SPORTSNET.CA recently had the chance to speak with Dave Wright, the head athletic therapist for the Toronto Argonauts. Wright is responsible for overseeing all of the team’s medical needs, from training to rehabilitation to in-game assessment and emergency care.
We wanted to know what level of emphasis the Argos placed on nutrition in getting their players ready for the many practices and games throughout the season. It turns out that what each player eats during the day depends alot on the position he plays and his age. While Wright was kind enough to go into detail about what the club is currently doing for it’s players, he also discussed what he would like the Argos to do if he had unlimited funds.
SPORTSNET.CA: Do you provide meal plans for individual athletes?
Dave Wright: The Toronto Argonauts provide meal planning for their players during training camp. All nutritional plans are carefully selected for players to ensure players maintain body weight and allow sufficient body fuel for participating in two physical practices daily. Our structured meal plan coincides with Canada’s recommended Food Guide to Healthy Eating to provide a proper, daily balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats.
During our regular season, players have independence in fulfilling their individual nutritional needs. These are professional athletes and player recommendations are constantly reviewed and suggested for performance improvements, injury recovery and general health. Hydration strategies are also vital to an athlete’s nutritional health. This is discussed daily by team staff to assist in preventing soft tissue injuries and cramping, increase performance and improve recovery.
Should a player become injured, it is very important to outline his nutritional program to prevent unnecessary weight gain particularly should his recovery be long term or post-operative.
SN.CA: Does the recommended diet/nutrition depend on what position the athlete plays?
Wright: In professional football, body weights for individual players may vary between 180-330 lbs. The demand to maintain these weights during our season is quite challenging. An offensive lineman may ingest 4,000-6,000 calories per day while a defensive back may consume 3,000-3,500 calories in comparison. Linemen tend to compete within a 5-10 yard section of the field expelling short bursts of anaerobic strength and power which is vastly different from a defensive back or receiver, who may run several yards at full speed each and every play. As a result, the players who are constantly and consistently running will aerobically burn more calories than that of their teammates who battle on the line of scrimmage.
In the CFL, each play during a game lasts on average 5-7 seconds and we operate with a 20 second play clock. Therefore, anaerobic and aerobic capacities need to be specifically fuelled pre-game and refueled post-game. Post competition, each player has a 30 minute opportunity to replenish energy stores in their bodies at an accelerated rate in preparation for his next training session, practice or game.
SN.CA: Is there a difference between programs provided for a 21-year-old athlete vs. a 35-year-old athlete?
Wright: The younger athlete tends to live alone or with teammates and generally lack the necessary experience in preparing and providing their own meals. The nutritional demands are slightly greater than that of the older player simply due to personal metabolism and energy expenditures. Protein requirements may be slightly higher in the younger player to allow for demands in muscle development and protein synthesis.
SN.CA: Is there a particular athlete/group of athletes that tend to motivate the rest of the team to eat well/ work out in the weight room?
Wright: Essentially, all of our players exhibit motivation to complete additional physical training to constantly improve their overall performance and prevent injury. Every professional sport is a business and players’ bodies and resulting performance is the product that constantly needs to be maintained and improved.
All players participate in weight training with linemen establishing goals of core balance, strength development and power endurance. Other positional players also train with gym workouts yet add focused attention upon movement skill development, functional agility along with read and react components.
SN.CA: If you had an unlimited budget, are there features you would like to add to your program?
Wright: Players tend to select foods for “convenience” mainly due to time restrictions, physical fatigue or poor cooking skills. They tend not to read labels and consume ‘heat and eat’ store bought entrees very high in salt and additives. Diabetic and athletes with food allergies must also be a consideration for all meal planning. Therefore, a few suggestions working with an unlimited budget may be:
– Individual, pre-planned and monitored nutritional plans would be a great addition for each player
– Catered meals, especially breakfast, to accommodate each player’s personal requirements could be timely provided in-house to ensure proper and effective dietary strategies
– Educational and practical cooking classes may be provided to all players with a focus on quick and simple, budget friendly and nutrient dense recipes
– Players to complete and submit a weekly log of nutritional intake including portion size and time of day meal was eaten to be reviewed by a Registered Dietitian specializing in Sport Nutrition
– Off-season nutritional plans issued to each, individual player to complement their training and workouts to maximize their gains for next football season
