www.northsfitness.com.au

FITNEWS AUGUST 2012

THE

ISSUE

A lot of preparation has gone into catering some 10,000 athletes at the London 2012 Olympics providing an around the clock food service and dining hall at the Olympic Village. Specialised nutritionists and experts are on hand to provide the best guidance to our Olympians, as every athlete has their own individual needs to support the different sports and training regimes. How many of us have grown up on “mum’s spag bol” the night before a big race? The benefits of loading up on carbohydrates before a physical workout are well known, however, there are many more diet and nutrition rules athlete’s will follow leading up to a competition:

CHOOSE THE RIGHT CARBOHYDRATES: athletes should opt for foods with a low to medium glycaemic index (GI) such as whole-grain breads, porridge, milk, fruit, rice and pasta to ensure glucose is released slowly into the body for sustained performance.

BOOST PROTEIN: it’s suggested that athletes require more protein than non-athletes to support their muscle growth and intense training. Many nutritionists suggest dividing protein intake evenly throughout the day.

GET ENOUGH CALORIES: Calories consumed must meet calorie needs. Not getting enough calories can negatively impact training and impede performance.

EAT AT THE RIGHT TIME: It’s not only important to choose the right foods but also plan when you are going to eat. Fitting in an early breakfast, mid-morning snack and light midday lunch is important with a “pre-competition meal” to be consumed at least 3 hours before the event.

STAY HYDRATED: Water should be drunk frequently throughout the day of the event in small quantities. A special sports-energy drink can also been consumed atleast 5-10 minutes before competing.

POST-MATCH TIPS: After the big race it’s also important for Athletes to refuel the body. Having a post-match snack and nutrient replacement drink will help in recovery.Source: www.sporthistinfo.co.uk

COOKING FOR CHAMPIONSMEMBER OF THE MONTH OUR ATHLETE ABBYAbby is our proud and worthy Member of the Month having come to norths FITNESS in desperation weighing in at 106kg in December. He has since fallen in love with MMA Fitness class and has since lost over 10kg! What is Abby’s secret weapon for success?

“I changed my diet, cut out alcohol completely and eating more fruit and vegetables. MMA Fitness has been a real motivator for me – Ryan and Michael are great instructors! I have to say my best advice is to find a class that matches your character and personality, you will find that you’ll enjoy it and be committed for the long term. Improve your mind and the body will follow! ”

Congratulations Abby, you really show us what athletes are made of!

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EXERCISE OF THE MONTHTHE CLEAN ACTIONRyan shows us how the Olympic Weightlifting technique “The Clean Action” is done.DIRECTIONS:1. Place your feet at a shoulder width stance with the

barbell resting right above the connection between the toes and the rest of the foot.

2. Take a palms facing down grip, bend at the knees and keeping the back flat while grabbing the bar just outside of shoulder width. Bring the hips down as if you were sitting on a chair.

3. Push the floor as if it were a moving platform and begin to lift the bar from the ground.

4. As the bar reaches the middle of your thighs, (maintaining good posture) push the floor with your legs and lift your body to a complete extension in an explosive motion.

5. As the hips hit full extension lift your shoulders back into a shrug and continue to pull the bar up while having elbows pointing out and up to the ceiling as long as possible.

6. Now in a very quick but powerful motion, turn your elbows and hands over, have the bar land and rest across the shoulders while having your elbows pointing forward.

Be sure to always warm up properly before any exercise. It is best to learn the movement before adding more weight. If you are unsure of your ability or are concerned about injury, seek the guidance of a qualified fitness professional.

smoothies FOR SUCCESS Many expert Olympic nutritionists agree that fruit smoothies are

a perfect snack for training athletes. Smoothies contain protein

for muscle recovery and are a good source of calcium which

is important for high-impact workouts to keep bones strong.

The berries and fruit also contain antioxidants which can help with

sore muscles.

FRUIT SMOOTHIEPreparation time: 5 minutes

Serves: 1

INGREDIENTS: 250 ml (1 cup) skim milk

200 g carton low-fat vanilla yoghurt

2 tablespoons skim milk powder

(optional) 2 tablespoons wheat germ (optional)

Any one of the following fruit

portions: 1 large ripe banana

½ cup strawberries

1 peeled large peach

1 peeled small mango

DIRECTIONS: Put all ingredients into a blender.

Blend until frothy.

Drink immediately.

1 glass contains: 217 Calories, 36g Carbohydrates,

16g Protein and 1g Fat.

Recipe source: www.ausport.gov.au

GREEN & GOLD SMOOTHIEGreen vegetable-based smoothies

can do wonders to cleanse your

system and flush out toxins with

immune-boosting nutrients, fiber,

chlorophyll and amino acids.

INGREDIENTS: 1½ cups water 1 head organic romaine lettuce,

chopped ½ head of large bunch or ¾ of small

bunch organic spinach 3–4 stalks organic celery 1 organic apple, cored and chopped

1 organic pear, cored and chopped

1 organic banana Juice of ½ organic lemon OPTIONAL: 1/3 bunch organic coriander

1/3 bunch organic parsley DIRECTIONS: Add the water and chopped head of

romaine and spinach to the blender.

Starting the blender on a low speed,

mix until smooth.

Gradually moving to higher speeds,

add the celery, apple and pear.

Add the coriander and parsley if you

choose. Add the banana and lemon

juice last.