SINI.co.uk asked Bronwen a few questions to find out more about the workshops and how important nutrition is to SINI athletes.
How do you select the athletes for the workshops?
All athletes are welcome to attend and I think it is great to have a mixture of athletes from different sports who all have varying levels of confidence with cooking.
The workshops are designed to be very interactive to promote a relaxed, friendly environment where the more experienced cooks can help out athletes who are not as confident or experienced in the kitchen.
L-R; Bronwen Masters, Paul Stirling, Conor Leaney, Neil Booth, Regan West, James Hall.
What do the athletes learn?
Primarily the workshops aim to teach athletes how easy it is to make quick, delicious meals and this is turn should help them meet their high energy and nutrient needs. The workshops should also encourage athletes to increase the variety of meals and snacks they eat. My hope is that the workshops provide ideas on how to include new foods in their daily intake.
How do you select the recipes?
In each workshop we cook 3 different meals/snacks. These are always low in fat, high in carbohydrates and include a variety of fruits and vegetables. All meals must be quick to prepare and include everyday foods that are easily found in the supermarket.
What are the most common misconceptions about nutrition in sport?
Many athletes believe that the use of specialised sports supplements mean they don’t need to eat well during the day. But, in fact these supplements are pointless unless you eat a balanced diet and include sufficient carbohydrates, protein and fluid. Eating adequate carbohydrates can affect your performance by as much as 20% whereas specialised sports supplements can only make 0.1-1% difference to your performance. Therefore a poor diet will cancel out any benefit that you may get from specialised supplements.
How important is nutrition to athletes?
It is said that ‘a good diet can not make an average athlete great, but a poor diet can make a great athlete average’. Elite sport is so competitive in this era where competitions are won and lost in 0.01 second or 1-2 meters. Good fuelling, hydration and nutrition recovery can make that difference.
Why not try these making these delicious recipes yourself?
Ham and Mushroom Pasta Recipe
BBQ Pizza Recipe
White Chocolate and Berry Muffin Recipe
