Off Ice Tips & Advice

Chocolate Milk Benefits

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Are there benefits of Chocolate Milk after exercise? I was reluctant at first when I heard about this, but I did a little research and it turns out (after years of trying to convince me) my wife, an avid chocolate milk drinker, was right.

So let's get to the boring science behind this. Compared to regular milk, water, or sports drinks, it has almost twice the carbohydrate and protein content, which is perfect for replenishing tired muscles. Chocolate milk has a high water content that replaces fluids lost when players sweat. It also has the bonus of calcium, and is low in sodium and sugar (some sugar and sodium is good for players to retain water and regain energy). Now I am not going to go too far and say all of the players should be downing a gallon of chocolate milk every time they leave dryland. Drinking 16 oz of low fat chocolate milk is a more appropriate portion for players to drink after dryland. This can be another good option to throw in the hockey bag and drink when they are done. The snack bar at NoCo also has a small portion of chocolate milk available if you forget to bring it from home.

Core Training -- Quality

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Let’s take a glimpse into the importance of good quality core training. Now I am not talking about the chiseled 6-pack that everyone dreams of and wants, instead about the whole core. The core refers to every muscle that attaches to the hip and spine, which is well in excess of 2 dozen muscles (I won't bore you with all of them).

The 3 most important functions that core muscles have is

1. to control hip movement (super important for hockey players don't you think)
2. to create a stable platform for upper and lower body movements (that might be useful for hockey)
3. to transfer force between the upper and lower body (never mind I'll quit repeating myself you get the point).

Here is an example of these functions, think about the forward skating stride. Every time you push off you're creating a force that is pulling your pelvis into a forward tilted position. It is the job of your core to resist that pull, and limit pelvic movement. Have you ever heard that shooting is mostly in your legs? Most hockey players have, and that is true. Most of your shooting power should come rom your legs and hip muscles. The puck is influenced by your stick, which is held in your hands. The only way that force from the lower body can manipulate the puck is if it is powerfully transferred through your core. The stronger the core, the better the force transfer.

During most dryland sessions we try to incorporate 10-15 minutes on average of good quality core training, I hear the complaints all the time about how much it hurts and why do we do so much? Now you have some insight as to why we focus so much on core training.

Drink Choices

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Sports Drinks, Soda, Water, Milk, Teas, Energy Drinks, What to do?? What to do??

Many of today's youth face this dilemma day in and day out at school, home, hockey, or on the road. Our culture has become overloaded with commercialization of food and drinks, whether by commercials, advertisements, or product placement in their favorite shows (yes it happens). This overload has in my personal and "professional" opinion led to the miss-education and misunderstanding of the dangers/benefits of making a decision at the soda fountain, soda machine, or at the convenience store.

Let's start with sports drinks:

1. It is suggested that sports drinks with electrolytes should be consumed when athletes are participating in an intense activity lasting more than 60 minutes.
2. That being said it may not be necessary after every game and after every practice, but may be a good option due to the carbohydrate replenishment and hydration they provide.

Next is Soda:

1. Ummmmmm
2. Hold on I had to skip a bullet point while thinking of some positives......
3. Still trying......
4. Okay I can't find anything
5. The main reason these are so detrimental to performance is the sugar and caffeine that can lead to a crash mid-game and just the overall empty calories.

Water

1. Often called the "lifeline" of athletic performance
2. Water is also called THE MOST ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT IN THE BODY
3. So basically drink the stuff before, during, and after training, practicing, or playing

Milk

1. I don't feel the need to write another novel about how good it is we covered that in a previous article
2. Great after games, practice
3. Chocolate has some better properties that white milk is missing

Teas

1. Peace tea seems to be a popular choice around here and in the schools so we will talk about it
2. This is kind of a tough one, it contains carbohydrates, but has some sugar, and hydrates
3. So on one hand I'm ok with it and on the other I'm not
4. It is mostly carbs with fillers, but it is the fillers that scare me

