Jr. Fuel Parents,

I want to personally thank each of you for bringing your athlete (son or daughter) to our dryland training sessions.  I know that this meant that you would either have to drop them off early or allow them to stay late in order to train with my staff of trainers.  The Fuel Fitness Strength Coaches enjoyed getting to know the teams and coaching them on structured workouts.  The end of hockey season is now upon us and it has been an absolute pleasure working with all the Jr. Fuel travel and select teams. 

Our goal for this first season of off-ice training was to build a great foundation of how to work as a team on and off the ice.  All athletes were instructed on how to flow from one exercise to the next while maintaining form and hitting the intensity of the workouts.  As the season progressed so did our demand for attention to detail.  The dryland training will continue to progress each season and the athletes will learn what is expected and how to progress not only as an individual but also as a team. 

Off-ice training is an important component to playing the sport of hockey.  For in-season training we focused on conditioning and injury prevention.  The PeeWee and Squirt teams met up downstairs for more of a conditioning team training program.  The coaches taught them how to perform bodyweight exercises, how to lift as a team, and how to encourage one another to work hard.  The Bantam and Midget teams lifted in the Fuel Fitness weight room for more of an anaerobic training program.  We focused on form and technique.  For most of the athletes it was their first time in a structured lifting program and had little to no experience with technique.  We were able to lay down a great foundation but it is very important that they continue to get time in the weight room during the off-season.  The off-season is a great time for them to building new muscle but also allows them ample amount of recovery time. 

Fuel Fitness is dedicated to helping Jr. Fuel teams during the off-season!  We will be posting a weekly program in the weight room for hockey players that are going into the Bantam and Midget levels or already at the Bantam level.   These programs will be available for those individuals that continue their membership here at Fuel Fitness.  Jr. Fuel covers the cost of the membership during the season but in order for the players to continue their off-season program each individual player will need a membership ($19.99/month) at Fuel Fitness.  I encourage not only the Bantam and Midget players but also those players entering into Bantam next year to get a membership for this off-season. We are looking forward to seeing great results from our spring and summer strength and conditioning programs!  Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. 

Thank you,

Bob Buckland

Fuel Fitness GM

 

 

Judi Kremer

Indy Fuel Youth Hockey Ambassador

Junior Fuel Executive Director

317-697-0768-mobile

 

 

Hockey Nutrition

by Bob Buckland

In today’s blog I will be discussing the importance of nutrition for optimal performance.  Depending on the player, calorie expenditures can range from 1,800 to 2,500 per game so it is important to fuel the body so that the athlete can sustain without a third period crash (size/age of the player does change the expenditure).  It has been estimated by NHL Strength and Conditioning Coaches that each minute of ice time requires a little less than 100 kcal but players who are more active on the ice – whether from hitting more, skating more, or both – can burn more than that.   It is important to understand that about 80% of the energy used is more anaerobic than aerobic.  This means that the body will utilize more carbohydrate storage from the muscle for every minute that the athlete is on the ice.  With this being said it is important to consume the right amount of carbohydrate to protein ratio to minimize muscle breakdown during the season.  For in-season a good ratio would need to be closer to 4:1 carbohydrate-to-protein rather than the 2:1 ratio used during off-season.   To help from crashing during a game and to regulate blood sugar levels I would recommend players that play more minutes of a game to drink a carbohydrate drink throughout the game.  

To help players get enough calories in it is important that they consume breakfast, lunch, pre-game/practice meal, post-game/practice meal, and dinner.  Most RD’s recommend slow-burning complex carbohydrates, such as oatmeal, brown rice, corn, peas, root vegetables, beans, lentils, and yams, before games/practices and fast-burning simple carbohydrates, such as biscuits, raisins, honey, sports drinks, and fruit juices, after games/practices.  

Staying on top of your game also means to stay on top of your hydration. Proper hydration is crucial not only to prevent cramping but also to maintain muscle.  I strongly encourage all athletes to drink plenty of water throughout the day along with before, during, and after practice/game.   If you think you are drinking a large amount of water…. drink more.

Here is a great list to verify what carbohydrates do what: 

High-glycemic carbohydrates (quickly absorbed; best used in moderation during and after an event)
• Fruit juices 
• Raisins 
• Baked potatoes
• White flour breads
• Watermelon
• Ripe bananas
• White rice
• Mashed potatoes
• Refined carbohydrate foods
• Sports drinks
• Quick oats
• Dried fruit

Moderate-glycemic carbohydrates (moderately absorbed; best used prior to events and for weight management)
• Oranges
• Bran cereals
• Legumes
• Pasta (moderately cooked)
• Whole grain breads

Low-glycemic carbohydrates (slowly absorbed; best for maintaining blood sugar and weight management)
• Cherries 
• Most vegetables 
• Apples
• Lentils
• Leafy green vegetables 
• Yogurt
• Slow-cooked oatmeal

“Super Foods” (essential foods for performance and good health)
• Raw/mixed nuts
• Fresh berries
• Avocados
• Omega-3 eggs
• Leafy green vegetables
• Nut butter
• Green tea
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Oats

 

Fitting Fitness into Frenzied Lifestyle

by Bob Buckland

Staying active is not always the easiest thing to accomplish when you have a busy work schedule and kids that play hockey.  

Here is one solution that you can add to your day:

Step 1: Find 10 minutes before breakfast, 10 minutes after lunch, and 10 minutes after dinner to do some sort of cardio on most days of the week

• A brisk walk in the morning on an empty stomach and help you burn more fat.  Make sure that you don’t exercise at to high of an intensity so that you don’t end up destroying lean muscle tissue.
• Cardio workouts at lunch or after dinner can be done by using an interval training method.  Try 30 seconds of high intensity movement followed by 2 to 3 mins of low intensity and repeat for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Workout while your child is at practice

• Fuel Fitness overlooks the two rinks so that you can watch your athlete in action while you’re working out
• I suggest using this time to get in 30 minutes of weight training and 30 minutes of cardio.  With a membership at Fuel Fitness you have a complementary workout with a trainer to answer questions and show you how to start on your program while you are getting a workout in.
• The best part is that we are offering Jr. Fuel Parents 3 complimentary day passes to the gym to try it out. Stop by the gym to access your pass.
• If you have not worked out for a while I suggest starting with a total body workout so that you don’t over train one area of the body.  It is normal for you to be more sore than normal for the first couple of weeks when starting a new program.

Step 3:  Nutrition

• Keeping it simple for this first blog, start by logging your food so that you know what is exactly keeping your body the way it is at this point in time.  Don’t change your diet but log it so that you know your starting point.  After 5 days of logging you will be able to see how often you are eating and of what you are eating.
• Don’t forget to eat breakfast.  It’s the most important part of the day!  This meal will tell your body that it is no longer in the fasting state and that its time to turn your metabolism back into high gear.  
• In later blogs I will be discussing the next steps to progressing your nutrition.

Good luck with your future fitness goals and journey.  Please don’t hesitate to ask myself or a Fuel Fitness trainer any questions.  We are here for Fuel Fitness members and non-members. 

Bob Buckland is the Fuel Fitness General Manager and the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Indy Fuel.