I was reading my paintball 2 X tremes magazine and they had a pretty god article about eating the right foods and staying in shape so you’re not like dying after every game of paintball... so I thought it would be useful to people... so here it is

And I have stickied it because I think it’s an important topic because "many people are overweight in the usa" but if I shouldn't have it sticked just tell me.... thanx  

Ok this was wrote by Dr. David G. Berkebile from paintball x tremes magazine... hopefully I’m not doing any thing wrong here like plagiarizing if I am tell me... thanx

Foods that increase energy!

Playing paintball requires the right equipment. This equipment is needed to be competitive in the game and to help protect the outside of your body. But how do you improve your game from the inside? Equipment for your inside does not mean swallowing a pair of batteries or a few paintballs, that's for sure: it means getting the right kind of nutrients from certain foods! Taking care of the inside of your body is just as important as the right equipment is for the outside. Eating the right foods can help you become a better paintball player, and have a fuller and better life!

When it comes to choosing the right foods, most of us fall short. Eating the wrong foods can cause fatigue early during a game, the inability to think clearly and/ or shoot straight. In addition, choosing the wrong foods over time can cause us to gain weight making us sluggish and even depressed! With a majority of our society being overweight isn't surprising that eating wrong foods can cause us problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Most paintball players are young and haven't been affected yet, but for some of the veteran players the types of problems are showing up.

What do we need to eat daily?

Vitamin, Minerals, and Phytonutrients:

Fruits: raw 4-5 pieces a day and/or freshly squeezed fruit juice 3-4 glasses/day (12oz.).

Vegetables: 6-8 servings a day raw or lightly steamed. Vegetables and fruits are high in fiber**.

Protein: chicken and/or grilled/steamed fish, 2-4 servings per day. Fish is preferred over poultry due to the Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA), which are essential Fatty Acids (EFA) that we need daily. PUFA consumption should not exceed more than 10 percent of total caloric intake.

Small portions of very red meat with no visible fat should be eaten. Red meat should be consumed only a few times per week or less. High red meat consumption (especially high in saturated fat) has been linked to causing high blood pressure, obesity, and coronary artery disease and colon cancer! Therefore, limiting your intake of red meat would be wise.

Complex Carbohydrates: Eating whole wheat breads and pastas, wild rice, couscous, polenta, and bulgur: 6-11 servings a day. Good source of fiber** and contains amounts of protein.

Complex carbohydrates and protein combination: Peas, kidney beans, lima beans, lentils, and navy beans: 2 servings of these would be the equivalent of one serving of protein and two serving of complex carbohydrates. These types of beans also are high in fiber**.

Fats

Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA): Low to moderate amounts of olive oil (extravirginolive oil recommended) should be consumed with fresh vegetables and salads. Avocados and nuts are also other forms of MUFA's. Recommended intake of MUFA's is between 10-15 percent of total caloric intake.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA): See Fish above.

Simple sugars: Honey should be used as the principle sweetener and sweets (simple sugars) are eaten only a few times per week.

Fiber: Doctors recommend getting between 25-35 grams of fiber a day.

Various foods and their fiber content:

 Order of food lay out: food, Serving, Calories, Grams of Fiber

Apples: 1 medium, 81, 3.5

Prunes: 3, 60, 3.0

Raisins: 1/2 cup, 106, 3.1

Raspberries: 1/2 cup, 35, 3.1

Bean Sprouts: 1/2 cup, 13, 1.5

Broccoli: 1 cup, 40, 4.4

Brussels sprouts: 1 cup, 56, 4.6

Carrots: 1 cup, 48, 4.6

Parsnip: 1 cup, 102, 5.4

Spinach: 1 cup, 42, 4.2

Baked beans: 1/2 cup, 155, 8.8

Dried peas: 1/2 cup, 115, 4.7 

Kidney beans: 1/2 cup, 110, 7.3

Lima beans: 1/2 cup, 64, 4.5

Lentils: 1/2 cup, 97, 3.7

Navy beans, 1/2 cup, 112, 6.0

Bran muffin: 1 muffin, 104, 2.5

Crisp bread, rye: 2 crackers, 50, 2.0

Spaghetti: 1/2 cup, 155, 3.9 

All-bran: 1/3, 71, 8.5

Bran Chex: 2/3, 91, 4.6

Corn Bran: 2/3, 98, 5.4

Raisin Bran-Type: 2/3, 115, 4.0

**Dietary fiber is very important to keep not only your bowels moving, but also to keep our bodies healthy.

So how do you know what the right foods are?