Energy Drinks

1. The risks are much greater than any benefit that can be derived from their use
2. Don't give your kids energy drinks before hockey games. Or before hockey practice. Or before school.
3. From the University of Michigan Sports Science Department
   • "When people consume these beverages before intensive exercise, he says, they should be aware of the effects the drinks have on people's bodies. They can put a strain on the body due to the caffeine and, in some of the beverages, other diuretics. These can cause dehydration or even collapse, particularly if people drink more than one can before exercising,"

The take home message this week is that there are dangers/benefits to what we are drinking day in and day out and we need to be educated and conscious of what we decide to drink not just around athletic events but in our everyday life as well.

Eating Habits BEFORE Exercise

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I often watch some of the things our players eat before and after they attend a dryland session and I wonder: Do the players not know what they should be eating before and after training or, do they just choose not to? I am going to be naïve and assume the first. I have seen some players leave and immediately eat a bunch of candy or drink a soda, and then go to practice. This makes me a little bothered so I thought I would provide some alternatives. It is important to get a good source of protein after exercise but also to get a source of carbohydrates to replenish fuel. Hydration is also key to keep the players feeling energized and healthy.

Let's go over some good post training snacks/small meals

1. Sandwiches are one of the easiest and quickest meals to put together after a strenuous workout and an easy thing to throw in your hockey bag. Two slices of whole grain bread, four to six ounces of a lean protein such as turkey, and any type of vegetables desired, and let's try to avoid too much mayo/mustard.
2. Protein shakes, I do not want to encourage a large amount of protein for the younger players, but for the older players 15-20g of whey protein after an intense dryland is a great way to repair damage muscles as well as to replace lost calories. A good measure for a 150lb athlete should be consuming approximately 55g of protein per day. The old adage of 1g for every pound is a bit of overkill.
3. A Banana or an apple are also good choices that are easy to bring with you and will provide the replenishing fuel the athletes need.
4. Hydration, Hydration, Hydration. A good benchmark is 20oz of water for every hour of exercise. Sports drinks are good for replacing lost electrolytes and hydration, but the amounts of sodium can be a bit much depending on the rest of the diet.
5. Milk has been said to be a great way for athletes to recover and build muscle, I do not want to get too ahead of myself, as this will be my main topic point for next week.

I hope this provides some insight as to what players should be consuming after a dryland session, especially if they have practice the same day.

Energy Boost -- Best Foods

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Eat an Apple: These red (or green) beauties are one of the best food sources of quercetin, a plant-based phytochemical that ahs been linked to greater athletic endurance in some studies. (sorry for the science). There have been tests done on high performance athletes in high doses and with just an apple and the results are almost identical

Sesame Seeds: They are full of magnesium -- a mineral that cells need in order to turn the food we eat into energy our bodies can use. This is crucial for hockey players to make sure they are converting the foods they eat into usable energy. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on peanut butter toast, add them to trail mix, or toss a tablespoonful into stir-fry, pasta salad, and other baked meals

Water: "Oh great he's going to talk about water AGAIN" yeah yeah, we are talking about that H2O stuff again. Getting dehydrated is one of the quickest ways to take the spring out of your step, or decrease the power in your stride. Being even just a little dehydrated can lead to fatigue, crankiness, and foggy thinking, all things that will hamper you ability on the ice. Before, after, on the bench, after, with dinner, before lunch, at school/work, before bed, drink it and keep hydrated this week and all season. Keep a water bottle with you and keep it filled and cold, you will be surprised how much you end up drinking, you will also use the bathroom more. I promise you will feel better and perform better during tryouts.

Medicine Ball

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When training with a medicine ball you want to be careful to not pick up the biggest ball around and start throwing it around, you want to pick a ball that you feel comfortable with and that you feel provides enough resistance to maximize your workout. You can do hundreds of exercise with the ball and I wont bore you with a laundry list of them. I am going to key in on a few of them and some of the ones that I think are greatly important for hockey players to be doing.

