Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES therefore call glycogen 'blood-sugar.' This blood-sugar replaces wastage and supplies energy from the liver, where it is stored, or from the intestinal tract, which absorbs it very quickly fr<?m food which the athlete digests. Fatty foods will also supply energy, but are more slowly assimi– lated; whereas glucose gets into the blood-stream more quickly than anything else, except, perhaps, alcohol, which is forbidden to athletes. In fact, glucose taken anything beyond twenty minutes ·before a competition will supply the athlete with a surprising amount of energy, while glucose taken regularly throughout the training period builds up the reserve of energy which is. stored in the athlete's liver. And now a word or two about the questionable things which are sometimes found on the training table, but more often in the athlete's home menu. As regards beverages, it is a bad thing to be constantly drinking either strong tea or strong coffee. Not many people in England drink iced water, but it is held to be bad for American athletes, and all people in training should avoid really ice-cold liquids. As I have said before, one should drink sparingly during the first hour after training. New bread is bad for all athletes, and I believe that American coaches also put the ban upon such things as pancakes and waffles. Again, most coaches are against athletes using condiments or sauces, except salt and perhaps mustard. There is also an objection to fruit which contains seeds that may be swallowed, but to this rule I would make one exception. That is in the case of figs, which, although they contain plenty of seeds, are in my opinion very good for the athlete in training. Pork, except bacon and ham, all kinds ofhashes or recooked meat, and salt fish should certainly be avoided, while baked or boiled meat is preferable to that which is fried, but I have not the objection of some American coaches to veal as a foodstuff for athletes. Cakes and pastries, which one has to digest very slowly, should be avoided, nor am I in favour ofgiving athletes pickles withtheir meat. What I call the harder vegetables, such as cucumbers, radishes, and turnips, are bad for athletes, nor would I allow any man under my charge to have vegetables which have been fried up, especially if they have been cooked once already. While we are on the subject of diet it would be as well to deal with the times of meals, and also with food in relation to com– II8