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By Isaac Leung, Athletic Skills

Hey reader,

Here is an important one where coaches often neglect the nutritional element of their athletes. If they aren’t fueled right, how can we expect them to move fast, get stronger and perform with intensity on the pitch?

Well here is some advice to take away in to your coaching NOW!

Fueling Success: Essential Nutrition Strategies for Coaches.

Welcome to this edition of Coaching Insights, where we break down expert advice to help optimise your athletes’ performance.

This issue focuses on a game-changing factor: nutrition. Inspired by one of my recent podcasts with Ted Munson, Lead Performance Nutritionist at Brentford Football Club, I explore how coaches across all sports can help athletes fuel for peak performance, recover faster, and avoid common pitfalls.

🏋️‍♂️ 1. Nutrition: The Key to Faster, Stronger Athletes

We train athletes to run faster, lift heavier, and react quicker, but without proper nutrition, progress stalls.

What Happens When Nutrition is Poor?

❌ Fatigue sets in earlier—athletes lose their edge when it matters most.
❌ Slower recovery—sore muscles, reduced power, and increased injury risk.
❌ Mental sharpness declines—decision-making, reaction times, and concentration all suffer.

Good nutrition isn’t a small advantage—it’s a foundation for performance, recovery, and injury prevention.

⏳ 2. Match Day & Training Nutrition – Before, During & After

✅ The Day Before a Match or Intense Training

• Increase carbohydrate intake to 7g per kg of body weight to maximise energy stores.

• Avoid high-fat foods, which slow digestion.

• Consider beetroot juice—boosts oxygen efficiency and stamina.

📌 Real-World Example:
"We had a player struggling with fatigue late in games. By increasing carbs the day before and adding nitrate-rich foods like beetroot, they saw a clear improvement in their endurance over 90 minutes."

✅ Game Day Fueling Plan

⏳ 3-4 Hours Before
🍽 Balanced meal: Pasta, rice, wholegrain toast, porridge.
⏳ 1-2 Hours Before
🥤 Light snack: Bananas, smoothies, oat bars, sports drinks.

🏃 During the Match/Session
💪 Fuel every 45 minutes—aim for 30-60g of carbs per hour via sports drinks, energy gels, or small snacks (Jaffa Cakes, oat bars).
💧 Hydration check: Clear/pale yellow urine = good hydration.

✅ Post-Training or Match Recovery

💪 First 30 minutes:

• Protein-carb shake for rapid muscle repair (great if appetite is low).

• Hydration focus: Replacing lost fluids (electrolytes in hot conditions).

🍽 Within an hour:

• A full carb-protein meal—pasta, wraps, jacket potato with lean protein.

• Frequent snacks over 24 hours—Greek yoghurt, nuts, protein bars to reduce soreness and aid muscle repair.

📌 Real-World Example:
"A young rugby player struggled with soreness after heavy sessions. By ensuring he had 20-30g of protein within 30 minutes post-training, he reduced muscle fatigue and recovered better between matches."

💡 3. Personalised Nutrition for Every Athlete

Not every athlete is the same—age, size, metabolism, and sport all impact fuelling needs.

✔ Encourage food tracking—simple food diaries or apps like MyFitnessPal help athletes spot weaknesses.
✔ Teach athletes to adjust food intake based on session intensity—light session = less fuel, heavy session = more carbs.
✔ Educate informally—chat about nutrition before training, during meals, or even while grabbing a coffee.

📌 Youth Athletes Focus:
Many young athletes under-eat after training, slowing recovery and muscle growth. Encourage small, regular mealsrather than skipping food after late evening sessions.

❌ 4. Debunking Myths: “Cutting Carbs Improves Fitness”

🚫 Carbs = Energy. Removing them reduces endurance & power output.
🚫 Weight loss from carb-cutting is mostly water loss, not fat reduction.
✅ The real key to body composition? Managing total calorie intake.

📌 Example:
"We had a sprinter trying to ‘lean out’ by cutting carbs. Instead, his power output dropped, and he fatigued faster. Once we balanced his intake, his sprint times improved."

🏋️ 5. Coaching Action Plan: Simple Strategies to Help Athletes

📢 Before Training:
🔹 Send a WhatsApp reminder—e.g., “Hard session tonight—have a proper meal 3 hours before & bring a snack.”

📊 Track & Educate:
🔹 Use easy food tracking methods (simple diaries, MyFitnessPal, or photo-based tracking).

🎯 Build Habits:
🔹 Make nutrition chats part of training—talk about fuelling at meals, in the gym, or during warm-ups.

🛠 Bonus: Practical Advice for Coaches with Limited Resources

💡 For Coaches Without Nutritionists:
1️⃣ Use free apps like MyFitnessPal to help athletes track food intake.
2️⃣ Encourage food diaries for self-awareness.
3️⃣ Use easy-to-follow templates—players don’t need fancy meal plans; simple guidelines work best.

📌 Youth/Grassroots Tip:
Encourage parents to prepare post-training snacks like protein shakes, peanut butter sandwiches, or fruit & yoghurt to prevent young athletes skipping recovery meals.

📩 Want More Practical Tips?

📌 Follow Ted Munson on Instagram (@tedmunson.nutrition) or LinkedIn for expert insights.

📧 Got questions or topics you’d like us to cover? Reply to this email and let us know!

Need more help? Reply to this email and let’s chat!

Speak soon,

Isaac 🙂 

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