Slams

1. Stand with feet parallel and knees slightly bent.
2. Pull medicine ball back behind head and forcefully throw ball down on the ground as hard as possible.
3. Catch the ball on the bounce from the ground and repeat according to prescribed repetitions.

Medicine Ball Lunge Crossovers

1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Take left leg and step back approximately 2 feet.
2. Start position: Feet should be positioned at a staggered stance with head and back straight. Hold medicine ball in front of your chest.
3. Lower your body by bending at hip. As you are lunging reach to one side of the leg with the ball.
4. Alternate sides and legs.

Reverse Curls

1. Start position: Lie with back on floor and hold your feet in the air holding onto a medicine ball between your knees. Position arms at sides with palms down on floor.
2. Leading with the heels towards the ceiling, raise glutes (butt) off floor or bench.
3. Return to start position.
4. Remember keep legs from swinging to prevent momentum throughout the exercise.

Medicine Ball Oblique

1. Starting Position: Lie on your back and raise your legs with your knees bent.
2. Holding a medicine ball between your knees rotate your legs to the side and then return to the starting position. Repeat to the other side.

Single Leg V-Ups

1. Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with knees bent, both hands behind head. Keep elbow back and out of sight. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench. Extend arms and also raise one leg up toward ceiling.
3. Return to start position.

Grab a ball and try some of these drills. Make sure to not grab too heavy of a ball and concentrate on proper form.
 

Mental Toughness

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This subject may hit close to home as we venture out into the snow to practices and drylands: MENTAL TOUGHNESS!! Mental toughness is something rarely talked about and is something that gets overlooked as a key ingredient for any successful training program. Mental toughness is loosely defined as: having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to:

• Generally cope better than your opponents with the many demands (e.g., competition, training, lifestyle) that are placed on you as a performer
• Specifically, to be more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, resilient, and in control under pressure

Blah, Blah, Blah, not a huge fan of using long worded definitions, my personal definition is: having the determination and will to not let anyone or anything break you, giving the ability to push yourself to new levels.

I chose this topic simply because I find way too many of the athletes in dryland sessions lacking the mental toughness to push through a hard workout or to deal with the mental stresses of dealing with a group of peers in a small confined area trying to get better and push themselves.

So how do we get mentally tough??

1. Attitude
   • Knowing you are prepared and ready to go is a great way to start
2. Program your mind to know you are going to succeed
   • Have a pep talk with yourself
3. Get into a routine before you train, or practice
   • It will help a ton to know exactly what you are going to do and when
   • It will help build for success
4. Avoid negative attitude and conversations
   • Don't cut each other down to build each other up
   • I find this to be true at the higher levels
5. Learn from your failures
   • Get better not worse
6. Be a leader
   • Not a follower

Mental toughness is something I would like to see all of our teams work on. I know that if we work on Mental Toughness the physical toughness will follow suit.

REMEMBER: Mental Toughness=Physical Toughness, not the other way around.

Muscles when Skating

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Let's talk about the major muscles needed for skating. If you were to look in a mirror, see those abdominal muscles, oblique muscles, hip flexors, quadriceps, now turn around see those hip extensors (including your butt muscles and hamstring muscles). Those muscles are the MOST important hockey muscles you can have, not only for skating, but for everything related to hockey.

Notice in that rant, that upper body muscles aren't present, I am not saying that they aren't important but the muscles listed are the ones that hockey players need to be the most concerned about. These are the muscles that we need to take care of, if something doesn't feel right tell your coach, tell me. I see a lot of players try and battle through injuries to be tough, or to not have their buddies think they are wimps. So, how do they work, Muscles are the "engine" that your body uses to propel itself. There are 3 types of muscle: Skeletal, Smooth, and Cardiac Muscle.

• Skeletal muscle is the type of muscle that we can see and feel, skeletal muscle is what is being exercised. These are the types of muscles that are important to hockey players.
• Smooth muscle is found in your digestive system, blood vessels, bladder, airways and, in a female, the uterus.
• Cardiac muscle is found only in your heart, and its main job is endurance and moving blood through the body.

