Mairead Kennedy eager to promote value of ‘Fuel Your Game’ resource
Safefood, in partnership with the Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs programme, today launched 'Fuel Your Game', a new suite of resources designed to support young players, parents, and coaches in making informed food choices to enhance their Gaelic games activity and overall health and wellbeing. Pictured at the launch is Kilkenny Camogie player Mairead Kennedy demonstrating the importance of healthy eating and hydration for peak performance. For more information and to access the resources, visit: https://learning.gaa.ie/fueltheirgame
By Cian O'Connell
Sports nutrition is something that matters deeply to Mairead Kennedy.
The Kilkenny camogie player is adamant about the benefits that an organised approach can bring on and off the field. So, the recently launched 'Fuel Your Game' resource is extremely important to Kennedy. "Definitely, I'm a dietician, I work in Cork University Hospital, and my passion is really sports and sports nutrition," Kennedy explains.
"It is something that comes so easily to me. It was really easy to marry the two. I think this is so, so important for younger people, younger kids, coaches, and players, getting to understand nutrition, creating healthy habits.
"Not just for sport, but for life. If you can create healthy habits when you're younger, it is half the battle."
People are eager to embrace new methods to help them in any way possible. "We're living longer, we've a longer health span of a healthy life," Kennedy says.
"People want to prolong their quality of life, doing things when you're young and creating healthy habits really helps that."
Even in the last decade, Kennedy has noticed a positive shift in attitude. "When I started playing with Kilkenny underage, we never had sports nutrition, we never had performance nutrition or learn any of that," she adds.
"It is really good. It came from my personal interest. Nowadays, I've worked with underage teams in Kilkenny and underage teams in other counties. It is so good that they get exposure. I say to them that the onus is on ye, especially the girls and boys to take in the information.
"For the parents, I always encourage parents to listen and to come to any talks. They're the ones at the end of the day pushing it. Really it is great that underage players are getting that exposure and knowledge."
Helping emerging players, regardless of the code, is key according to Kennedy. "I've worked with a lot of teams around Kilkenny and some in Cork and Carlow too," Kennedy says.
"It has been nice to help younger age groups. I particularly enjoy doing girls teams, I think we're under supported at times so it is really good to talk to younger girls about their body. Obviously, with girls body image is a big thing. It is really good to understand that and it is so, so important to fuel your body correctly and to eat enough."
Kennedy highlights that injuries can be prevented.
"Often with girls we've red syndrome where there is constant under fuelling, I definitely did see it over my playing career with certain girls on different teams," Kennedy says.
"Under fuelling over a period of time causes injuries. It is really good being involved, it is definitely a passion of mine, to talk to teams and young camogie players and sportspeople in general about fuelling and recovering."
Niamh Mallon won an All-Ireland camogie title with Galway and is part of Padraic Joyce's backroom set-up with the senior footballers. Managements are ready, willing, and able to implement new ideas. "It is definitely a part of our game that is so, so important," Kennedy replies.
"It isn't just a passing trend, that is something I always say to people. Sports nutrition is way more than that now. It is a really important tool in your toolkit.
"When we're playing at such a high level, it is really important to get those extra percentages on and off the pitch. Having your head right, having your nutrition right is definitely a big percentage, I feel, anyway.
"It is definitely something I take confidence in, when I know I've fuelled correctly. I know I've done all the bits I wanted to do for the week, have meals ready, that I can take confidence, I've things ticked off. It helps your performance definitely."