Deal of the Meal: Collegiate Volleyball Athletes

Volleyball is known to be a high intensity sport with the unknown mindset of how long a particular game will take. Athletes in this area have a high muscle mass and balanced fat in order for their body to function quickly and swiftly within a quick period of time. Volleyball players must be fully engaged mentally and physically to quick reactions and precision; therefore, they must be able to move at a fast pace at a given time. But how can an average collegiate volleyball player maintain a balance of advanced performance and a nutrition that can sustain their energy needs during a game? A closer look at the daily food intake of a collegiate volleyball athlete will help us understand the deal of the meal.

NUTRITIONAL PERIODIZATION STAGES

Aside from the intense training given throughout the life of a collegiate volleyball athlete, nutrition is a KEY focus to help the athlete prepare for competition and performance. There are 3 phases to periodization (strategic way of combining specific training and nutrition to enhance exercise performance) that we need to keep in mind of when talking about the nutritional factors a collegiate volleyball player should have: Preseason, Competition, and Offseason.

PERIODIZATION: PRESEASON  

For most athletes, nutrition begins before the competition. Athletes want to begin their preparation for competition for enhanced performance and that all starts with a foundational diet. By having a foundational diet, it helps maintain a nutritional balance and improved training that could therefore, help the outcome of a performance. Collegiate volleyball players should make sure to:

• Spread caloric intake during the day
• Calculate the amount of carbohydrates given
• Include various amounts of food and be aware of the affects it can help for performance 
• and most important, to ALWAYS hydrate during the day

PERIODIATION: COMPETITION

A single volleyball match is unknown to the both the players and coach during competition season; therefore, volleyball athletes must be intake a meal/snack that will help boost their energy throughout the duration prior and during the game. 

1. Pre-competition:  As mentioned in this article on the nutritional intake before a volleyball match, "The best pregame meal contains fluids, is low in fat, provides a small to moderate amount of high-quality protein, includes whole-grain starchy carbohydrate sources, and is not too high in fiber (Sports SRD)" and should be take 3-4 hours prior to the start of the competition. 
2. Competition: It is very important that volleyball athletes have opportunities to fuel on little snacks in between games to keep a steady level of energy throughout the course of the competition and to always HYDRATE. Snacks may include sports bars, sport drinks, and things of that nature. 
3. Post-Competition Recovery: After a competition, volleyball athletes want to have a steady recovery by obtaining small snacks and sports drinks. By doing this, it "will likely provide adequate protein to meet your body’s recovery needs (Sports SRD)."

 PERIODIZATION: OFFSEASON

After competition season ends, nutritional intake becomes critical because players bodies have become acclimated to the constant competitions and particular food combinations that have been taking place for months. Offseason is a critical period because this is time where our body could easily gain unwanted fat or lose a greater amount of muscle. During this time, volleyball athletes should maintain a portioned diet (if volume of training has decreased) and to keep a constant updated record of their weight until the next season begins. This can be done by keeping in contact with their coaches and staff so that they could stay on track 

While many sports consist of very constricted meals and precise tracking, Volleyball is a very intense sport that is in need of a great nutritional meal to maintain strength, speed, endurance, and skill. And that is the deal of the meal!


Resources: Nutrition For the Volleyball Student Athlete.” Sports SRD.