taking?

This is one of the most common questions I get asked when I meet a player for the first time, particularly at age grade level (i.e., minor level and below). Don’t get me wrong, I think it is fantastic that our sport is progressively evolving, with more and more players taking a holistic approach to their development (including considering nutritional input) from a much younger age. However, with this in mind, nutrition is much more than a manufactured dietary supplement.

Searching for the next nutritional supplement as a dietary solution isn’t an ideal way of fuelling your growth, development and athletic performance as a youth player. We should be aiming to focus on developing sound dietary habits and behaviours through a food first approach.

In this way we aim to include an array of nutrient rich foods in our diet to provide all the essential nutrients required by our body. When we are confident we have nailed our food first behaviours, then we can potentially look to sport specific supplementation, considering our need, the quality and evidence behind that specific supplement. Remember – always consult a registered sport nutritionist before commencing a dietary supplement.

To simply conclude: there is not one universal supplement that every player SHOULD be taking on a daily basis (apart from Vitamin D support in the winter). This is a very individual approach!

Anne Marie is a Sport Dietitian who works with Derry GAA and Ulster Rugby.

Contact her for more information @theperformancedietitian or via email on annemariemulholland nutrition@outlook.com.