Athletic Nutrition Checklist: Hydration… Protein… Electrolytes…

Hydration and proper nutrition is vital to helping athletes perform to the best of their ability. School Health has the products you need to stock athlete fueling stations WITHOUT fighting the big box stores.

Each day our athletes are called on to complete feats of strength, stamina, and endurance. Through training, athletes become stronger and more physically tuned. But for peak performance, it is important to include nutrition and hydration as part of our basic training regimen.

In 2014 the NCAA Division I deregulated restrictions on sports nutrition, allowing student athletes unlimited access to meals and snacks related to sports participation. With the sudden unfettered ability to fuel athletes, many athletic departments have been scrambling to create nutrition programs for the athletes they serve. As they try to keep supplement supplies stocked, many athletic trainers have resorted to big-box store shopping, which means last minute trips and costly purchasing.

School Health has worked to gather the best supplements to fuel athletic teams. And, with a School Health Supply List, keeping nutrition items stocked is easier than ever. With supply lists, athletes and athletic trainers can build customized lists of their favorite products, and even select automatic delivery!

Here is a quick reference to help athletes and athletic trainers know which products to use and when.

• Before and during a workout an athlete’s body requires high amounts of carbohydrates to saturate muscles with glycogen that fuel performance and provide endurance. Supplements like the Clif Shot Bloks Electrolyte Chews are a great way to get these carbohydrates in to your system.
• After a workout, protein helps facilitate repair and recovery of fatigued tissues. It’s easy to get this protein on-the-go with the LUNA Protein Bars.

And at all times athletes must maintain proper hydration to ensure that they stay strong and safe. Athletes can carry The Right Stuff concentrated drink additive – an easy way to add electrolyte rich hydration to your favorite water bottle!

Proper nutrition is also an integral part of building muscle mass, losing weight, and maintaining energy levels throughout the year, even when athletes are not training. Try CLIF Bar nutrition bars for a delicious and convenient way to maintain nutrition.

Here are some key tips to remember when integrating nutrition and hydration products into a daily training schedule:

•  Pre-event meals should take place 2-4 hours before an event, and then “topped off” with a high carbohydrate product like the Gatorade Prime sports drink 30-60 minutes before the event.
• During exercise, athletes should consume 16-24 oz of water or sports drink per hour. To stay hydrated, a good rule of thumb is for athletes to consume at least half of their body weight in fluid ounces (preferably water) per day. The School Health Horizontal Power System is an ideal solution to provide side-by-side water and sports drink hydration.
•  During high performance or in warmer temperatures when sweat rates are heavy, athletes can consume a high sodium snack or sports drink to stay hydrated.
•  Research has shown that recovery shakes and snacks are most effective within 30-60 minutes of a workout. We recommend products like the Gatorade Protein Recovery Shakes.
• Recovery products should have a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates and protein. We recommend the First String Blast Protein Powder as a great way to gain this ratio.

Athletes who have long training sessions and burn extreme amounts of energy can see increased performance by using these recommended supplements.

School Health – Sports Medicine offers many other options to stock your nutrition and hydration station. Contact us today to tailor a delivery that fuels your team. 

An Orthopedic Surgeon’s Solution for Treating Soft-Tissue Injuries

About the author: Dr. Riley J. Williams III, MD is an orthopedic surgeon, academic, and clinician-scientist specializing in the field of shoulder, knee, and elbow surgery.  Since 1993, Dr. Williams has been affiliated with the Hospital for Special Surgery (“HSS”), the #1 rated Orthopedic Surgery Hospital according to U.S. News and World Report, where he is also Director of the HSS Cartilage Institute.  Dr. Williams is inventor of Therma1™ and Chief Medical Officer, Head of Product Development, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of R2T2 Laboratories Inc., the company that markets Therma1™.  Dr. Williams graduated from Yale College and Stanford Medical School, where he won top medical science research awards.  Dr. Williams is team physician for the Brooklyn Nets and NY Red Bulls, and he has been associated with professional football and baseball teams.

The Science Behind Using Hot/Cold Therapy, Compression and Massage to Heal Soft-Tissue Injuries

I am an orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine physician, advisor to elite athletes, and pro sports team doctor.  I’m also a scientist.  When I invented Therma1, I based it on the science of recovery.

It is well documented that cold therapy or compression reduces inflammatory response. Recent studies indicate that soft-tissue compression combined with local temperature alterations demonstrate significant enhancement in the healing potential of soft-tissue injuries.

It is also well known that heat therapy or compression/massage increase tissue compliance.  Studies show that controlled increases in thermal temperature have a significant effect on the tensile properties of skeletal muscle, which results in increased joint range of motion and reduced muscle tension that help reduce potential muscle strain injuries.  Other studies demonstrate that warm and more compliant muscles absorb more energy than non-stimulated muscle tissue, which results in improved resistance to biomechanical load. 

