Photo via mydaytondailynews.com

Preseason training involves hours of physical activity to get players in the best shape for the coming season. But what about preparation off the field? One Ohio high school football coach is taking steps to get his players on a nutritional track.

Hamilton High School football players spent a day of their preseason training listening to a lecture by a local nutrition expert. Coach Chad Murphy is incorporating this new preseason program to teach his players they can perform at a higher level by eating proper nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

“It’s a really good thing for us football players because the biggest thing we forget is we go home with a lot of friends and we forget to eat because we’re having fun. And we forget to put nutrition in our bodies and we come back the next day and our bodies are beat down,” defensive end Ryan Ponder told whio.com in Dayton.

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At a young age with high metabolism, high school players don’t see the toll bad foods have on their bodies. Lee Munn, defensive coordinator at Southlake Carroll High School in Texas told AFCA Insider nutrition is key factor.

“I see young guys come in here all the time at 17, 18 and 19 years old, and their bodies are getting away with eating all that fast food right now, but eventually, it will wear on them,” Munn said. “Nutrition is huge. I don’t think high school coaches can stress nutrition enough to their athletes.”

The nutrition expert taught the team about proper recovery foods to eat after practice for their muscles and the importance of drinking water instead of trendy sports drinks.

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In Ohio, the Big Blue players got hands-on experience after the lecture was over, mixing ingredients to make healthy juice-based drinks.

Here is a video of the experience.

 

Murphy says he’s already noticed a change in the energy his players bring to practice.

“I see guys who are fresher at practice and we’ve had some weight gains and muscle because of the extra carbohydrates and protein we’re eating on a daily basis. It’s just unreal,” Murphy said.

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Murphy hopes this program will help his players perform better in games, but also says it’s something he wants his players to take with them beyond high school.

“We are preparing our kids for life after football and life after high school,” said Murphy.