Here's a list (in no particular order) of fruits and vegetables to be eaten on a regular basis to help with feelings of depression, fatigue, and to increase energy. It's recommended they be eaten raw and not cooked.

Red tipped lettuce

Onions

Dandelion greens               

Lemons

Cauliflower  

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Carrots

Collard Greens* 

Cabbage

Yellow Peppers

Yams  

Watermelon

Pears

Apple

Tomatoes

Apricots

Spinach*

Pineapples*

Kale*

*Do not eat dark green leafy vegetables or pineapples if you are on blood thinner medication or have a bleeding disorder

The night before and the day of a game you still need to eat from all the food groups and adding a little more complex carbohydrates is recommended to keep the glycogen levels (energy supply in the muscles) high. Proper rest one to two days before competition is important for building up high glycogen levels.  

Make sure to follow these suggestions for your pre-game meal plans. Be sure to eat the meal three hours before an event. This allows enough time for the foods to be digested. Choose a meal that's high in complex carbohydrates. Eat only moderate amounts of protein. Protein takes longer to digest than complex carbohydrates.  High-protein meals may cause more urine production, which can lead to dehydration. Limit intake of fats and oils, becasue they take too long to digest. Restrict simple sugars (sweets) in foods. Sweets can cause blood sugar levels to change rapidly leading to less energy. Avoid foods and drinks that contain caffeine. Caffeine causes the body to increase body output, which can lead to dehydration. A full bladder can be very uncomfortable.

During the game drinking watered down fruit juices or sports drinks is a quick and good source of energy. In addition, drinking plenty of water to keep your body hydrated is very important.

Thirty minutes after the game or tournament is finished, eat a well balanced meal containing protein and carbohydrates. This is important for building muscles that have been broken down during game play and replacing glycogen levels. It usually takes 2 days to replenish the glycogen supply that has been depleted from playing paintball.

Participating in paintball increases the amount of calories needed. When you train, you increase muscle mass relative to fat. As muscles increase in size, they burn more calories. Playing paintball can easily increase the daily calorie needs of teens and adults over the recommended 2,000. The amount of food needed depends on the athlete's age, sex, weight, and activity level. A larger athelet requires more calories are being burned during short periods of time may be greater due to short bursts of intense activity that occur in completion. Further, the activity levels and calories being burned vary among players due to the positions being played. Players playing back may not need as much calories as those playing front.

Remember to put as much emphasis into the inside equipment as you do into the outside equipment. What you eat daily provides you with the nutrients and energy to sustain you over a longer period of time. In addition, eating the right foods helps you to live a healthier and longer life. Keep playing hard and eating right.

Again this article is from paintball 2 x tremens magazine and was written by Dr. David G. Berkebile

Hope it helps!!!!!!!!!!

good post, but id put it in the Uber FAQ instead.

Very Good post.

Not very sticky worthy.

I don't think anyone takes P-Ball so seriosly. I don't even follow a diet that stict for Football.

chronzak wrote: every day i go paintballing, i eat nothing until i come home, no breakfast, no lunch, just alot of gatorade

wow ur special

Nice post. For most people reading this I am sure they are saying wow thats obsurd to do all that for paintball. I dont think the intention was for you to follow that exact program. As much as it was for you to get mindful that paintball can be very taxing on the body and we should be concerned about what we eat especially before and after paintball to give us the best preformance. This really isnt that big of a deal considering if your paying thousands of dollars for a marker and equipment you should be making sure your body can keep up.

^ ya good point

the point that he is trying ot get across is that we shouold eat the right foods. Paintball is a sport and makes you excerise so you shuold eat the right foods to keep you healthy. I think we should all take this into consideration. Would u rather be so slow that your opponets team is unloading on you before you know it or would you rather be unloading on them???