The Need for a Unique New Therapy Device Turns into an Invention

My observations of scientific evidence, decades of sports medicine experience including thousands of patients and surgeries, and dialogues with sports therapy experts such as pro sports athletic trainers, physical therapists, and chiropractors, led to the invention of the Therma1™ Hot Cold Roller.  The goal of the design was to provide all four critical musculoskeletal therapy treatment modalities (heat, cold, compression and massage) in one portable, easy-to-use device – something that no other product on the market offered.  The U.S. Patent Office recognized Therma1™’s innovative and unique qualities and granted a design patent last year.

The Therma1’s size and shape was designed specifically to make it easier to treat hard to reach spots, as well as help pinpoint trouble spots and deliver trigger point therapy. In my experience, there was a lack of products on the market with this ability.

What Makes the Therma1 Hot Cold Roller Different from...

Massagers or foam rollers?  Its ability to deliver heat and cold therapy

Ice packs and heat pads? Its ability to deliver rolling compression and massage

Continuous-flow cold therapy machines? The dynamic nature of Therma1™ Hot Cold Roller treatment modality makes the likelihood of thermal injury very low.

How to Use Therma1 in a Sports Medicine Setting

• As a natural Performance Enhancement Device (PED) – Use Therma1 before activity to increase tissue compliance.
• To treat nagging injuries, such as:
  • Patellar tendonitis
  • Calf strain
  • Shin splints
  • IT Band syndrome
  • Strains in the forearms, biceps, triceps and neck area
  • Quad and hamstring strains

Therma1™ should be used in regiments of two – ten minutes, usually in combination with static therapy.  The treatment regiments should be repeated throughout the day as desired. 

View videos that demonstrate the Therma1 in action >>

How Therma1 Benefits Athletic Trainers

• Increases patient compliance (one of the leading drags on patient recovery time is noncompliance with prescribed therapies).
• Patients can use it on themselves or athletic trainers can roll the player (patients don’t need to contort the body to apply therapy like other rollers)
• You never have to worry about frostbite or heat burns
• Non-toxic, simply rinse spills if they get on skin

Tips for Buying Therma1 Products:

Therma1™ comes in Recharge and Instant models.

Therma1™ Recharge – Comes with two rollers. The rollers can be placed in the freezer or microwave.

Therma1™ Instant - Provides portability and convenience with its Instant Hot and Cold packs.  Each Therma1™ Instant model comes with one Recharge Roller, one Instant Roller, and a dozen Instant packs. The Instant Roller has a removable end-cap that accommodates a Therma1™ Instant Hot or Cold pack.

When using Therma1 for cold therapy, keep the following in mind:

Therma1™ Recharge (freezer) achieves colder temperatures than Therma1™ Instant (cold pack).  When left in a typical freezer overnight, Therma1™ Recharge reaches sub 10 degree temperatures and holds a sub twenty degree temperature for approximately twenty minutes with recommended intermittent use (two – ten minute increments, followed by two minute “rest”).  For best results when treating acute injuries, use the Therma1™ Recharge when possible. 

If you do not have a Therma1™ Recharge handy, Therma1™ Instant with Therma1™ cold packs can be used to decrease local tissue temperatures; studies show decreases in local tissue temperatures stimulate an effective anti-inflammatory response.  However, I recommend Instant Cold packs be used only when a cold Recharge Roller is not available.

Learn more about purchasing the Therma1 Thermal Therapy Device and Watch Demonstration Videos >>

4 Steps to Prevent Heat Illness

Heat Acclimatization Guidelines Created to Decrease Heat Illness

In 2009, the National Athletic Trainers' Association released Preseason Heat-Acclimatization Guidelines for Secondary School Athletics to decrease the occurrence of heat illness in high school athletes participating in summer practices. Unfortunately, it wasn't until after the nation experienced "the worst week in the last 35 years in terms of athlete deaths" that states began mandating the adoption of these guidelines. In summer of 2011, three heat-related deaths were reported on high school football fields, four Arkansas football players were hospitalized for dehydration, and an endurance runner died of apparent heatstroke during a race called the Warrior Dash.

Heat Related Fatalities on the Rise

According to a study by Andrew J. Grundstein, an associate professor in the department of geography at the University of Georgia, the annual death rate was around one per year from 1980 to 1994 but rose to a yearly average of 2.8 in the next 15 years.

The Reason for the Rise of Heat Illness

In the past, simply scheduling summer practices for early morning and/or evening would be enough to avoid the highest temperatures of summer and reduce the risk of heat illness. However, according to Grundstein, morning temperatures are higher than they were decades ago.

Additionally, high school athletes are bigger than they were decades ago. According to Douglas J. Casa, chief operating officer of the Korey Stringer Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing sudden death in sports, "You have 300-pound high school guys walking out to practice and you have no medical staff and they're going six hours in 100-degree temperatures."

4 Steps to Help Prevent Heat Illness

1. Follow the 14-day heat-acclimatization period recommended by the NATA.
2. Use a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Meter (WBGT) — not the heat index — when assessing whether practice conditions are safe. The WBGT index is the most widely used and accepted way to assess heat stress in the United States, but getting coaches to move away from their reliance on the heat index is a challenge.
3. Have an ice water bath available if players show signs of heat stroke. Learn more >>
4. Have an athletic trainer present during all practices and games.

