IT MAY seem counter-intuitive in a cut-throat professional sporting environment, but AFL clubs are more than happy for their players to tuck into a burger and chips on the weekend.
Western Bulldogs nutritionist Sam Coppinger has lifted the lid on the eating habits of AFL players, which can vary during a week as they aim to maintain peak performance.
While players look to eat healthily in the lead-up to a game, Coppinger says the hours immediately afterwards are essentially a free-for-all as they look to restore the energy they've left out on the field.
"It's (a case of) what foods do you love? Let's try and get them in," Coppinger told The Inside Game in September.
"A lot of the time they might feel a bit sick after they've played a game ... and not feel like eating much. So because we need them to eat something to start that recovery process, it's something that's going to be really palatable and something they're going to enjoy.
"Most of the time it's burgers and chips or pizza.
"Really high carbohydrate and high protein is normally our main aim, but it can be a little higher in fat. Most of the time during the week, we try and get the players to stay away from really high saturated fat. But after a game is when we can try and get that in and get back in some of that energy that they've lost."
In addition to some fast-food staples, Coppinger says a surprising post-game treat has emerged as a favourite at the Dogs.
"Most of the time our players will start with flavoured milk," she said. "Chocolate milk, strawberry milk ... it's definitely a favourite amongst the players. Strawberry is more popular than chocolate.
"Every week they're like 'What's post-game? What's post-game?'. It's definitely something they look forward to."
While a diet of burger and chips seven days a week is understandably off the menu for AFL players, Coppinger is mindful of fostering a positive relationship with all foods.
She's also keenly aware of the potential issues around body image amongst both male and female players in an environment where what you eat plays a such a major role in performance.
"I think it's the same with the boys as well, absolutely," Coppinger said when asked if she needs to be ultra-cautious when dealing with women's players and body image.
"History tells us to just worry about girls in that scenario, but it's definitely the same with the boys and we have to worry about the same kind of thing.
"I'm really big about creating a really positive environment around food and that's why I never like to say to any of my players, 'You can't have ice cream or you can't have chips or you can't have chocolate'. A lot of the time they're seen as 'bad' foods, and we've got bad and good.
"But I normally like to say that every food is OK, it's just about when we have it and the timing."
The Inside Game is a podcast series that takes a peek behind the scenes of the high-performance world of the AFL and AFLW. Join renowned AFL reporter Sarah Olle as she chats with high-performance experts who share the one-percenters that make the difference between an average day and a great day, fuelled by the John West Protein+ range.
