Canada’s national team athletes and experts tell you where they love to ski

 This issue: Freestyle Canada athlete Kaya Turski on four season resort Whistler Mountain

 Montreal-born Canadian slopestyle skier Kaya Turski is a seven time X-Games gold medalist and the 2013 World Champion in her sport, which debuted at the Sochi Olympic Games earlier this year.

We caught up with Kaya as she was on the World Cup circuit and preparing to represent Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Among other things, we asked her where she most likes to ski when she has a rare free day.

“I adore Whistler, because it’s one of the most versatile mountains I have ever skied. When it snows, which is often, you can have fun playing all day in the deep powder all over the mountain. I also love skiing park and Whistler/Blackcomb set up such a great assortment of features and jumps for all ages and levels.”

Kaya also pointed out that there’s more to Whistler than winter sports. “When not out skiing – during the spring and summer – you can do a bunch of other fun activities like zip lining, one of my favorites. There are also endless hikes to explore. The shopping is great, the dining is great, the night life is a ton of fun… there isn’t really anything I don’t like about Whistler! Plus it’s easy to get to and from the airport and then it’s only a beautiful drive up the freeway to get to one of my favourite destinations ever.”

 Quick facts about Whistler/ Blackcomb:

125 kms from Vancouver, or a short 2 hour drive from Vancouver International Airport

• The largest ski resort in North America with 4757 acres of skiable terrain at Whistler; 3414 acres at Blackcomb and over 1500 metres of vertical
• More than 200 runs to choose from (35 green; 110 blue; 35 black; 20 double black)
• Two runs that are 11 kms long (6.8 miles) – Burnt Stew at Whistler and Green Road at Blackcomb
• 10.22 metres a year snowfall
• 39 lifts, including 13 high speed quad chairlifts
• Venue for the alpine skiing events at the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games

For more information visit http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/

The post Mountain Profile: Whistler Blackcomb appeared first on Snow Sports Canada.

By: Susan Boegman & Dana Lis, Canadian Sport Institute Dietitians

After hard training (endurance, sprint, resistance) the muscle fuel glycogen – the storage form of carbohydrate – will be depleted and both protein synthesis and protein breakdown will be stimulated. Glycogen is essential to keep your muscles working. When you exercise you burn through glycogen, and as it runs out you become slow and tired. The harder you train, the more glycogen you use and the lower your glycogen stores become.

In the absence of food, protein breakdown is greater than protein synthesis and glycogen re-synthesis will be limited – so, forgetting to eat after exercise is definitely not a high performance strategy if you want to maximize your training and adaptation to get stronger and faster!

Post Exercise Nutrition Is Critical To:

• Replenish glycogen stores
•  Help prevent muscle protein breakdown
•  Improve cellular rehydration
•  Help keep immune system function high
•  Improve exercise performance within the same day or on following training days

Your Recovery Focus: The Three ‘R’s’

• Replenish glycogen
• Recondition the muscle-synthesize protein
• Rehydrate

Replenishing Glycogen
To be able to train at your best day after day after day, glycogen MUST BE REPLENISHED after exercise. In a review of over 165 studies it has been found that the most effective replenishment of glycogen happens when you eat or drink about 1.2 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight (range 0.8 –1.5 g/kg BW) immediately after exercise for as many as four to six hours after exercise. As well as stimulating glycogen synthesis, eating or drinking carbohydrate in recovery inhibits the muscle protein breakdown that occurs after training.

The amount of carbohydrate needed right after training or competition depends on your body weight, how hard/long the training/competition is and if you eat or drink protein rich foods or fluids along with your carbs. When you train multiple times in a day, have back-to-back events or engage in high volume or intensity training, an efficient post-training glycogen recovery plan becomes essential. If you skip the carbs in favour of protein, delay eating after training or forget to eat all together, the result will be lowered muscle glycogen resynthesize by up to 50%. Essentially, you’re giving your competition the edge before the race even starts!

