The best food choices may not make a champion out of a rugby player with no talent, but an inadequate diet can certainly prevent a talented player from reaching optimal training and performance levels. Nutrition plays a vital role throughout training, and before, during and after matches. It also has an important role in injury prevention and during rehabilitation. Given the demographic and economical diversity in South Africa, an adequate diet over the whole spectrum is always difficult.
This section focuses on providing relevant topical information and practical guidelines for rugby players on different components of nutrition such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fluid intake, alcohol, micronutrients, increasing muscle mass, losing body fat, improving recovery, match day nutrition, effective shopping, eating out and take-away, travel, fatigue, injury and rehabilitation, supplements and banned substances.