Coaching -  Nutrition

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Introduction

As with all sports, there are many nutritional factors to consider for the badminton player. The basics sports nutrition principles will apply, however there are certain sport specific factors that should be considered.

A badminton game can go for an extended duration requiring high intensity work as well as high aerobic fitness. The sport is played indoors and is often played in a tournament situation with many games in a week or even in a day. Times of games are not always known in advance, so nutritional organization is a necessity.

On a day-to-day basis, a badminton player needs to take care of their nutrition by consuming a well balanced diet comprising carbohydrate, fat, protein, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals and water.

In the days preceding a competition, it is better for the badminton player to eat less carbohydrate and more fat and protein. It depletes their glycogen stores in the liver. Then, for a day or two preceding the competition the badminton player can go for increased carbohydrate, which replenishes glycogen storage to an optimal level.

This enables the badminton player to endure the event better by providing them with the necessary glucose during play by the breakdown of glycogen. Also it is better to drink beverages containing glucose during rest between plays and avoid fructose-containing beverages.

Among electrolytes, sodium needs can be met just by increasing the amounts in the diet during competition days. Consuming salt tablets indiscriminately can cause vomiting sensation, vomiting and bloating of stomach due to retention of water by the salt thereby affecting the player's performance. Similarly, additional potassium requirements can also be met with diet alone by including potassium rich food like bananas regularly.

Recovery During Tournaments

The main focus of recovery for everyday is to get an athlete well prepared for the next training session or competitive event. The aims are to:

• replace muscle and liver glycogen stores
• replace fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat
• repair the damage caused by the exercise

Recovery is most effective during the first hour after the exercise. This is even more important during a tournament situation when you may have another event in less than eight hours. The fuel which replaces muscle glycogen stores is carbohydrate. These foods will replace the depleted fuel stores which were used during the activity. Protein post-exercise will achieve muscle repair from the damage that the exercise has caused. Rehydration is also an important factor of recovery after a long workout or game.

Hydration

The high intensity of badminton, the popularity of it in hot climates, and the factor of it being an indoor sport, means that hydration is very important. Not only during games, but in training too. Hot climates, high temperatures and humidity will increase sweat rate of an athlete, while playing indoors will reduce evaporative cooling, culminating in greater risk of dehydration if careful attention is not placed on fluid intake. It is important to hydrate before competition and training, as well as taking in enough fluid after exercise to compensate for all fluid losses during activity, which will assist in recovery.

Useful Websites

Website	Details	Link
Brian Mac	This website help coaches and individuals to set up and maintain their optinal nutrician levels at the different times during the season	Brian Mac
Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)	AIS Sports Nutrition delivers a world-class sports nutrition service to AIS sports and national teams. Our website features a wide range of resources to assist elite athletes, recreational athletes and the general public stay up to date with the latest strategies in sports nutrition.	AIS