On Monday 12 October, the keen sportsmen, women and sports scholars gathered in the Lecture Theatre for a lecture on Sports Nutrition. As part of educating the young sporting enthusiasts at Shiplake on how to get the most out of themselves, during both time at school and afterwards, Tim Clark spoke on nutrition. Tim Clark, a current high-performance rower, trains at Leander Club and has studied Sports Nutrition at Newcastle University. Having won a gold medal at the World University Championships, and represented Great Britain at the Under 23 World Championships, Tim not only has the knowledge but also understands what it takes to be a high performing athlete.
Any aspiring athlete should have a solid understanding of the food they put into their body, as this will in turn fuel the activity they wish to perform. Good nutritional knowledge will give these students the tools to be able to make the right decision, when it comes to fuelling their body for exercise as well as recovery. One key message delivered throughout the speech was that getting your nutrition right will also have benefits in the classroom, enabling athletes to be more alert during lessons and studying.
One of the most important messages was about the importance of receiving a balanced diet without the requirement for supplements. Tim emphasised that the school catering team ensure that meals are well rounded – ‘eat to win’ - and so performance-enhancing supplements are not necessary. Director of Rowing, Mr David Currie, would like to thank Tim for the time he took to come and speak at the College, imparting valuable advice for budding athletes.
