{"id":1460,"date":"2017-08-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/reports\/leaders-virtual-roundtables-travel-nutrition-and-hydration-strategies\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:12:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:12:44","slug":"leaders-virtual-roundtables-travel-nutrition-hydration-strategies","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/leaders-virtual-roundtables-travel-nutrition-hydration-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"Leaders Virtual Roundtables: Travel Nutrition and Hydration Strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n Aug 09, 2017 <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>Articles<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Leaders Virtual Roundtables: Travel Nutrition and Hydration Strategies<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Category<\/div>\n Human Performance<\/a> <\/div>\n
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An online meeting of Leaders Performance Institute members on 21 June 2017.<\/p>\n \n \n \n

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Travel nutrition and hydration were the subjects of the day for this edition of the Leaders Virtual Roundtable delivered in association with Leaders\u2019 Official Nutritional Performance Partner, Totum Sport. This invite-only assembly brought together members of the Leaders Performance Institute \u2013 nutritionists, head athletic trainers and directors of high performance \u2013 in the NFL, international basketball, Olympic and collegiate sport to dig down into their nutrition programmes, refuelling strategies, as well as the effects of travel on hydration and general nutrition. Here is the executive summary.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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The participants<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marc Bubbs, Nutritionist, Canada Basketball [Moderator]<\/p>\n

Shone Gipson, Head Athletic Trainer, Buffalo Bills<\/p>\n

Tommy Jensen, Assistant Director of Performance Nutrition, University of Nebraska<\/p>\n

Arthur Maerlender, Director of Clinical Research, University of Nebraska<\/p>\n

Roger Meacock, Head of Science, Totum Sport<\/p>\n

Michael Minniss, Performance Nutrition Coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles<\/p>\n

Andy Papathanassiou, Director of Human Performance, Hendrick Motorsport<\/p>\n

Jan Proch\u00e1zka, Sport Department and Development Projects, Czech Olympic Committee<\/p>\n

Scott Riewald, High Performance Director \u2013 Winter Sports, United States Olympic Committee<\/p>\n

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  1. Agenda<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    There are several factors that influence an athlete\u2019s nutrition, from athlete education and organisational culture, to extensive, regular travel, with its endless itinerary of hotels. To take that last example, not only can these long-haul slogs induce stress but it can worsen blood-sugar responses \u2013 even to the same meals \u2013 and increase the risk of systemic inflammations. Even away from the plane itself, differences in vegetable or industrial seed oils can be pro-inflammatory. If the road represents a nutritional minefield then athlete engagement and savvy team programmes can enable astute circumnavigation of the real danger zones. The participants at the table ran through some of their team strategies and, in most cases, found some nutritional food for thought. All have noted improvements but there was also a consensus that real development across all elite levels of sport must come from the increased provision of resources to all aspects of nutrition.<\/p>\n

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    1. General team strategies<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      In general, increasing food variety was viewed as a good way of optimising caloric intake for athletes. In the NFL, Michael Minniss explained that there is an ongoing battle to fight monotony in the Philadelphia Eagles\u2019 nutrition programmes. Schedules are the same each week and up to 20% of their roster comes in at under their goal weight at the end of training camp. He works with his staff to combat this monotony by regularly changing up menus both at home and on the road, as well as recommending different local restaurants for players during the season. The Eagles employ a full-time staff, which stands in contrast with the Buffalo Bills, although Shone Gipson confirmed that the Bills faced similar problems and addressed them through the use of external consultants. In NASCAR racing, Andy Papathanassiou described Hendrick Motorsport\u2019s use of contracted dieticians, who deliver annual PowerPoint presentations to the entire team. There is also an emphasis on hydration in the three days building up to what can be some long race days. He also noted that their drivers do a sound job refuelling themselves. At the University of Nebraska football programme it can be difficult for athletes to focus on nutrition in between their studies but they employ three full-time performance dieticians and even provide money for athletes to purchase hot meals at recommended locations during weekends. Jan Proch\u00e1zka described the education and nutrition programmes that are put in place for each and every athlete on the Czech national ice hockey programmes. There is often a struggle towards the end of the season but individual programmes allow for mitigation and alleviation. In contrast to the others, Scott Riewald at the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has to focus on a range of sports, which have divergent needs depending upon the team. Marc Bubbs explained that Canada Basketball ensures that its athletes are given different dietary salts when necessary. Nonetheless, travel was still the biggest concern; USOC may go from mid-December to March without seeing some of their athletes, which makes it difficult to monitor them.<\/p>\n

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      1. Travel nutrition strategies<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Consistency seems to be the order of the day when it comes to travel nutrition strategies. Tommy Jensen explained that there is a firm emphasis on consistency, which is encouraged through team meals before games. The NFL is one league where fast food, as Gipson admits, used to dominate, but now education is spreading at the Bills are just one of 32 teams providing better options; indeed he describes at as the biggest game-changer in recent years. At Philadelphia, Minniss says that he and his staff work to keep food options consistent at home and on the road and feels that they provide their players with an array of excellent food options. He finds that post-game can be the most difficult time because the league does not permit unauthorised external vendors at the stadium. The Eagles circumvent this by providing players with \u2018to go\u2019 boxes full of appropriate snacks and food. At USOC, Riewald explained that each sport had its own individuals overseeing travel nutrition strategies, both at training camps and during competitions. There is also a concerted effort to collate information from other organisations that US athlete may represent away from the national team; the aim for USOC is to build a base of knowledge around their athletes\u2019 nutritional needs.<\/p>\n

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        1. Hydration strategies<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          The subject of hydration was first touched upon by Papathanassiou when discussing Hendrick\u2019s general nutrition strategies and it was a topic at the forefront of every participant\u2019s mind. It stretches beyond regular salt intake because athletes also risk missing out on other trace minerals. Protein and caloric intakes are significant but so is mineral intake for immunity and cellular function, anti-oxidant defence, and the risks associated with sweat loss. During this section of the roundtable, Papathanassiou returned to the topic and discussed Hendrick\u2019s use of \u2018old school\u2019 urine colour charts to assess its drivers\u2019 hydration. The team also places a particular emphasis 72 hours out from race day. Proch\u00e1zka discussed the personalised hydration programmes produced for athletes in Czech ice hockey. Riewald explained that USOC athletes are targeted at sport-dependent, specific times in their training cycle or when they are travelling. They employ urine gravity testing and found that the greatest buy-in from athletes came when results were delivered in morning messages. Such is the culture at USOC\u2019s national governing bodies that if an athlete\u2019s hydration levels are not quite right then they have full coach support in removing an athlete from a training session or practice. The NFL is not quite at that stage, although there is increasing emphasis from the head coach down at the Buffalo Bills. They will use gravity urine testing every other day during pre-season and then every Friday during the regular season. They will make interventions if a player loses more than 3% body weight at any given time. At Philadelphia, Minniss admits that other factors beyond nutrition are more important at training camp, but it urine gravity tests are mandatory for rookies and occasional for the rest of the roster. They will look to measure electrolyte loss is important and the team will also employ weigh-in and weigh-outs; their scales include a device that measures percentage change and Minniss and his team are able to make interventions and offer instant feedback. The Eagles also employ sweat testing.<\/p>\n

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