Reconditioning the Muscle
Essential amino acids (EAA), found in protein rich foods and supplements, do two really cool things: (1) increase protein synthesis; and (2) decrease protein breakdown. Protein eaten before, during or soon after exercise will cause a greater increase in muscle protein stimulation, repair and growth. Muscle protein synthesis seems to plateau at about 20–25g (0.35–0.3 g/kg body weight). The type of protein matters as well. Whey protein seems to cause the greatest immediate increases. So if you are looking to maximize muscle protein synthesis, liquid whey is your best bet. If you can’t consume whey protein right away after exercise, plan to eat other high quality animal based proteins.

 

Rehydrating
The purpose of rehydration is simple: restore the fluids (and electrolytes) lost in sweat. A dehydrated athlete is more prone to fatigue (especially when exercising in the heat) and exercise feels harder. To make sure you are well hydrated, monitor the amount and color of your urine and follow a hydration plan. Excreting a large amount of lemonade coloured urine? You are doing a good job. Dark yellow and small amounts? You are probably dehydrated and need to drink more throughout the day and after exercise.

• Start drinking as soon as you wake up
• Plan for a beverage at each meal and snack
• Carry a water bottle and sip fluids throughout the day. Refill as needed.
• Drink during and after training – set yourself the goal of at least one full water bottle during and after each training session.
• In some sports or conditions over-hydrating is not helpful. Work with your sport dietitian or physiologist to find out the right hydration level for you.
• If you are waking up to go to the bathroom more than once per night you are either over hydrating or drinking too much too close to bed.

 

Few Other Nutrients Essential to Recovery

Sodium
Sodium losses will depend on sweat loss. However, after training or competition, the sodium content of a recovery drink plus the sodium found in all follow-up meals and snacks should be sufficient to replace any losses. If you know that you are a “salty sweater” plan on salting your food.

Fat
Fat may slow the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and proteins so it is best to limit fat in immediate recovery and instead save it for meals at other times during the day. Stick to fats found in fatty fish, walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, hemp hearts and pumpkin seeds. These sources of omega 3s and/or antioxidant nutrients may reduce inflammation.

Antioxidants
Antioxidants are essential in minimizing the effects of the free-oxygen radicals produced during exercise and to protect cell membranes and the immune system. High intensity training or competition may lead to a temporary increase in production of free radicals. There is no consistent evidence that antioxidant supplementation will enhance your performance so eat your antioxidants – choose high quality, colorful, unprocessed plant-based foods.

Recovery Timing
Are you taking part in high intensity training, competition or regular workouts more than once per day? If so, consume a post-workout recovery drink or snack containing both carbohydrates and protein as soon as possible (within 30 minutes) after intense training or competition. This means being prepared! Pack recovery foods and fluids to enjoy while engaged in active recovery – stretching, doing an easy spin on a bike …etc., or for the drive home. Easily digested carbohydrates and whey protein are ideal during this time. See table on next page.

The Next Six Hours
Follow up your immediate recovery nutrition with a high quality meal and fluids as soon as you feel hungry or eat within the next 30–90 minutes even if you do not feel very hungry. When you have limited time between training sessions, aim to eat frequently after training or at least every two hours for the next two meals.

Meal should include:

 HIGH QUALITY CARBS: quinoa, brown rice, barley, multigrain pasta, sprouted or whole grain breads, oatmeal, multi or whole grain cereals, fresh and dried fruits, dairy products, and legumes.

LEAN PROTEINS: eggs, fish, lean beef, bison, chicken, turkey, legumes, milk products, and milk alternatives.

HIGH QUALITY FATS: olives, flax, olive and canola oil, avocados, fish, nuts, and seeds.

 ANTIOXIDANTS: fresh or frozen veggies and fruits – as large a variety as possible.

The post Recovery Nutrition: Why The Big Deal? appeared first on Snow Sports Canada.

By: Steve Van Knotsenburg, Performance Services, Canadian Sport Institute 

Over the course of your athletic career, there will be plenty of times when you will be required to travel for competition or training. If you plan ahead and have a good strategy, travelling to an event can be just a minor interruption to your daily routine and training schedule. The last thing you want before a major competition is to suffer from avoidable stress or poor quality sleep and nutrition. As a National Team Rower for the past nine years, I’ve flown huge distances from Zambia to Vancouver, made it through overnight bus trips across central Mexico and driven the length of entire continents for events.