So take care of your muscles this season, just like they always say if you take care of your equipment, your equipment will take care of you, the same can be said for you muscles.

Offseason Eating Habits

During the off-season, it is sooooo much easier to forget the good habits we have established and to forget the things I have taught you throughout the season. I want to talk about the choices we make, and how these choices can positively affect our lives. I gave you some examples of how to eat out, how to grocery shop, how to work out, etc. Now is when we need to make decisions to take the extra step. Now I am not naïve and know that some (not all) of you have not been as diligent with nutrition and exercise since the season is over, and have not put the same demands on your body as you do during the season. This is the perfect recipe to fall back into bad habits and routines that can negatively affect the gains you have made. This also is the perfect time to do just the opposite and make those positive changes nutritionally and physically.

When we go out to eat think about the choices we make, let's look at a few easy questions you can ask yourself before you tell your server what you want, if you answer yes maybe we should look for something else.

1. Is it fried?
2. Is it cooked with oil?
3. Does it have fatty side dishes
4. Does it have those "special" words??
   • Creamy, crispy, buttery

Another choice we make is where we chose to eat out, I get it sometimes fast food is the best option, but maybe we look for healthy alternatives at these restaurants.

Some of the choices we make at home are just as important, say for example you make a super healthy meal and are feeling really good about yourself, make a little extra and take it with you the next day. You would be amazed what people around you at work/school will say and how they react.

Now it is the "off-season" and I get that, we need to rest and repair injuries, but that "rest" is not a invitation to be a couch potato until two weeks before tryouts. Now is the time to get out and train so that when tryouts do come you are ready. Whether that is camps, or going on runs, or going to the gym, etc. As an athlete, it is important to go the extra mile on your own, and this is what it takes to be truly great at something. Showing up to every practice, dryland, camp, etc, is awesome, but what are you doing when no one is watching?  This is what separates the good from the great. So make that decision to be better than the next guy/girl.

Call this a rant, call it what you want. I personally am going to call this a challenge. I want to challenge you to make choices that will separate you, I want you to be the best you can be, but I cannot hold your hand the whole way. I have given you the tools, what are you going to build with those tools?

Offseason Training

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Realizing that I could never give you the perfect off season training plan without getting a publisher involved and writers cramp, I am going to keep it simple.

Let us start with some basics: a good stretching routine is crucial to the development of muscles as well as injury prevention. I promise if you commit to stretching 3-4 days a week you will see an incredible difference in flexibility and a decrease in injuries come next season. Here is a sample routine: http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/stretching-routine-hockey.php

The second most important area to focus on is the core, and not just regular sit-ups twice a week, try new things. OnDemand on Comcast has great core focused workouts and I promise you will be dead. Fitness.com is a great resource for new things to try as well as a great database of exercise to strengthen your core. Basically, try new things and try them often.

Legs, just a little important for hockey don't ya think?? I struggle with how to approach this as the older kids can get a lot from serious strength training and heavier weights, but let's not put our squirts on the leg press with eight 45 pound plates on each side. A good lunge routine (which we did a lot of this season) will strengthen the legs of any player at any level at any age. Try different variations and angles (backwards, sideways, 45 degrees).

Upper Body, pushups, pushups, and more pushups. Yeah yeah, I know I just changed your entire view about the fitness industry in one sentence, but seriously do them. They are a great way to strengthen the core, arms, back, chest and shoulders, and oh yeah get bigger. Try and set goals for yourself, "today I will do 100 in sets of 25," and "next week I want to do 50 without stopping." So hopefully, "by the end of the summer I want to have done 10,000." If you are working towards something you will always push yourself a little harder. Pull-ups are also a phenomenal way to get a stronger and bigger upper body.

I hope this has helped give you an idea of some things that we can be doing over the summer to get ready for the next hockey season.

