Sinéad Bradbury has pedigree when it comes to Galway All-Ireland glory - her dad John Connolly and uncle Joe were All-Ireland hurling champions in 1980.
Tomorrow she will have an important role in the footballers’ quest for Croke Park success in her role as the team’s performance nutritionist.
So what does that entail? She gave us the lowdown on fuelling Galway’s players for the biggest challenge of their careers.
Q: What’s on the matchday menu?
Sinéad: “The emphasis would be on high carb, low fat, low fibre. We don’t want to tax the digestive system, so the emphasis is on quick-release carbohydrates.
“They are in performance mode, so we don’t want high fat foods or high fibre foods that would slow down digestion. Everything is on energy and quick-release energy.
“The pre-match meal is generally three hours before (throw-in) and we work back from there.
“You are looking at a light lunch for this game and breakfast. Nothing out of the ordinary, it will be eggs and porridge and cereals and breads.
“It’s about choice for the players, because they have worked out what’s best for them at this stage. It’s not a one size fits all.
“It’s all about protein, quick-releasing carbohydrates, low fat and low fibre.”
Q: Describe your role during the match
Sinéad: “I’d be in and out of the dugout and the dressing room. I’d have the Maor Uisce well briefed and they would try to optimise hydration and water intake during the game.
“Then it’s my job to facilitate things at half-time. The players know what they need to do, but there might be the odd occasion where they are so involved with conversations with teammates or they are fatigued, so they may not do what they normally do.
“That’s when I intervene to make sure they are given whatever they need at half-time.
“Game day for me and game day prep doesn’t end until the final whistle, so you are thinking about their hydration, their half-time intake…
“We have a lot of different supplements that we use, wellness supplements, multi-vitamins, omega three, vitamin D, gels, caffeine and whey protein.
“But it is always a food-first approach and we make sure the players understand when to take these things and at what time and whether it suits them. It’s not a one size fits all.”
Q: What about post-match?
Sinéad: “It’s straight into recovery afterwards. But I won’t be as heavy on them after this particular game!
“We want to hit that window, one hour after the game. You want to optimise what we call the ‘power hour’ after training and games. It’s really important to get protein into you, to get rehydrated.
“For every kilo they lose in body weight during a game, they need to replace it with one and a half litres of water.
“So it is really important to get water into them to replace those losses, because a good recovery is all about refuelling for the next session.
“Again, some of them aren’t as hungry afterwards because it’s very intense. But we try to have the post-match meal within the hour, and then we have some recovery powders and supplements to support them.
“The 48 hours after a game is really important too, but I’m not too sure it’ll be as strict this time as it normally would be.”
SINÉAD BRADBURY, Performance Nutritionist, SENr, works for Revive Active, suppliers to Galway’s All-Ireland finalists of all their supplements. Sinéad is the lead nutritionist for the Galway team.
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