Jillian Dollaz, skater with the Cincinnati Rollergirls, knows about sports nutrition for roller derby.
Jillian is a registered dietitian with specialties in pediatric nutrition and sports nutrition. She’s also a rower, a rowing coach, and an artist. So Jillian is well-versed in athlete needs and how to meet them. With the Cincinnati Rollergirls, Jillian is a jammer, blocker and pivot for the Silent Lambs.
How should roller derby skaters fuel before evening meets?
Jillian says that skaters need to eat well with real food early in the day. It’s important to have energy for the meets but not be full or feel bogged down from eating too close to the meet. Food quality matters as well, since a mixture of carbohydrates, fats and protein provide long-lasting, extended release energy. Before the meet fueling strategies vary from skater to skater. Some athletes can eat solid food and some depend on fluids.
If you’re on a roller derby team, there are several things to consider:
Fueling strategies early in the day of the meet.
What foods and fluids will provide you with plenty of lasting energy? Try several combinations during practice.
Fueling strategies in the hours before the meet.
You still need energy, but consider your nerves. Do you have a cast iron stomach? Or do you have a nervous stomach? Either way, eat or drink to have energy at the start of your jams.
Fueling strategies during the meet.
Do you need a snack or something to drink mid-meet? Go for it.
Refueling strategies after the meet.
If you skated in many jams and worked hard, eat well. Have real food with a mix of carbohydrate, fat and protein. If you only skated in a couple of jams, eat – but not too much. Be honest here!
Hydration: Have some fluids.
Drink until you’ve consumed more fluid than you lost. Okay, that’s not helpful, so try drinking until you’re consistently urinating normally for you. Urine color should be clear and pale yellow, not dark like apple juice. Many athletes of all types carry a water bottle. Being dehydrated will affect not just physical performance but also mental and emotional performance.
Travel for away meets generally follows the same rules.
It just takes more planning, since favorite foods might not be available. Take food along when possible.
If you’re going to practice several days a week, don’t forget to eat for recovery after those workouts as well. Refueling after a workout sets you up for the NEXT workout and leads to big gains on the track!
If you are a roller derby skater and you follow Jillian’s advice, you can expect more energy during meets, with more consistent energy from jam to jam.
Jillian can be followed on the Cincinnati Rollergirls website. She’s #24 and has switched to her real name, Emilee Graham, post-pandemic. Check out the team, buy some tix and enjoy a fun night out!
Are you a roller that wants to up your game? Contact me here to get started. If you’re interested in how nutrition needs change between sports, check out these articles for tennis, volleyball and Ironman (or at least the families cheering for individual athletes).