On the Road Eating Habits

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As most of us know when we go on the road, we tend to eat out for pretty much every meal. That being said it is still important for players to adhere to proper eating habits to fuel and recover from a strenuous tournament schedule. I've heard it a million times – trust me, I know that it is hard to eat out and eat healthy, or is it hard??

When teams go on the road for 3-4 days at a time and have 4-6 games in that time span proper nutrition can make all the difference in how they perform on the ice. It is important to maintain an adequate intake of carbohydrates to fuel and protein to recover. It is also just as important to avoid those fatty, greasy, and fried foods (that may taste good but are inhibited peak performance). Here are some alternatives to the regular menu that will help in a big way on road trips.

1. If its fried ask for it grilled
   • Simple, tasty, and doesn't take much effort or cost
2. Ask for extra veggies
   • I promise they won't say no or charge you extra, try it
3. Careful of "fat free"
   • That doesn't always mean good for you b. Ask how it was prepared
4. Light
   • If it says it's a light option it probably is ok
5. Smaller portions
   • Don't be afraid to share
   • Large portions are one of the main reasons for the obesity epidemics in this country
   • You don't need as much as they give you
6. Appetizers, Appetizers
   • Yes twice, many appetizers have great nutritional value
   • Don't be afraid to order 2 for yourself and eat that as your meal
   • Some restaurants see that as a good thing for sales, and for the waiter
7. Salads-BEWARE
   • Yes veggies are good for you, but a gallon of ranch dressing isn't
   • Order a salad with light vinaigrette, and extra protein such as chicken or fish
   • Also ask for half the cheese
   • Most of these salads are so big to begin with if you order them that way they will fill you up
8. Read the description of the entrée
   • Words like "creamy, crisp, buttery, sauced, or stuffed" may be something you want to avoid
9. FISH
   • With a lightly sauced pasta is a perfect choice for these players before and after games
10. Dessert
    • Skip it

 These little techniques to help increase the nutritional value of meals will greatly increase the likely hood of players feeling better, playing better, and sleeping better on the road. This may increase the likelihood of bringing home the W as well.

Now obviously this is not just for the players, but something that everyone can take consideration of as we eat out both on the road or at home. This will cause weight loss, healthier habits at home, and overall feeling better in everyday life. Try it and let me know how you feel.

Protein

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There are both good and bad sources of protein. As I have said before protein is a critical component of any athletes diet not only for recovery but also for a source of fuel. And when combined with a quality carbohydrate...jackpot. Another thing to think about is that the wrong proteins in the diet will quickly sabotage optimal health.

BEEF

• Best
  • Grass fed beef
  • Cleaner, healthier, more flavorful
  • Usually organic
• Worst
  • Hamburger meat
  • Most likely the bottom of the barrel of the meat
  • May even include other parts, or other animals
  • Sorry to scare you
  • Try natural ground turkey instead

 CHICKEN

• Best
  • Organic chicken
  • Chicken raised properly is one of the most effective, lean sources available
  • Tastes way better
• Worst
  • Bagged frozen chicken
  • Usually shoved by the "cluckload" into dirty factories
  • Will not taste nearly as good

 FISH

• Best
  • Wild salmon
  • Buy wild only
  • May cost a little more but after I scare you with the other source you won't mind the few extra dollars
• Worst
  • Farm raised salmon
  • All fish is healthy right???
  • Don't bother patting yourself on the back if you are eating farm raised salmon
  • The way they raise these fish is worse than the dirty chicken factories
  • They are feed so terribly that they lose some of the chemical properties that make the protein worth eating, might as well get a fillet of fish at McDonalds
  • Usually what is served at restaurants

 YOGURT

• Best
• Greek yogurt
  • Wait yogurt is a good source of protein???
  • 1 cup of Greek yogurt has 28% of your daily value of protein at low low calories
  • Add a ½ cup of natural granola and o my gosh you just ate breakfast
• Worst
  • Regular yogurt
  • Usually loaded with sugar and artificial flavorings

