Characteristics of the Sport

Overview

Snowboarding is a modern sport that emerged as a variant of skiing in the 1960’s.  It involves riding a medium-sized board on snow and is often described as a cross between skiing, surfing and skateboarding. Snowboarding made its Olympic debut at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.  In 2006, three snowboarding events were contested at the Torino Winter Olympics – Parallel Giant Slalom, Snowboard Cross and Half Pipe.

In half pipe, riders compete on a half-cylinder shaped course (similar to skateboarding) built into the snow.  The half pipe is approximately 120 metres long and has steeply sloping sides.  Riders must travel the length of the pipe, crossing from wall to wall by performing manoeuvres or acrobatic tricks.  Riders are judged on factors such as air, rotation, and overall impression.

Elite snowboarders must work on strength, fitness, flexibility and technical skill.

 

Competition

The main competitive season for elite snowboarders is during the northern winter.  A number of different competition formats exist however in order to qualify for the Winter Olympics, snowboarders must perform well in FIS (Fédération Internationale de Ski) World Cup events.

At the Olympics, snowboarders must compete in a qualifying round. The top 12 competitors then progress to the finals.  In the finals, riders complete two runs of the pipe.  The better of the two runs counts as the final score.  Typically, a run of the half pipe takes 15–20 seconds.  However, competition also includes a warm-up and practice period.

 

Training

The off-season for elite half pipe snowboarders is during Australia’s winter.  During this time, elite athletes typically ride the pipe in the morning for 2-3 hours and do either a gym or aerobic session (i.e. run, ride) in the afternoon.  However, this can vary depending on snow conditions and the condition of the pipe.  Snowboarders also use trampolining and platform diving in order to practice their manoeuvres and ‘tricks’.  

 

Physical Characteristics

Snowboarders vary greatly in body shape and size, but require strength, flexibility and skill to execute their tricks.  Theoretically, carrying excess body fat may make it more difficult to move the body through the air and gain good height on tricks.  It could also make athletes more susceptible to physical fatigue.  This could affect skill level, mental concentration and the risk of injury.

Common Nutrition Issues

Environmental Extremes

Factors such as altitude, a cold environment, heavy gear and hard training can increase fuel and fluid needs for snowboarders. Failure to eat and drink appropriately will result in premature fatigue, compromising performance and increasing the risk of injury.

 

Fluid and Hydration- Who feels like drinking on snow??

Maintaining hydration on snow can be a real challenge that is often underestimated!  Fluid losses occur via sweating (exercise produces large amounts of heat).  Additional losses also occur due to breathing in cold, dry air.  In contrast, fluid intakes are often low due to a reluctance to drink in the cold, or fear of the need to urinate (bathroom facilities may be inaccessible!). 

The following hydration tips may assist in meeting fluid requirements during training and competition on snow:

• Use sports drinks.  They encourage fluid intake and assist with fluid absorption and retention,  reducing the need to urinate while on snow.  Sports drinks also provide carbohydrate to help meet fuel needs.
• Keep fluids at a comfortable temperature.  Fluid intake is usually reduced when fluids are very cold (or frozen).  Cool fluids (10-15°C) are generally preferred during strenuous sessions.  However, in very cold conditions warmer fluids may be more inviting.  Try packing a thermos or insulate drink containers to prevent the temperature dropping to very low levels.
• Other good fluid choices for a long session on the snow include flavoured milk, juice, hot chocolate/Milo, soup or water

 

Timing of Meals and Snacks around Training and Competition

Meal plans of athletes typically lack structure and planning which often results in a mismatch between daily energy expenditure and energy (kilojoule) intake.  In this situation, training and competition performance along with recovery can be adversely affected.

Most athletes have work or study commitments outside of training and given they are often required to complete two sessions daily, athletes need to carefully plan the timing of meals and snacks throughout the day.  Nutritional needs will vary according to factors such as the nature and duration of the session and environmental conditions.

Making time for a substantial breakfast before heading out for an on-snow training session is essential.  Choices such as cold or hot cereals, toast or toasted muffins, crumpets, pancakes, fruit, juice, milk, yogurt, eggs or baked beans are good choices.

