Bootcamp

USE POST-GYM SUPPLEMENTS SAFELY

A HUGE number of pro players, and indeed many amateurs, now consume supplements. According to our resident nutritionist James Morehen, we must accept that they’re a legitimate part of elite sport and, when used appropriately, can help to maintain good health and optimise performance.

Yet, they can present a risk to players (and staff) of breaching anti-doping regulations through the inadvertent consumption of a prohibited substance.

Players should seek more info from qualified UKAD accredited advisors. Athletes are solely responsible for any prohibited substance they use, attempt to use or that is found in their system,

“Yo u s h o u l d t a k e o n f u e l wi t h i n a n h o u r o f a s e s s i o n”

regardless of how it got there or if there was an intention to cheat or not.

You can find the UK Anti-Doping rules at po.st/UKAD and the WADA code at po.st/wada. Be aware that products carrying the ‘Informed-Sport’ mark are tested for prohibited substances and manufactured to strict standards.

If used, supplements must be part of a well-balanced diet and we would recommend only doing so if you are over 18 years old. Sometimes, food can be enough. For example, while some like to use caffeine gels for a boost, we offer a caffeine brownie recipe opposite.

We would recommend that if you have heavy training periods, you should eat every two to three hours and that you should have protein with every meal. If you finish a session like the one far right, from Performance Pro gym, you should refuel within an hour, then follow up with a food-based meal soon after.

To save time that may mean a shake first. If so, make sure you do so safely.

Raising the barLifting similar to a lineoutA lot of modern rugby players look like ‘gym monkeys’ to me. Are there any actual transferable skills to be learnt in the gym? If so, what can you tell us? Well, if you focus on function and movement rather than, say, doing a legs day, chest day, arms day etc, you can see greater benefit. Life and rugby consists of core movements: squat, bend, push, pull, twist and single leg. We group these movements together to perform skills on the pitch such as scrummaging (which is squat, bend and push), rucking (squat, bend, push, pull) and mauling (squat, single leg, push, pull). Practising good form in these patterns in the gym will allow the moves to become second nature.