NUTS

• Best
  • Almonds
  • Buy chopped up nuts and top your salads with them
  • Will make a huge difference
• Worst
  • Peanuts
  • Peanuts are the least nutritious nuts around
  • Way high in sodium

I think you can see that we all make some of the mistakes of buying and eating foods in the "worst" column. Okay, maybe I was a little hard on you, but try making some substitutes at the grocery store and be conscious when shopping. Organic is a good word and not just for health food freaks. Natural healthy proteins can make a huge difference not just in a player's performance but also in the overall health of parents, players, coaches, etc. I know I made some radical claims this week but do some research on these protein sources and try some; I would like to hear how you liked it.

Snacks

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As the summer kicks off and schedules change and are less and less routine, I want to touch on something that all of us can learn a little bit about -- Snacks. I want to cover what you may be craving as you go about your day and healthier ways to satisfy those cravings without killing your diet.

• So you are craving something salty: eat popcorn, low in calories and high in fiber, be careful and pop your own and add seasoning, try to stay away from the pre-flavored stuff.
• If you are craving something sweet: try dark chocolate, it may help to prevent heart disease, and lower blood pressure. I am trying to be cautious in saying this, as moderation is key in snacking on chocolate.
• Now all of a sudden you are craving something crunchy: go for the roasted peanuts, they will have higher level of antioxidants than other nuts if they are roasted. Peanuts are also high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
• If you are just super hungry one day and are in need of something more filling go for the breakfast staple cereal, not coco puffs, but something high in fiber at least 5g per serving, and get a low fat milk. Hit the greens as well, fruits, and veggies are easy to pack and easy to eat on the run.
• If you are thirsty stick with water and do not go to the soda machine just to get a flavor burst, you are doing much more harm than good.

Again with everything moderation is key, plan ahead and take some snacks with you and eat them when you have a few minutes, it will help to keep you energized and feeling strong all day.

Supplements

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I am somewhat torn about talking about this supplements and torn about what to believe myself. I get asked a lot about what supplements to take, when to take them, when and how to get bigger, and how to look better (especially the Midgets). I personally take very few supplements, and have never been a huge believer in taking too many of them. I think that people react differently to certain things chemically.

I'll give you a funny example about a not so good experience with supplements. In my freshman year of college I was much like some of the midgets and high school kids in general and wanted to look better and be cooler, so I thought I would bulk up. I began taking Creatine and became so moody and cranky that my mother and girlfriend at the time (now wife) told me that if I continued to take it they would stop talking to me. My wife still warns me if she sees that stuff in the house she will dump it out and send me directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200, and straight to the couch. Granted not everyone reacts the same to supplements, but it is a good idea to see how your body reacts to changes in chemical balances in these supplements.

Here are some (key word SOME) of the supplements that "can" help with performance on and off the ice.

1. Multivitamins
   • First and most important
   • Help boost energy and immunity
   • Taken with a meal
2. Glutamine
   • Helps you stay healthy
   • Enhances recovery after workouts and skates
   • Taken after a workout
3. Vitamin B
   • Protect immune system from damage
   • Helps build muscle
   • Increase energy levels, and endurance
   • Take in the morning
4. Creatine Monohydrate
   • Increase energy
   • Protect against muscle loss
   • Prevent dehydration
   • Depends on the brand but some before and some after
5. Whey Protein
   • Prevent muscle destroying hormones
   • Build new muscle tissue after training
   • Taken after workouts
6. Branch Chain Amino Acids
   • Building blocks of proteins, which are the building blocks of muscle
   • Enhance endurance
   • Pre and postgame

These are some of the more common supplements and depending on the individual will help to enhance your natural abilities and help relieve some of the soreness and fatigue associated with training and playing a long season.

I will warn about age appropriate supplementation. I am NOT suggesting our U8's start pumping the protein into their veins. Instead be conscious of the benefits that these supplements can bring especially to our older players.