28 Feb - Friday Fuel

🔥 Raising Game Changers in Sport and Life.🔥

This week:

🏆 A Quote to Inspire Your Athlete

💎 A fantastic find

🎙️ Podcast - Athlete Development with Dr. Craig Harrison

🥑 Nutrition Hack – A Better Night Sleep & Recovery Fuel Done Right

📖 A Must-Read for Athletes & Parents

⚡ The Game Changer – Exciting Updates

🙋‍♂️ My Personal Challenge

📢 We Need Your Help! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

💤 The Power of Recovery: Why It’s Your Secret Weapon 💤

Athletes, often focus on training harder, running faster, and pushing further—but what if the real secret to success lies in how well we recover?

This week, we’re diving into the science of recovery—from sleep and nutrition to active recovery strategies that help young athletes stay strong, injury-free, and performing at their best. Whether it’s understanding the role of rest days, learning how elite athletes use sleep as a training tool, or trying out our quick recovery snacks, this issue is packed with tips to help your athlete train smarter, not just harder.

Let’s make recovery a priority! 🏆💪

@impacthealthandfitness

Anyone else?😵‍💫🫣 #CapCut #fitness #gymmeme #funntfitness #workoutmotivation #yqg #windsorontario

🏆️ A quote to share with the kids

This week’s quote comes from LeBron James, the NBA superstar who has consistently emphasized how critical rest and recovery are to his success.

LeBron has highlighted how essential rest is to maintain his physical and mental well-being, enabling him to keep up with the demands of professional basketball. True growth happens not just in training, but in how we rest, recover, and adapt. Encourage your athlete to embrace the process and learn from every experience.

@boredamn_

LeBron James Most Iconic Moments with @lakers @NBA @0. @user29044518387 #LitDifferent #nba #lebron #lebronjames #highlight #clutch #moment

💎 A fantastic find

Ben has been using a gem of a website for a while now and found an article that we wanted to share. Sportsmith is a comprehensive platform dedicated to advancing athlete development and personal growth for coaches and athletes. It offers a wealth of resources, including articles, videos, and podcasts, covering various aspects of sports performance such as agility, conditioning, injury prevention, nutrition, and more. The platform emphasizes evidence-based practices and real-world experience, providing in-depth insights into topics like periodization, recovery, rehabilitation, and strength training. Additionally, Sportsmith hosts events and conferences featuring leading professionals in the field, fostering a community committed to continuous learning and excellence in sports performance.

They have a fantastic article Biggest athlete recovery misconceptions: The view of 6 experts that we think you should read. A short note from behind the scenes at Sportsmith...
“When we solicit responses for these "One question, Six experts" Sportsmith Six articles, the contributors don't see the others' responses. They write what's on their mind, send it in, and we collate them. There's no opportunity for a contributor to say "Oh, so-and-so said this, so I'll go in a different direction," or "I like where the others are going - I'll build off of them."

This lets us get their unfiltered perspectives drawn from their years of experience and observation.”  

Below are the key takeaways from the article.

💡 Matt Driller: Recovery isn’t just about muscles—it’s about recharging both body and mind. Alongside sleep and nutrition, psycho-social recovery (relaxing, socializing, and taking mental breaks from sport) is crucial to preventing burnout. Recovery happens in the “in-between” moments—sometimes, the best thing you can do is nothing at all.

💡 Robin Thorpe: Recovery is often oversimplified. Athletes either overdo recovery strategies or rely too heavily on a single method. Misconceptions around “flushing” blood flow with interventions like massage and contrast therapy persist, despite limited evidence. A more nuanced, individualized approach to recovery is key.

💡 Peter Tierney: Active recovery strategies (foam rolling, hydrotherapy, cycling, etc.) should never replace the fundamentals—sleep, nutrition, and load management. Sometimes, rest is more beneficial than a scheduled recovery session. Psychological recovery is just as important as physical recovery, and a one-size-fits-all approach can add unnecessary stress.

💡 Darren Burgess: Recovery technology (compression boots, cryotherapy, float tanks) can be useful but aren’t magic solutions. Sleep and nutrition remain the foundation of effective recovery. Rest days, especially in busy schedules, offer massive mental and physical benefits—sometimes, a simple walk or yoga session is better than overloading with structured recovery activities.

To read the full article click here.

🎙️ Podcast

– Athlete Development with Dr. Craig Harrison

This week, we recorded our second podcast with Dr. Craig Harrison, a world-leading youth sports coach and researcher. It was packed with insights that we are sure you’ll appreciate! 🎧🔥

🌟 What we covered:

• Biggest misconceptions about youth athlete development

• The importance of having a mentor

• Diving deep into the impact and importance of environment

• Advice to parents - The importance for parents to develop awareness and understanding of their child’s sports and why coaches and clubs work the way they do.

We will be posting the link soon to the podcast on our Game Changer Facebook Community – it’s a must-listen for parents and athletes so keep an eye out! 🎙️🔥

🥑 Nutrition Hack

This week’s nutrition hack comes from Dr. Katie Schofield.

