What does a nutritionist's day look like?
Sports nutritionist Martijn Redegeld takes you on a training camp day. In this video Martijn explains how he ensures that the riders receive the right nutrition and supplements during a training camp and how the personal coaching of the riders throughout the season is handled.
What does a sports nutritionist's day look like?
My day starts early during a training camp. Before the riders have breakfast, I go to the dining room to discuss with our chefs what the day will look like and what nutrition the riders will need during the day. I'm there too when the riders have breakfast, so they can ask questions if necessary. But in general, they already know what to have for breakfast.
After breakfast I go outside to prepare for the training with the caregivers. Meanwhile, the caregivers are busy making the water bottles, the recovery drinks, the bars, the gels - basically everything that needs to be taken with the riders during the training.
Sometimes I join the training sessions and sometimes I stay in the hotel to do other work. When the men have finished training in the afternoon, I try to schedule as much time as possible for individual conversations. The training camps are the perfect moments to spend some more time together and discuss all the individual plans.
In the evening at dinner, it is basically the same routine. Before dinner I calculate what the riders still need to eat that day based on the training data. I then discuss this with the chefs and we ensure that everything is neatly present at the buffet, so that the men can eat well.
What are your thoughts on supplements?
Supplements are an addition to the basic nutritional plan. So especially like here at a training camp making a good supplement plan is an important part, because everyone is just starting up again with training. I have to ensure that all riders have the right products and can take them at the right times.
"It is my job to give the riders a good advice on which supplements are useful and when to use them"
Does every rider have a custom supplement plan?
It is the riders' own responsibility to take the right supplements at the right times. We will of course discuss this first and make a plan together. But no rider gets anything imposed. In the end, it is my job to give the riders good advice about which supplements are useful and when they can be used.
Do you have a lot of contact with the riders?
Apart from the races and the training camps, I also talk to the riders almost daily. Not all riders every day of course, but that is something that just goes on continuously. At home and in races it is mainly following the plans we made together at a training camp like here.
How do you help new riders?
It is important that new riders are of course fully included in everything that goes on within the team. Nutrition is also an important part of this. For example, we discuss with the new riders what they are used to, what patterns they have, what they like and what they may be allergic to. It is also important to make up a good individual plan with the new riders. In addition, we pay extra attention to ensure that these riders really understand how they can best implement this plan. The riders who have been on the team for a while now already know all this. But with the new guys we really make sure that they know how to handle everything, both at the training camp and in the race, but also at home. This is actually the biggest challenge!
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