Effect that nutrition and nutritional knowledge has on either hindering or optimising athletic performance during rugby union.

1. Lauren Egle-Marshall
Sport Coaching Pedagogy

2. Rugby Union: Physiological
requirements
 High intensity bouts of multidirectional running and tackling
with short bouts of recovery [1,2,3]
 Physical demands critical in developing effective, efficient
athletes [4]

3. Duthie, 2006:
Improved Aerobic Capacity and Endurance:
 < 4 seconds, no more than 15 seconds.
 High intensity bouts overlap resulting in dense work
periods.
 Developed pathway enhances recovery period.
Speed and Acceleration:
 Acceleration crucial aspect.
 Multidirectional, accelerated changes whilst in motion.

4. Strength and Power:
 Absolute and relative
 Improvement of running velocity, multidirectional change
& driving force in scrums
 Forwards – 75% workload of overall performance
 Backs – 25% workload of overall performance

5. Body Composition:
 Newton’s Second Law of Motion:
Acceleration= Force/Mass
 Excess body fat negatively impact performance through
increasing energy demands
 Reduced economy and efficiency of movement

6. Nutrition and Performance
 Nutrition: a vital component of life, especially when physical
exertion is involved [5].
 Heaney et al., 2011: nutritional knowledge inadequate in both
athlete and coach.

7. Nutrition and Performance
 Walsh & associates (2011):
 Assessed body composition and nutritional knowledge
 Disparity between knowledge and practice
 Cotugna et al., 2005:
 Number of athletes do not demonstrate sufficient
knowledge of nutrition despite interest
 Knowledge largely influential by coach

8. Nutrition and Performance
 Lako & colleagues (2010)
 Fatigue consequentially affects performance
 Several nutritional compounds identified that contribute to
fatigue

9. Further Education
 Developing educational programs & incorporate within
training regime
Knowledge about nutrition does not always change athlete
behaviour

10. References
1. Gabbett, T. (2000). Physiological and anthropometric characteristics of amateur
rugby league players. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 34. 303-307.
2. Gabbett, T. (2006). Performance changes following a field conditioning program
in junior and senior rugby league players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning
Research, 20(1). 215-221.
3. Higham, D., Pyne, D., Anson, J. & Eddy, A. (2013). Physiological, anthropometric,
and performance characteristics of rugby sevens players. International Journal of
Sports Physiology and Performance, 8. 19-27
4. Duthie, G. (2006). A framework for the physical development of elite rugby union
players. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 1. 2-13.
5. Nazni, P. & Vimala, S. (2010). Nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice of
college sportsmen. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, 1(2). 93-100.

11. References
6. Heaney, S., o”Connor, H., Michael, S., Gifford, J. & Noughton, G. (2011). Nutrition
knowledge in athletes: A systematic review. International Journal of Sport
Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 21. 248-261.
7. Walsh, M., Cartwright, L., Corish, C., Sugrue, S., & Wood-Martin, R. (2011). The
body composition, nutritional knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, and future
educational needs of senior schoolboy rugby players in Ireland. International
Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 21. 365-376.
8. Cotugna, N., Vickery, C. & McBee, S. (2005). Sports nutrition for young adults.
The Journal of School Nursing, 21(6). 323-328
9. Lako, J., Sotheeswaran, S., & Christie, K. (2010). Food habits and nutritional status
of Fiji rugby players. Would Acadamy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 44.
752-757