Want Better Sleep & Recovery? Drink Milk Before Bed! 🥛💤 
Milk is a powerhouse for sleep and recovery!  It contains tryptophan, an amino acid which is your 'sleep starter'. Tryptophan helps your body produce melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy. This supports deep, restful sleep—essential for muscle repair and growth. Milk is also packed with a type of protein, which digests slowly overnight to fuel muscle recovery. Plus, its calcium and magnesium help your body relax for better sleep quality. Tryptophan is also found in yogurt, cheese, eggs, meats, nuts, and seeds. 

A bedtime snack like milk and almonds can help you sleep better and wake up stronger! 💪🚴‍♂️🏋️‍♀️  

For athletes with dairy or nut allergies, there are plenty of great alternatives to support sleep and muscle recovery:

🥚 Eggs – A great source of tryptophan and high-quality protein for muscle repair.
🐟 Salmon & Tuna – Rich in tryptophan, nutritious fats, and vitamins, which support sleep and recovery.
🍚 Soy Milk & Tofu – Soy products contain tryptophan and plant-based protein to help muscles recover.
🍌 Bananas – Packed with magnesium and vitamin B6, which help convert tryptophan into melatonin.
🌾 Oats – A natural source of tryptophan, magnesium, and slow-digesting carbs to keep you fueled overnight.
🌻 Seeds (Pumpkin, Sunflower, Chia, Flax) – Loaded with tryptophan and healthy fats to support relaxation and muscle repair.

A great pre-bed snack could be oatmeal with banana and seeds or a soy-based protein smoothie or a hard-boiled egg with some seeds to promote deep sleep and recovery! 💪💤

If you’re looking for more expert insights on sports nutrition? Check out Katie Schofield’s website for top-tier advice on fueling performance, optimizing recovery, and staying at the top of your game! 💪

@katiequigley3

The cutest milk drunk face i ever did see! 😂#definitionofmilkdrunk #milkdrunk #phiarae #mybabygirl #funnybabies

📖 A Must-Read for Athletes & Parents

This week, we’re sharing an insightful article on the importance of sleep for athletic performance:
👉 How Sleep Affects Athletic Performance – Sleep Foundation

💡 Key Takeaways:
⚡ Sleep is the ultimate performance enhancer – better reaction times, endurance, and focus.
⚡ Lack of sleep increases injury risk – even one night of poor rest can slow recovery and impact decision-making.
⚡ Elite athletes prioritize sleep – top performers like LeBron James and Roger Federer consistently get 8+ hours a night.

Encourage your athlete to read it and start making sleep a key part of their training routine! 😴🏆

🗺️ The Game Changer Journey

We’re excited to share that we’re working with a top nutritionist, and we can’t wait to reveal who she is! 🎉

She’s an expert in sports nutrition, an accredited performance dietitian, and a former elite athlete with a deep understanding of what it takes to fuel for peak performance and recovery.

Her knowledge and experience will help shape our approach to youth athlete nutrition, and we can’t wait to bring you game-changing insights in the coming weeks. Stay tuned! 🚀

🙋‍♀️ My Personal Challenge

🌟 This week’s focus is around getting more sleep.

For the past 16 years, I’ve been stuck in the bad habit of being a poor sleeper—getting four hours in a row has been a celebration for me.

Recovery isn’t just about taking breaks – it’s about giving your body the rest it needs to rebuild and come back stronger. My goal this week is to prioritize sleep by setting a consistent bedtime, reducing screen time before bed, and aiming for at least 5 hours of quality rest and drinking milk as recommended by Dr. Katie Schofield.

😴 Who else is up for this challenge? Let’s make sleep a priority!

@itsme_memer

😂😂😂😂😂😂 #iliketomoveitmoveit #moveit #madagascar #sleep #sleepless #sleeplessnights #meme #memes #funnymeme #funnymemes #funnyvideos #funny... See more

@mlp1523

Why can't I sleep?! #Meme #MemeCut #CapCut #insomnia #insomniac #sleep #tired #nottired #cantsleep #tomandjerry #fyp #fypシ #fypシ゚viral #f... See more

📢 We Need Your Help! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Your feedback means the world to us! If you’ve enjoyed any episode of The Game Changer podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review.

💬 Why does this matter? Your reviews help us grow and attract even more incredible guests to share their insights with you. The more ratings and reviews we receive, the easier it is to bring top athletes, coaches, and experts onto the show!

👉 Leave a review or send us an email and help us make an even bigger impact! Thank you for being part of The Game Changer community! 🎙️💙

🚀 Join the Game Changer Community!

We’re building something special – a supportive space for parents and youth athletes to connect, ask questions, and learn from one another. 🌍💬

Here, you’ll find expert insights, practical tips, and tailored solutions to help your athlete reach their full potential. Whether it’s nutrition, training, the mental game, or tackling everyday challenges, this is your go-to hub for guidance and growth.

Let’s fuel dreams, build champions, and navigate the youth sports journey together! 🏆🔥

👉 Join us on Facebook – The Game Changer Community

Have a great week, and keep raising game changers! 🚀