It's The Food of Champs
MARSHALLS PASTA is proud to have been a part of Scottish family life since the 1880s. That’s why it’s fitting that the company that has become so much a part of Scottish family tradition is backing Scotland rugby hopeful John Barclay – and spearheading the Daily Record’s Eat Like A Gold Medallist campaign. Peter Barry, managing director at Marshalls Pasta said “We at Marshalls Pasta are delighted to be contributing towards the campaign.”
“As well as encouraging sport at all levels, healthy eating has a very important part to play, not only for these young athletes, but for the whole family too. Marshalls Pasta is more than happy to help and make a real difference as part of a healthy balanced diet for all in Scotland”.
David Campbell, chef to the champions agrees that pasta is a quick, easy-to-prepare, value-for-money snack.
“Used in the correct way, pasta is fantastic for long-distance runners and sports people involved in endurance events. Tour de France cyclists burn off up to 10,000 calories a day and they consume mountains of the stuff!”
“If you are into a sport that involves a continuous output of power, pasta is vital to your diet”. Top chef David Campbell is passing on his knowledge to Scotland rugby hopeful John Barclay. Teenager Barclay is backed by Marshalls Pasta – producers of Scotland’s best-selling pasta. He has consulted Campbell about his diet and eating patterns in a bid to boost his endurance levels and maximize his performance.
And he has overhauled his eating habits in light of the expert advice he has received and is now feeling fitter than ever.
Campbell said, “I would encourage John to eat between meals. As soon as he comes off training, he should take fluid on board and snack or a protein bar”. He recommends a breakfast of a fruit compote of berries, muesli and bio yoghurt followed by an egg white ommelette with chicken to give him a protein hit. This should be accompanied by brown toast with a low fat spread.
An ideal lunch would include pasta with grilled chicken and salad drizzled with olive oil dressing, then fruit. Dinner would include chicken and barley broth, low-fat lean white meat or fish, accompanied by warm char-grilled vegetables.
British Lions coach Sir Clive Woodward has recruited a talented young Scots chef in a bid to keep his players lean, mean and keen during their summer tour. Chef David Campbell will be the vital ingredient in the players’ health and fitness regime when he accompanies the Lions on their eight-week tour of New Zealand in May.
RUGBY fanatic David Campbell has spent weeks devising individual daily menus for the British Lions ‘ 72 team members throughout this summer’s 56-day tour of New Zealand.
That means no fewer than 12,096 dishes, tailored to suit each player’s metabolism and dietary requirements.
Campbell’s association with his world’s top-flight rugby players began when he was a chef at Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spain Camberley.
He was asked to compile menus for the New Zealand team who stayed at the exclusive hotel during the 1999 World Cup.
Campbell, from Helensburgh said, ”I know a bit about sports nutrition and regularly work out in the gym and play rugby myself, so I was happy to oblige. “When Sir Clive Woodward brought the English rugby team to Pennyhill Park, I took an interest working alongside the teams’ nutritionist and fitness coaches and putting together menus. It was a simple case of being in the right place at the right time and led to me joining the team on a seven week tour of Australia during the 2003 World Cup”.
Working within the England team’s strict dietary guidelines, Campbells’s biggest challenge was to keep the menus fresh, interesting and appetizing and varied for the 46 squad members. When Sir Clive quit the England job last year to take over the Lions, he turned again to Campbell for his expertise in masterminding the players’ diets during this summer’s New Zealand tour, during which they will play eight provincial matches and three Tests.
Campbell who learned his skills as a trainee chef at Glasgow’s Kelvin Park Lorne Hotel said, “There is a tremendous amount of work involved in feeding 72 hungry guys up to four meals a day but it’s great fun.
“I feel enormously privileged to be working with the Lions. Rugby is a great game and it’s allowing me to travel the world.”
“All the menus have to be sent in advance to the hotels where the players will stay and I then have to check that they have the appropriate ingredients for each diet. I will go into the hotels and implement the preplanned menus.”
“The hotels aren’t used to having more than 70 rugby players staying with them for three weeks at a time and I am finding they more than welcome my input.
“When the guys are so far away from home for such a long period, meal times become a focal point of the day and Sir Clive needs to be confident the food will be good and wholesome”.
The composition of the players’ diets is vital to their performance. The diet of a forward will vary from that of a winger, who is a leaner player and requires a lot of short sharp power to burst through tackles.
As the players at the coal face of the game, on the other hand, forwards need foods that will give them endurance power.
In preparing each players diet, Campbell examines how quickly energy levels are assimilated and used by the body to burn off calories. He encourages the players to eat foods that give a slow release of energy throughout the day, such as porridge with honey, Bananas’ potassium content also helps to relieve muscle fatigue.
Campbell now head chef at the manor House Hotel and golf Club, near Bath said, “The pre-season period is when players undertake their most intensive training. To promote muscular fitness during these times, they should have a generous intake of protein, nutrients and supplements.
“How they refuel after training is very important. Players must be properly hydrated particularly straight after a match when the body needs water most.
If they are to succeed in the tough world of international rugby, they must get the right nutrients to get back into shape for the next weekend’s game.
The composition of sports peoples’ diets is crucial to their performance and it is encouraging that promising young Scottish sportsmen and women are recognising its importance within their training regimes.
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