A competitive female volleyball player might burn 600 calories an hour playing the vigorous sport, and hundreds more training for matches. Female players also need considerable muscle strength to skillfully execute moves such as the roof, stuff, dig and kill. Poor nutrition can hurt your game performance and harm your health.
Calories Burned
Volleyball, an explosive sport, demands cardiovascular fitness to serve, block, roll and spike the ball. Adequate diet helps female volleyball players attain peak performance. Proper food choices before and after competitions will help provide energy for a game and rebuild muscle afterward. Competitive volleyball players burn a lot of calories during play. A woman who weighs 117 pounds will burn about 7.8 calories per minute, while a woman who weighs 150 pounds will burn about 10 calories per minute.
Players' Eating Habits
A Ball State University study indicated the need for healthy eating habits among female volleyball players. Katherine Beals and colleagues studied the nutritional status and eating behaviors of 23 nationally ranked women volleyball players. The tools and measures used included weight, height, menstrual history, eating disorders, body shape, nutrient intakes, energy expenditure and more. Half of the subjects reported active dieting, and 35 percent scored higher than average for eating disorders. Elite women volleyball players also face higher risks of menstrual dysfunction and nutritional deficiencies, according to the report published in the September 2002 issue of the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association."
Nutrition
Competitive volleyball players need to keep their caloric intake high to provide the necessary energy for vigorous play. Women on the Penn State University volleyball team eat a pre-match meal about three hours before a game to maximize their energy levels and performance. Some players also eat pre-game snacks about 30 minutes before the start of play. Pre-game meals and snacks should include complex carbohydrates. While refined carbohydrates -- sugar, candy, chocolate and commercial baked goods -- provide quick energy, complex carbohydrates provide greater nutrition and more sustained energy. A pre-game breakfast of oatmeal, almonds, blueberries and low-fat milk would provide complex carbohydrates as well as protein and dairy. Healthy pre-game snacks include a banana, yogurt with fruit and a slice of whole grain bread with peanut butter.
Balance
Female volleyball players need to obtain about 50 to 65 percent of their daily calories from high-carbohydrate foods like fruits, vegetables and grains. About 10 to 25 percent of the daily calories should come from protein, which provides muscle nourishment. About 30 percent should come from healthy fats. They also need to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated and may sometimes benefit from sports drinks to replace minerals lost through sweat. A post-workout meal that includes protein and complex carbohydrates will help you repair muscle tissue and restore blood sugar. Foods such as lean meat or fish, vegetables and whole grains such as brown rice would meet those needs.
References
- West Lake: Volleyball Basic Rules
- "Journal of the American Dietetic Association"; Eating Behaviors, Nutritional Status and Menustrual Function in Elite Female Adolescent Volleyball Players; Katherine Beals; September 2002
- Atlantic Coast Conference; Volleyball Nutrition--Serving the Ideal Diet for Training, Competition, and Recovery; Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, LMHC; Nov. 10, 2005
- "The Daily Collegian"; Volleyball Players Pile on Calories; Emily Kaplan; Oct. 29, 2010
- The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports: Fast Facts About Sports Nutrition
- The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports: Winning Nutrition for Athletes
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