Grainne O'Higgins

Advanced Specialist Dietitian @ NHS | CORU| HCPC| @SENR Practitioner Registered Sports Nutritionist| ISAK level 1| Sport Ireland Institute |all views are my own

[Running-Physio @tomgoom]

Athletes need to fuel to be fast! New research on over 1,000 runners found that Low Energy Availability impaired performance and increased the risk of injury and race-day medical issues.

Whitney et al. (2024): 🔗 https://t.co/JPfd5rhevM

[Tom Coughlin @tecoughlin]

Nutrition for optimising immune function in athletes 🦠

This new review outlined the specific nutritional strategies that should be practiced and considered to support and protect the immune system 🔍

Here are the key recommendations ⬇️

AVOID LOW-ENERGY AVAILABILITY 🚨

⚠️ Avoid prolonged LEA (< 30 kcal/kgFFM)
🎯 > 45 kcal/kgFFM
📉 Rapid body weight loss should be avoided (e.g. weight class sports)

CARBS 🍞

🥤 30 - 60 g/hr during intense exercise
🏆> 60 g/hr during prolonged training / competition
⏳ 1.0 - 1.2 g/kg within 2hr post-exercise

PROTEIN 🍖

🎯 1.2 - 1.7 g/kg daily
🍽️ 20 - 30 g every 3 hrs during day

VITAMIN D ☀️

🩸 Regularly check blood levels during season
👉 If < 30 nmol/L = consider 2,000 - 4,000 IU daily
👉 During winter, if < 75 nmol/L supplement with 1,000 - 2,000 IU daily

ANTIOXIDANTS 🫐

🥗 Varied fresh fruit + veg intake
🍊 0.25 - 1.0 g/day vitamin C may reduce incidence, duration and severity of common cold
🐟 Omega-3 (250 mg/day DHA + EPA) may benefit immune function

ZINC 💊

💊 75 mg/day within 24 hrs of illness onset may reduce severity and duration of common cold

IRON & MAGNESIUM🥩

🚨 Deficiencies must be corrected through diet or supplementation

DEHYDRATION 🥵

💧 Maintain fluid balance through monitoring (e.g. body mass)
🛡️ Mouth must be kept moist as saliva flow is first line of immune defence

PROBIOTICS & FERMENTED FOODS 🧫

👉 Pro/prebiotics can be consumed as supplements or fermented foods
🎯 10 billion CFU daily (Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium)
✈️ Use multi-strain probiotic for at least 14-days prior to travel or training camp

BOVINE COLOSTRUM🥛

👉 20 g/day may prevent incidence of respiratory illness and symptom days

QUERCETIN 🌿

👉 0.5 - 1.0 g/day may reduce symptoms of illness

ECHINACEA 🌸

👉 Some limited evidence for therapeutic immunomodulation in athletes

It should be noted that these findings provide an initial framework, but many fuelling and supplementation strategies should be individualised in line with…

🚴‍♂️ Training load
👴🏻 Age
🤔 Preference

[Sport Ireland @sportireland]

BRONZE FOR RÓISÍN 🥉

Róisín Ní Riaín takes home her SECOND #Paris2024 Medal in the Women's SM13 200m individual medley!!

Amazing Róisín 🌟

#TeamIreland | @ParalympicsIRE | @swimireland

[Sport Ireland @sportireland]

🏅 Exciting Announcement for All Sports Enthusiasts and Nutrition Advocates! 🏅

We're thrilled to announce the HPX Nutrition event, hosted by Sport Ireland Institute in partnership with the National Dairy Council! This year's event, HPX 2024, will explore the powerful impact of nutrition on athlete health and performance.

Despite the rapid growth in sports nutrition research, traditional metrics might miss subtle nuances essential for athlete well-being. Join us as we bring together experts, researchers, and practitioners to share ideas, identify gaps, and explore opportunities to enhance the holistic impact of nutrition.
📅 Event Agenda:

🔹 Multidisciplinary Panel Discussion: What is Impactful Nutrition?
🔹 Applied Sports Science: Demonstrating effective impact for stakeholders
🔹 Periodizing In-competition Nutrition for Rugby Sevens
🔹 Parallel Networking Workshop and Campus Tour
🔹 Data Analytics in Sports Nutrition: Translating wearables into impact
🔹Measuring Nutritional Impact Beyond the Podium.

Don't miss this opportunity to engage with leading minds in sports nutrition and make valuable connections. Let's unlock the full potential of nutrition in sports together!

🗓️ Save the Date: October 10th

📍 Location: Sport Ireland Campus

🎟️ Get your tickets here: https://t.co/Mr4QqpQCgz

#BelievePerformAchieve

[Miranda van Tilburg @DrvanTilburg]

10% of Olympics athletes swimming on Seine developed gastroenteritis, compared to 1-3% of athletes in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo Olympics.

@Rajan___Singh @IBS_Maastricht @BMoshiree @JohannahRuddy @CarloDiLorenzo1 @DDrossman https://t.co/wWQa6sf02V

[Grainne O'Higgins @gohigginsRD]

@julianne_ryan @BJSM_BMJ @sportireland Amazing work @julianne_ryan 🙌🏻

[Grainne O'Higgins @gohigginsRD]

Amazing girls, such valuable tools!! 🙌🏻

[Danielle_Logue @DM_Logue]

Great to have these published for wider use ✅

Also available for download @sportireland : https://t.co/P4pwPSvI3z

And further info and support available @bodywhys :
https://t.co/qnbdIWPWvh

[Sharon Madigan @madigan_sharon]

The games are over for another 4 years but preparation for LA2028 began many years ago for athletes.
The parity in numbers has levelled and now we must look at the next 4 years to develop solutions that will support athletes through to LA and beyond.

https://t.co/YhGyKWvgoq

[Grainne O'Higgins @gohigginsRD]

An experience not to be forgotten @sportireland @TeamIreland #Paris2024💚🤍💛

[Grainne O'Higgins @gohigginsRD]

Smashing it @sophiebecker_ 🔥

[Sharon Madigan @madigan_sharon]

Keep it simple always…….

[Grainne O'Higgins @gohigginsRD]

Just touched down in Paris for the biggest weekend for @irishathletics #womeninsport 🔥🔥💚🤍💛

[Grainne O'Higgins @gohigginsRD]

🔥 🔥

[Grainne O'Higgins @gohigginsRD]

Such an inspiration @ciaramageean 💚🤍💛