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

This issue: Snowboard Canada’s strength and conditioning coach Matt Fisher on Mount Washington

Matt Fisher is the strength and conditioning coach for the national team snowboarders representing Canada in the slopestyle and half-pipe events at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Check out his pre snowboarding stretches and post snowboarding injury prevention tips.  Matt spoke to Snow Sports Canada during a break from training for the Dew Tour in Breckenridge, Colorado. Despite the fact that his work takes him to some of the best mountains in the world, Fisher’s favourite is still a mountain close to home, where he skied for the very first time on a grade 7 field trip.

“Mount Washington is the only mountain you can get to from Victoria without getting on a boat or a plane,” he laughs. It’s got a lot to offer though, whether you’re from the Island or further afield. “I love it because it’s so genuine. You don’t need to drive a fancy car or stay in a five star hotel to feel comfortable there. And there’s a really nice little sushi restaurant at the base of the mountain that serves sashimi better than anything I can get in the middle of Colorado.”

He also recalls the mountain’s reputation for huge snowfalls and diverse terrain. “It’s big enough to have some great runs and good variety, but not so enormous that you can get lost for days. And there’s so much snow most years – I was there with some athletes from eastern Canada, and they were all taking pictures of the snow because they said they’d never seen so much snow other than in Japan.”

Quick Facts about Mount Washington:

• Located near the Comox Valley, 100 km north of Nanaimo and 350 km north of Victoria.
• Average annual snowfall of 10.5 metres (34 feet)
• 1,700 acres of skiable terrain – 14% beginner, 35% intermediate and 51% expert /advanced runs
• 55km (30 miles) of machine groomed cross-country trails and 22 kms of snowshoe trails, meandering through the resort and scenic parklands.
• 360 degree alpine to Pacific Ocean ocean views
  • 5 chairlifts including the Boomerang, a high-speed, double-offload chair which serves two separate sides of the mountain
  • Two terrain parks
  • On-mountain ski-in, ski-out accommodation options
  • For more information, go to http://www.mountwashington.ca

 

The post Mountain Profile: Mount Washington 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.

TIPS FROM THE PROS

Stretches that riders should be doing after a day of snowboarding

Matt Fisher, Strength & Conditioning Coach at the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, will be with the Canadian slopestyle and half-pipe snowboarders in Sochi. It’s his job to make sure they’re fit and ready to give it their best in competition.

Snow Sports Canada spoke to Matt about stretches he recommends for the national team that would also be useful to all recreational snowboarders to help prevent soreness or injury and to make sure you get the most out of your vacation or season’s pass.

Fisher advises boarders of all ages and experience levels to be smart and listen to their bodies. “If you’re tired, that’s when you’re the most likely to get injured,” he says. Ways to prevent injuries – particularly on a multi-day snowboarding vacation – include stretching or using a foam roller after your day on the mountain. The more activity we do, the more our muscles tighten up,” says Fisher. It’s also a good idea to schedule in days off. “Risks increase when you exercise in a fatigued state, so it’s not surprising that most  injuries occur towards the end of a long snow day or late in a snowboarding vacation,” he cautions.

The stretches below are ideal for after a day of snowboarding, and cover all the major muscle groups you’ve used while riding. They should be done while muscle temperature is still up (immediately after coming off the hill, after some light exercise, or even after a hot shower or hot tub.) DO NOT perform these stretches prior to physical activity. For information on a proper warm-up routine please click here .

This is a sample of some of the more important areas to think about for snowboarding, but there are many more stretches than can and should be completed on a regular basis. Hold each stretch for 45-60 seconds and repeat the entire set twice.  Make sure to ease into and out of each stretch and avoid ‘bouncing’.  To know whether you’re getting a deep enough stretch, aim for a 6-7 out of 10 on the ‘discomfort’ scale.

Muscle Group: Lower Leg (Calf/Gastrocnemius/Soleus)
Instruction: This exercise can be completed against a wall or on a step.  Do not lock the knee out and slightly lean forward to feel the stretch.