In order to maintain fuel levels, snacks may need to be consumed during long sessions or immediately following training/competition to facilitate quick recovery.  Suggested snacks include:

• easy to eat fruit i.e. banana
• sports bars/breakfast bars
• sports gels
• fruit buns/bagels/cookies
• dried fruit and nut mixes
• sandwiches
• lollies
• hot chocolate/Milo
• soup
• liquid meal supplements (eg. PowerBar Protein Plus Powder, Sustagen)

Preventing fluids from freezing and foods such as sports bars from becoming too hard to chew can be a problem on the snow!  Packing fluids in a thermos or wrapping a jumper/jacket around containers may help to avoid this problem.  Another novel idea for keeping sports bars at a reasonable temperature is to place them in a sock with a hand-warmer! Alternatively, pack your bars into clothing close to your body.

A good lunch to break up the morning and afternoon sessions should be a priority.  Watch out for too many high fat options which may leave you feeling uncomfortable leading into the afternoon training session.  Suitable lunches include:

• soup + hot bread
• rolls/sandwiches
• pasta with tomato based sauce
• hot potato with fillings (go easy on marg, cheese, sour cream)
• stir fry with rice
• pizzas with low fat toppings
• burritos/wraps
• fruit salad + yoghurt

 

Post-Competition

At the end of a competition it is not unusual to want to let your hair down and party with your mates and competitors at the local ski lodge or bar.  While there is no harm in having a couple of drinks, it is easy to slip into the pattern of drinking more than you realise or need.  Alcohol is not good for fluid replacement as it acts as a diuretic and increases urinary fluid losses.  In conjunction with drinking alcohol you are more likely to make high fat food choices which will also interfere with adequate refuelling of your carbohydrate stores.  Consume a few non-alcoholic drinks before consuming alcohol, or alternate alcoholic with non-alcoholic drinks.  Be mindful that with the short snowboarding seasons you are likely to have another competition approaching!

 

Travel to Overseas Countries

Elite half pipe snowboarders are often required to spend up to three months a year overseas.  Planning ahead, having access to regular food items, having the required knowledge to select appropriate foods and fluids, and having access to specialised sports foods used routinely at home are all important considerations.  For details regarding travel nutrition issues see the fact sheets in the Travel section of our website.

Case Study

Jake is an 18 year old, talented half pipe snowboarder who is gearing up for a 2 day comp as part of the domestic season in Australia.  Increased training loads and nerves about upcoming competitions have been playing havoc with Jake’s appetite. His coach is finding that nearing the end of a training session Jake is losing concentration and is concerned that he is going to injure himself when trying to execute his ‘tricks’.  Jake’s coach suggested that he visit a Sports Dietitian to discuss an eating plan for competition. 

On the first day of competition, Jake needs to be on the snow to start training runs by at least 8:30 am to be ready for the first run at 9:00 am.  There will be two runs and then finals will commence.  It is unpredictable as to when each snowboarder will do his/her run and consequently there could be a bit of waiting around.  Jake is not likely to get off the snow until around 2:00 pm.

The sports dietitian first tackled Jake’s pre-comp breakfast.  Ideally Jake needs a substantial pre-race breakfast about two hours before his first run to provide sufficient fuel to sustain him throughout the competition period.  However, with Jake’s nerves and poor appetite, easy-to-eat options are necessary. The following two options were recommended to Jake as a pre-comp breakfast:

400 ml PowerBar Protein plus Drink + 2 cereal bars
400 ml banana smoothie + 2 pieces toast with jam

To maintain fuel levels, Jake was provided with a list of snack options to take on snow.  He was encouraged to consume at least two snack options during the competition period.  The sports dietitian also advised Jake to consume an additional snack during the commute back to lunch.  This would kick start the recovery process – an important consideration when Jake has to back up for a second day of competition in less than 24 hours.  In addition to the water that Jake normally takes on snow, he was encouraged to take a bottle of sports drink made up with warm water.  If Jake was too nervous to eat, the sports drink would be a useful way to ensure that Jake still consumed carbohydrate.

 

Timing	Food/ fluid
Snack options during Competition	Liquid meal supplement PowerBar Carbohydrate gel Cereal bar
Recovery snack options	Liquid meal supplement Cheese and vegemite sandwich + sports drink PowerBar + sports drink

Jake trialed the breakfast and snack options on training days leading into the competition.  He felt comfortable during training and found that his energy levels improved throughout the session.  Jake’s coach indicated that he was maintaining his concentration throughout the session and consequently had improved the execution of his tricks.

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Written by Clare Woods and the Department of Sports Nutrition, AIS © Australian Sports Commission 2008

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