Rigid regime in rugby's version of the fat club

BOB CASEY DIARY:The parameters of what you eat as a professional player change depending on what you're doing in training or indeed if you're playing a match

GIVEN THAT the season of over-indulgence is nearly upon us I thought it opportune to take a look at the dietary regimen of a professional rugby player. It’s a great deal more complicated than simply monitoring food and, on rare occasions, alcohol intake as it involves an alphabet’s worth of supplements and strict lifestyle governance.

So far this season I have undergone a random drugs test on four occasions and while I have absolutely nothing to worry about all players do because of the volume of supplements that we take. All it requires is for one batch to be contaminated.

In the past conditioners would prescribe what supplements were necessary but now, given the breadth of choice, players are required to list everything they take; it took me 20 minutes to write down mine. I’m surprised we don’t rattle around more.

Players want supplements that facilitate the body recovering quicker and that help to ensure it is less prone to injury. Quantifying that is not an exact science. There can be various constituents in performing well on the pitch. Is it your diet? Is it the supplements? Are you getting a better quality of sleep?

The sheer scale of the products available is mind-boggling. Products come and go, possibly based on a fad and favouring one over another can simply come down to a nutritionist’s decision to go with a particular brand. It is by trial and error that you must try and establish what works for you.

I remember in my school days at Blackrock College – the year we won the Leinster Schools’ Senior Cup in 1995 – that we’d have banana-flavoured recovery shakes after training and matches: Jim Burns was ahead of his time.

I take fish oils, Vitamin B, an extract from green tea, powdered wheat grass (a particularly violent green colour), multi-vitamins, Glucosamine, Chondrotin for my joints and ZMA, which is taken before bed but doesn’t guarantee sweet dreams.

I was chatting to my team-mate Chris Malone and he asked me about BHW. I thought it was a new supplement until he laughed and said: “No mate, what about ‘bloody hard work?’” He’s proper old school. To extract maximum benefit the supplements are taken in a rigid regime usually around breakfast, lunch and dinner.

It’s important to stress that supplements alone won’t make anyone a better rugby player. We are fortunate to have the best medical and nutritional advice and it is strictly controlled and monitored. It’s also expensive. London Irish would provide a certain amount but it probably costs another £250 (€294) a month. I’m fortunate to have a sponsorship deal with Kinetica who also work with Stephen Ferris and Tommy Bowe.

People are often curious about what players eat on the day of a match but in truth the important time span is in the 24-48 hours leading up to a match. It’s then that you stockpile the slow-releasing carbohydrates. My own preference is for porridge and bananas on the day of a match.

Terenure man Allan Ryan revolutionised the nutrition aspect of things when he arrived at London Irish. He pointed out we were carrying around an extra player in terms of our body fat and since taking over he’s ensured we have reduced it to a small baby. Some players are blessed with wonderful metabolisms that allow them to eat whatever they like. Delon Armitage is like that, so too Sailosi Tagicakibau who somehow manages to gets copious amounts of coca cola and chocolate into his diet.

In my days at Leinster I remember Keith Gleeson coming to a barbecue I was hosting with his own wok and cooking a stir-fry: that was nine years ago. One other thing that Allan facilitated was that we would pay £5 (€5.80) and are fed twice per day at the club. We’re also educated on the value of shopping well and planning your week in terms of food.

It’s little wonder then we resemble a weight watchers club at times, sitting round and discussing body fat percentages and how much we weigh: it is rugby’s version of the fat club. We have a wall of shame where all those measurements are listed so it’s easy to see who’s been unprofessional. There is a significant peer pressure in that respect.

A body fat ratio of nine per cent would be considered world class for a rugby player while under 12 per cent would be rated as high performance. Anything above that would fall into the category of improvement needed. The forwards are cut a little more slack with body fat of under 11 per cent (world class), under 14 per cent (high performance) and above that requiring remedial work.

I mentioned fat club earlier but we really do have one when it comes to shifting weight: about 20 minutes on the bike will shift 250-300 calories followed by a hot sauna (you bring in a towel to wipe off the perspiration so it allows you to sweat more) can bring that total up to 800.

Our academy players – three houses, four players in each – have a chef and a nutritionist who visit about once a month to teach them how to prepare and cook food, where to shop and what to buy. It’s a fantastic perk for the young guys and one that’s generously sponsored by the supporters’ club.

The parameters of what you eat change depending on what you’re doing in training or indeed if you’re playing a match. There is no hard and fast rule that can simply be applied to diet. Speaking of rules I have agreed with Shauna that I am allowed to put on a stone, a tough proposition for a big-boned fella, when my rugby career finishes: the key for me will be not to do it in the first week.