The most successful journeys are always the trips that I went into well rested and organized with a properly fuelled body. Over the years I’ve implemented helpful strategies that worked for me, which are included below in hopes of making your future travel a breeze!

2-3 DAYS BEFORE TRAVEL

 

 Food and Hydration
Focus on eating high quality meals; building your immune system prior to travel is a MUST. Eat foods high in antioxidants (see Figure 1) at each meal for the days leading up to departure and consume healthy fats and yogurt. Also, be sure to pre-hydrate for your journey. You should be hydrated at all times but pay special attention to how much water you are drinking during those few days before you travel.

Sleep

Starting three days before the flight or bus trip, be sure to prioritize quality sleep. Plan to get an extra hour of sleep during the two or three nights before you travel to ensure your body is fully rested. If you are travelling overnight, attaining a solid night’s sleep is likely impossible. When you arrive at the event destination you should be feeling as fresh and rested as possible and not worried about catching up on sleep. You should not be trying to catch up on sleep after you have travelled because your event will likely be soon to follow. Plan ahead and “bank” some extra sleep prior to leaving the comforts of your own bed.

Supplements

One of the biggest concerns with travel is getting sick. Before you leave you should give your immune system the best possible chance to fight off any germs you come in contact with. Be sure to take your multivitamins during the days leading up to departure.

Activity

Set some time aside a few days prior to travelling to do laundry and most of the packing. You don’t want to be running around your house the night before leaving, attempting to pack. This will create unnecessary stress that is easily avoided. It is possible to pack ¾ of your gear for the trip two days ahead of time. This allows you to prioritize hydration, nutrition, and sleep the day before departure while maintaining training and activity as you normally would.

TRAVEL DAY

Sleep
Try your best to follow your usual sleeping routine by going to bed at your regular time. If you are crossing time zones, switch your watch to the local time of your destination to help your body adjust. Avoid caffeine six to eight hours before you travel to give your body the best chance at sleeping. Pack items that will help maximize sleep, especially if you are travelling overnight:

• neck pillow
• warm sweatshirt
• eye mask
• socks
• earplugs
• blanket
• headphones
• gum

FliteKits™ are loaded with items that you will find useful for travel.

Hydrate

The cabin air on a plane or bus can be extremely dry causing you to arrive in a dehydrated state if you don’t drink lots of water. Whether travelling by land or air, pack a few water bottles, and one should include an electrolyte drink or herbal tea. If flying, pack empty water bottles that can be filled once through security. Electrolyte drink powder can be taken in a small re-sealable plastic bag to be added to your bottles. If you are driving or travelling by bus you don’t have to worry about security, so just take as many water bottles as you need. Aim to consume about 500mL/hour while travelling. This will also get you out of your seat to use the bathroom, giving you the chance to move around and stretch!

 

Activity

While awake, you should stand up and stretch or walk to promote blood circulation every 60-90 minutes. This is very important on longer trips because it will help prevent you from feeling stiff and will keep blood from pooling in your lower legs. Compression socks or tights are also helpful on long flights and lengthy drives.

 

Food

Eat the snacks and meals that you brought at your usual times. If travelling overnight, eat a carbohydrate-rich meal and snack to help make you sleepy. Upon waking up or arriving in the morning, consume a healthy breakfast packed with protein to get your body fueled up for the day. Eating healthy, light meals including fruits, vegetables and lean proteins will prevent you from feeling bloated or lethargic during your trip and upon arrival.

Hygiene

Hand washing is a MUST when travelling. The seat, armrest, TV screens and door handles around you are covered in germs. Wash your hands every chance you get, especially before eating. Bring hand sanitizer to use when washing your hands with soap and water is not an option. Avoid touching your eyes, ears, nose and mouth unless you’ve just sanitized your hands. Also, moisturize the mucous membranes in your nose with a saline nasal spray (every two hours) to reduce the risk of germs passing through.

 

UPON ARRIVAL

 Activity

After the trip to your event, be sure to get your body moving. After having sat in a seat for hours, you will feel much better after some light activity (walking or jogging or if possible something more specific to your sport). The idea here is to get your body activated and mobile again, ready for your first session.