 

 

 

 

Muscle Group: Front of Thigh (Quadriceps/Hip Flexor)
Instruction: The first picture is for the hip flexor. Do not hyperextend through the lower back. The second picture is for the quadriceps. Try to get the heel as close as possible to your glute, again avoiding hyperextension through the lower back.

Muscle Group: Back/Inside/Outside of Thigh (Hamstring/Adductor/Abductor)
Instruction: Lean forward slightly, keep your back flat (neutral spine) until you feel the stretch in the back of the leg. The second picture will stretch the inner thigh/groin.  Again make sure to keep the back flat. The third picture  will stretch the outer thigh/leg.

 

 

 

 

 

Muscle Group: Buttocks (Glutes/Piriformis)
Instruction: Thread one hand through your legs and connect with the other hand.  Pull your knee towards your chest, but be careful not to cause any strain on the knee that is folded across.

 

 

 

 

 

Muscle Group: Back (Thoracic Spine)
Instruction: Try to touch your knee to the ground on one side, and bring the back of the opposite shoulder to the ground to feel a stretch through the middle back.  Do not try to force yourself into this stretch; work on it gradually over time.

 

 

 

 

 

Muscle Group: Neck (Upper Trapezius)
Instruction: Try to keep your arm ‘down’ (in this picture I am sitting on my hand to keep that arm down) and tilt your head, trying to bring your ear to your shoulder.

 

 

 

 

 

Muscle Group: Wrists (Flexors/Extensors)
Instruction: This stretch can be done with hands in each direction (hands facing forward, backward or to the side)

The post Injury Prevention Tips for Snowboarders appeared first on Snow Sports Canada.

Warm ups to help prevent snowboard injuries

Matt Fisher, Strength & Conditioning Coach at the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, was invited to work with the Canadian National snowboard team to help prepare athletes to compete in a new Olympic event making its debut in Sochi – slopestyle snowboarding. He’s been working with the slopestyle athletes for the past three years, and with the half-pipe team for about six months.

Snow Sports Canada spoke to Matt about the strength and conditioning program that the national team does during the competition season, in order to provide tips to all recreational snowboarders, regardless of their age or experience.

 Do you do different exercises and stretches with the team members during competition season vs. in the off-season?

MF: Absolutely. During the competition season, we move from general physical preparation to specific physical prep.  I have the snowboarders do exercises that more closely resemble movements they’d be doing on snow. Instead of squats for example, we might be doing things that replicate a jumping or spinning motion. We also spend a lot more time on recovery – stretching, rolling, and cool downs. We want to make sure they’re fresh to get back on the snow for their next training session or race, and not stiff or sore or hurt from last time out.

What injuries do you see the most often in snowboarders, and what exercises can be done to prevent them?

MF: Lower back and knee injuries often result from poor flexibility, a weak core and weak glutes. So we spend a lot of time working on those muscle groups. Shoulder injuries are also common, especially to the rotator cuff area, which is actually comprised of four different muscles. We can prevent these by strengthening the stabilizing muscles around the shoulders.

What’s the single most important piece of advice you’d pass on to recreational riders?

MF: Do a proper warm-up. People will drive to mountain, hop on the chair and go straight to their first run without so much as a single leg swing or arm swing to warm up. It’s the most important thing we tell our national team athletes too: particularly in cold weather, you’ve got to make sure your muscles and joints are warmed up.

Snowboarding and skiing are extremely tough on the body. We don’t think of that because these sports are a lot of fun as we do them as recreation, but in fact they require a lot of strength and endurance. Many of the injuries we see could be avoided with proper warm-ups and stretches.

I like dynamic warm ups the best, because they enable you to increase your muscle temperature and range of motion gradually before you exercise. You shouldn’t be holding a static stretch for too long before you’re warm.

Check out these videos for a warm-up routine that can be done on the snow as you set out for your day, to help minimize your risk of injury. Try to do them as close as possible to taking your first run. As little as two minutes of warm up can really help. (list videos embedded or provide links to Vimeo)

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