When LOVB Houston Volleyball athletes hit the court for their inaugural season, their physical training was well under way. And while most fans marvel at the strength training and conditioning these professional athletes endure during the preseason—and truthfully throughout the year—many may not realize the vital role that nutrition plays in the athletes’ performance.
As the official medical provider of LOVB Houston Volleyball, Memorial Hermann offers its own team of professionals to support the players with orthopedic care and guidance to minimize their risk for injury and illness and optimize their performance. Emily Barnhart, a board-certified sports dietitian with Memorial Hermann, has worked with the U.S. Olympic Volleyball team and is part of the team taking care of the LOVB Houston athletes this season. “Nutrition supports athletes’ performance inside and out,” Barnhart says. “Eating the right foods, with the right nutrients at the right time helps them get the most out of their hard work and put their best foot forward.”
Barnhart says nutrition for athletic performance must include a prescribed combination of carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, health fats and proteins to keep athletes’ “gas tanks” filled with the proper fuel. She compares the formula to maintaining a car’s performance. Carbohydrates are the main energy source for volleyball players – the gas. Proteins are the car’s parts, while fruits, vegetables and healthy fats are the annual maintenance program to ensure the car is running optimally.
“To fuel an athlete for a match, we recommend foods that provide the right energy and feel good on the athletes’ stomachs,” she says. “Fats and fiber are slower to digest, so four hours prior to a match, we focus on a meal with carbohydrates and protein but not a lot of fat.” Then, 30 to 60 minutes before the match, Barnhart says she likes athletes to “top off the gas tank” with an easy-to-digest carbohydrate snack, such as crackers, a granola bar or fruit.
“Sugar is often demonized because it causes a spike in blood sugar that ends in a ‘crash,’” she says. “For professional athletes, especially, ‘sugary’ foods like fruit, fruit chews, gummy candy and crackers are the perfect way to get the quick energy they need.”
Throughout the match, especially a long match that lasts four or five sets, athletes need to continue fueling their bodies with carbohydrates to maintain their energy levels.
For hydration, Barnhart recommends water during the first two sets of a match but advises athletes to switch to sports drinks that contain carbohydrates and electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, for the remaining sets.
Heading into tournaments that consist of several matches over the course of a few days, Barnhart says the athletes’ nutrition must be on point, and timing is critical for their endurance. Proper hydration and fuel must start two to three days before the tournament to prepare their bodies for the demands of the game.
Because muscle tissue breaks down during matches, Barnhart says that postgame nutrition should consist of meals high in protein to help repair muscles. The recommended amount of protein for most team-sport athletes is 1.2-1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, she says. For a 160-pound athlete, this equates to consuming 30 grams of protein each meal, based on three meals a day. That’s a hand-sized portion of poultry, meat or fish or two 6-ounce Greek yogurts or two cups of lentils, nuts and seeds.
For longer-term recovery after the match or tournament, Barnhart says anti-inflammatory foods are key. Many professional athletes, including the volleyball athletes that Barnhart has worked with, drink tart cherry juice in the days following matches or tournaments. This antioxidant-rich drink helps reduce inflammation in the body and repair the muscle tissue.
During the season, Barnhart likes to see players eat salmon twice a week because it is also an anti-inflammatory food and rich in healthy fat. “Volleyball, especially, is a mental sport,” she says. “Players are constantly making decisions, and their brains get tired.”
The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon help support brain function, and its hearty protein, along with its anti-inflammatory properties, help repair muscles and aid in recovery.
Even during the off-season, athletes must focus on their nutrition to meet their in-season performance and body-composition goals. Barnhart says she collaborates with strength trainers who work with the athletes in the off-season to prepare their bodies for the next season.
Barnhart and her sports nutrition colleagues are just one piece of the Memorial Hermann |Rockets Orthopedics team who are committed to caring for the LOVB Houston Volleyball athletes. The dietitians partner with athletic trainers, physical therapists and sports psychologists to ensure the athletes’ health is optimized to support their performance. For more information, visit Memorial Hermann | Rockets Orthopedics.
