A Wellington City Council and Yachting New Zealand initiative, administered by the New Zealand Academy of Sport - North Island,
designed to help increase the number of Wellington youth sailors achieving international success
wya site


Introduction
Each year sailors in the talent development programme participate in a nutrition awareness and analysis programme called "Eat Well". The programme was developed with input from Sarah Burkhart from the New Zealand Academy of Sport.

 

Food diaries
Food diaries are a key tool in the Eat Well programme.

Initially a nutritionist works with coaches to assess their nutritional knowledge. If this is inadequate then an education awareness programme is initiated for coaches. 

Once this is completed coaches are briefed on the purpose of food diaries and how to use them. Sessions are also held with sailors and their parents to explain the purpose of food diaries.

Sailors complete their first food diary over a period of four days whilst they are in a training phase. A nutritionist analyses these food diaries and does one of two things. 

  1. If they are deemed to be inadequate then feedback is given to sailors and they complete a follow up diary. 
      
  2. If they are deemed to be adequate then feedback is given to the sailors and they go onto complete a second food diary during a competition phase in their programme.

Each season the process repeats with feedback becoming increasingly more targeted as sailors mature in the programme. 

  

 

 

 

 
  

Nutritional awareness workshops
Each year sailors participate in two nutritional awareness workshops. A programme of six workshops are designed to cover three years of involvement with the talent development programme. The workshops are designed to feature a mixture of interactive activities and theory. The workshops to be covered over a three year cycle are:

  • Monitoring hydration levels: Sailors are weighed before and after a sailing session and an analysis is undertaken of the level of dehydration that has occurred as a result of the session.
      
  • Supermarket tour: Sailors are taken on a supermarket tour and have to purchase suitable food products as if they were away from home at a regatta.
      
  • Make a sport drink: Sailors analyse the composition of sports drinks and have to make up their own sport drink.
      
  • Nutrition Challenge: A quiz challenge where teams compete to see who has the best nutritional knowledge.
     
  • Guest speaker: Sailors are provided with an insight into nutritional requirements of another endurance based code from a top New Zealand athlete.
     
  • The cook off: Sailors are taken to a cooking class, given a range of ingredients and have a go at developing a meal suitable for competition.