Archery may not seem like a sport where nutrition plays an important role because of its passive appearance where athletes are commonly seen standing and pulling on the bow string.
What people commonly fail to understand is that the weight of the bow and pulling that string requires tremendous strength and control just to keep the bow steady. This means that serious archers train as much as 5x a week in the gym to build up strength of the core, back, shoulders and arms to sustain the repeated motion of pulling the string consistently. This is where proper nutrition plays an equally important part in the training program of an archer.
Jonathan Reaport is a student athlete who fell in love with the sport of archery at a very young age and he is subjected to a very rigorous and demanding lifestyle of juggling school, training, and strength and conditioning. All of these activities will take a huge toll on a young athlete’s body and if his nutrient requirements are not met, this will affect his performance in training and at school and inevitably his growth potential. The latter being a common issue among athletes in 3rd world countries where nutrition is often neglected. Thus we see elite athletes who have failed to reach growth potential and are often shorter compared to their counterparts.
Jonathan’s nutrition program will be designed based on his current lifestyle as a student athlete. The program will focus on providing the proper ratio of macronutrients given at the right time. Peri workout fueling will be given top priority to enable him to sustain his energy during intense strength and conditioning sessions and for him to be able to recover quickly in preparation for his next training session. If program compliance is good, we will be able to see an improvement in his drawing strength, and ultimately a sustained energy level all throughout the day even at school.
The success of a nutrition program for young athletes however, will depend on the implementation done largely by parents. Fortunately for Jonathan, both his parents are supportive of his passion and commitment for the sport. Daddy Bing and Mommy Jennifer are actually the first ones to receive the meal plans of Jonathan and are also the first ones to seek guidance if ever they have questions or concerns about the program implementation. Aside from parents, coaches also play a crucial role in the implementation and monitoring of the nutrition.
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