 

Sleep

Be sure you have adjusted your watch to local time and stick to your usual times for meals and sleep. If you normally nap at a certain time, stick to that schedule, making sure not to oversleep. Following your daily routine is crucial, so eat your meals at the regular times of your new environment. Your body uses these cues (along with daylight) to regulate its sleep cycles.

Hygiene

You are now at your event where there are hundreds or thousands of other competitors, coaches and staff. This is an easy place to pick up germs and potential varieties your body has not been exposed to (especially at international competitions). Continue to be diligent with hand washing and sanitizing. The most critical times are before and after meals, upon returning to your room and of course when using the bathroom. It is very easy to stay on top of this preventative protocol as the last thing you want to do is compromise your performance with illness.

Food

If you don’t have control over the food you eat at the competition site or hotel, select items you are familiar with. Now is not the time to experiment with new foods! Choose healthy options and hit the food groups you normally eat from. If you have crossed time zones, stick to eating meals when everyone else does to help your body acclimatize and transition into the new time zone. When access to food is restricted only to meal times, take a small snack with you from each meal in case you get hungry.

 Hydration

There will be many distractions in your new environment. Carry a water bottle with you and continue to hydrate. Something as simple as drinking water, can be forgotten when you are nervous before competition or busy with your new schedule.

The post Be a World Class Traveller appeared first on Snow Sports Canada.

Canada’s national team athletes and experts tell you where they love to ski

This issue: Former Canadian Freestyle Ski Association CEO Peter Judge on Sunshine Village

As a member of Canada’s Ski Hall of Fame and a pioneer of freestyle skiing, Peter Judge has visited and skied on a lot of mountains, including World Cup venues internationally. In his 40-year career he has enjoyed success as a medal-winning athlete, head coach of the Canadian Freestyle team, coach in the USA, Australia and China and former CEO of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association. Judge is credited with pushing freestyle disciplines from the fringes to the Olympic level, and for the competitive success of Canada’s freestyle skiers. He has guided Canadian freestyle skiers to a total of 10 Olympic, 69 World Championship and more than 1,000 World Cup medals.

“I lived in Whistler 18 years, which is a great area to be from if you’re into skiing. There are many places globally with totally different feels, from North America to South America, Europe to Asia. In France, I love Tignes and Val d’Isère – there’s lots of terrain, good fun and good food. And there’s very challenging, significant skiing in Sochi, where we’ll of course be for the Olympic Games in February 2014,” says Judge.

But you never forget your firsts, and since Judge grew up in Calgary, he learned to ski in the Rocky Mountains. So when asked which mountain is his favourite and why, he quickly responds, “Sunshine Village will always be dear to my heart, because growing up in the Rockies as I did, it’s there that I found my love of skiing.”

In Judge’s opinion, there are a number of unique, great things about Sunshine Village. When asked why he’d recommend it to others, he says “First and foremost, go for the snow – both the quantity and the quality of it. There’s so much great snow there both early and late in the ski season – many years it’s possible to ski well into June! I think that the variability of terrain is also a significant draw. I first skied Delirium Dive when I was 13 and was inevitably hooked! Whether you are just starting out, skiing as a family, or looking for some serious steep and deep, Sunshine has it all.”

Quick Facts about Sunshine Village:

• Located about 90 minutes from Calgary and just 15 minutes from Banff, on the Continental Divide. You can ski in both BC and Alberta in the same day… in fact in the same run!
• 3 separate mountain faces to ski
• 3,300 acres of skiable terrain – 20% beginner, 55% intermediate and 25% expert run
• Everything from family-friendly beginner runs to the most extreme big mountain runs. Delirium Dive has been named one of the 10 top off-piste destinations in the world
• 12 chairlifts and a high-speed gondola
• Village altitude of 7,082 feet, resulting in big snowfalls and good dry snow conditions all year
• And particularly fitting, given Judge’s role in getting events like slopestyle skiing and snowboarding accepted as new Olympic events for the Sochi Olympics in 2014, a massive 12-acre terrain park with 50 obstacles, and a newly opened beginner park for those who want to learn how to do the jumps and tricks

 

The post Mountain Profile: Sunshine Village appeared first on Snow Sports Canada.