States that Mandate Student Safety During High Heat

• May 2011 - New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association becomes first state organization to adopt heat-acclimatization guidelines.
• October 2011 - the University Interscholastic League in Texas bans two-a-days for the first four days of training camp and on consecutive days thereafter.
• State high school activity associations in Arkansas, Connecticut, North Carolina and Georgia follows suit, with Georgia instituting fines of up to $1,000 for school found in violation of their heat acclimatization mandate. Fifteen other state high school associations are actively considering adoption.

Heat Acclimatization Guidelines by State >>

Georgia Practice Policy for Heat and Humidity:

7 Health Considerations for Summer Athletes

Summertime & the Living is Easy

Like the song says, “summertime and the living is easy”. While they may be true for some, activity enthusiasts know that maintaining or achieving a level of fitness and enjoyment during the non-school year days may not be so easy. With school sports and school schedules, time and activity is monitored and managed. Both parents and their teens are in the routine of eating, working, exercising and sleeping.

Anytime you or your parents become the coach, athlete, motivator and injury specialist, you may need some help. Sports programs outside of school often have limited budgets, volunteer coaches, and few or no athletic trainers, but still the best of intentions.

Runners and cyclists have unique summertime needs while so do tennis players and golfers. Summer sports leagues for young, middle and older all have unique concerns to address.

Heat Safety

Here are some items I found at www.esportshealth.com which will make dealing with these times easier and safer. Two items which are of tremendous value to parents and exercising adults and their children are something to actually assess the ultraviolet (UV) intensity of the sun and a towel which has cooling properties.

Heat safety must be foremost in the attitude of exercising adults and teens/children. The young do not have the advanced heat control/sweating mechanisms as adults do; they actually feel the heat more intensely.

2 Products to Help Beat the Heat:

• UV Detector
  
• Stay Cool Towels
  

Summer Nutrition & Fluid Replacement

Proper nutrition and fluid replacement is critical to performance and to health. During the summer months adequate fluid and nutrient replacement must be maintained. Take the time to learn about heat and fluids; find what works best for you. Studies have shown that fluid losses as little as 1-2% of your body weight can negatively affect stamina, endurance and performance. Find products that maintain energy and fluids.

Improve Your Summer Nutrition & Fluid Intake:

• Drinks and Nutrition bars
  

Tennis & Golfing

Tennis enthusiasts and golfers often can use items to support sore muscles and reduce discomfort. Simple supports can make activity more enjoyable.

Get the Support You Need:

• Look at wrist/tennis elbow supports - See if a simple wrap or brace will increase your enjoyment of tennis or golf. Even yard work, painting and home repairs can produce symptoms of tennis or golfer elbow which would benefit from supportive straps or sleeves.
  

Running & Walking

Runners and walkers must pay close attention to their shoes and feet. (Tips for Selecting the Proper Size Athletic Shoe >>)Small problems can be accentuated with activity. Joggers and walkers step many more times each day than non-activists; each foot strikes the ground about 800 times per mile. Being able to select and view products that are designed specifically for these problems is important.

3 Products For Runners & Walkers:

• heel,arch supports
  
• wound/blister care
  
• anti-fungal/ anti itch
  

Performing Self Assessments

There are many important health assessments that require physician involvement. Yet serious exercise devotees can perform some basic self assessments and would benefit from those measurements. Measuring exertion, health responses to exercise, blood pressure, pulse rate and oxygen uptake during exercise has value to measure effort as well as to protect from overtraining.

4 Health Assessments You Can Perform Without a Physician:

• blood pressure
• heart rate monitors/ pedometers
• pulse oximeter
• scales/body composition

“It is wiser to prepare than to repair”

While getting out and “getting to it” is the reason why exercise can be fun, remember “it is wiser to prepare than to repair”.  Giving strength development, flexibility increases and range of motion improvement the time and effort they deserve will yield considerable benefits. Get in shape to get in shape is a prudent idea.

Don't Leave Out Strength Exercises:

• flexibility,weights,body blade, tubing

Aches & Pains

Yet with improvement and physical exertion there can be injury or discomfort associated with improving your current state. The old idea of “no pain, no gain” has gone by the wayside just like “no water makes you tough”. Muscles respond to demands by becoming stronger and actually producing more blood vessels, but the production of lactic acid associated with muscular effort can be uncomfortable.

Find Relief:

• hot/cold therapy
• pain relief

It takes time and effort to take care of your health, but it is an investment that yields considerable dividends. Being aware of the factors associated with doing it wisely can be beneficial and produce better results.

Phil Hossler, ATC has been an athletic trainer on the scholastic, collegiate and Olympic levels. He has authored 4 books and numerous articles and served as an officer in state and regional athletic training associations for 20 years. He is a member of four halls of fame including the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s.