I have been lucky enough to be guided through my career in terms of Nutrition by a top Nationalist matt Lovell. Matt has worked with many top sports men and women, as well as the England Rugby Team.
Many of the videos that i post are in conduction with Matt, and 80% of my knowledge comes from following his tips and advice over the years. I have asked matt for a few key pillars of nutrition, that are the golden rules to getting things on track, and making gains in the areas you want.
If you want more info and advice then please click onto Matt's site
The Pillars of Nutrition
1. Hydration
Drink plenty of water throughout the day and during training sessions. Being well hydrated improves how you feel and perform. The average adult requires at least 2-3 liters of water a day. This requirement increases if you exercise. Thirst is a poor measure of dehydration. You become dehydrated long before you feel thirsty so drink water continuously throughout the day. Alternatively, choose fruit teas and herbal blends, and water flavored with a little fresh fruit juice. Isotonic drinks should be consumed before - during and after training.
2. Preparation
This point mainly concerns preparation for competition. It’s vital that your muscles are loaded with carbohydrate (CHO) if you want to perform to your maximum level, as CHO is the primary fuel for high intensity exercise. If you are training for fat loss then this is less important, as a lack of CHO will actually promote the utilization of fat. Preparation also refers to your cooking; you should prepare your food yourself and be organized about planning your meals and menus. This way you know exactly what’s going into your body and you can stick to eating at set times, getting into a routine to support good health!
If you are going to be out for the day then you may need to organize 4 or 5 meals and snacks to take with you. This attention to detail MAKES THE DIFFERENCE!
3. Regeneration
Post exercise recovery is paramount. You must be meticulous with your post workout intake - the quicker you recover the better you will perform week in week out. CHO rich foods with a High glycemic Index (GI) will aid recovery after exercise. If you are lean and body fat isn’t such a concern, you can be more generous with carbohydrate intake. This is also a vital time to top up your body with the protein you’ll need for repair and to support the immune system’s response to exercise. Make sure you sleep adequately. You should wake up feeling refreshed and will be able to achieve more physical gains, performing better week in week out.
4. Quality
Deficiency & Toxicity will severely interfere with your ability to perform week-in week- out at the highest level. Organic, high grade produce is the best way to avoid these problems, with supplementation always an option if you don’t think you can obtain all you need from a balanced diet.
If you were training hard then I would say it’s pretty much a necessity.
5. Quantity
The most important thing is to stick to eating at set times and set portions. Be strict with yourself. You may have been given suggested serving sizes. For dried staples, such as rice and porridge they’re easy to stick to if you use scales to make yourself familiar with a certain portion-weight, then use a specific scoop/spoon for subsequent portioning. For instance, a 40g portion of porridge oats (150Kcal) can be easily measured by filling a 1⁄2 pint beer-glass to the “bulge” about 2/3 of the way up. Increase or decrease the portion sizes depending on your goals.
6. Frequency
Eat around every 3 hours. Look at food as feeding opportunities, every time you consume food you can either gain or damage your health. Each meal should contain high quality protein, CHO and vegetables.
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