Besides the technology and the crew, excellent physical training is necessary in a race around the world to allow the sportsmen to endure the extreme conditions faced in this competition. And food is an essential aspect of that training.

If we draw a comparison with the world of automobile racing, if the crew are the essential components in movistar’s machinery, their correct nutrition is the fuel that makes it possible for them to withstand the hardships of weeks of a competition that often demands 100% of their capacity.

The race keeps a hectic pace for many days, which takes its toll. And being fit at departure is just not enough. Every stage lasts a few weeks,and it is not uncommon for crew members to lose up to 10 kg. of weight,not exactly fat, in every leg.

The Grupo Leche Pascual has just signed a co-sponsorship agreement with movistar, which will not only provide financial support, but also long-life Pascual products to the crew, such as pasteurized yoghourts,ideal for this type of event for they do not require cold storage and have an extended expiry date. They are easy to handle with no risk of food poisoning or environmental pollution, which makes them ideal products for the movistar crew under the conditions prevailing in the Volvo Ocean Race.

Pedro Campos, General Manager, says with respect to Leche Pascual: “It is not only a sponsor, but a provider of the technological support that we will need for our nutrition”.

Louise Bell is in charge of preventing the crew members from weakening during the race. “Nutrition has a key role in the performance of a Volvo Ocean Race team – says Louise - . Starting in land, with the pre-race preparation, nutrition optimizes the health of the crew, their strength and physical fitness before competing, so that they can maintain thee same health, strength and optimum performance throughout the race”.

“My goal is to provide the crew with enough daily energy (calories) to help them prevent weight loss and muscular wear, especially during the long legs – continues Louise -. Sports medicine research indicates that a mere 2% weight loss is enough to influence both physical and mental performance”.

Louise Bell has already started to work on movistar’s menu for the VOR 2005/06. “We will start to test the different foods and supplements I selected early in 2005; that will give us enough leeway. Too much time islost ordering the food and shipping it around the world, so coordination is also essential”.

In case conditions on board were not hard enough, the nutrition expert points at an added difficulty at meal times: “Most of the food is freeze-dried, energy bars, supplements and special sports nutritional products to maximize nutritional intake with a limited variety of foods”

Unfortunately for the gourmands, flavour is not a priority this time. “It is very important to make sure they receive enough protein, fat and carbohydrates from different foods every day, as well as some vitamins and minerals that will be added to the diet through special supplements and/or vitamin and mineral tablets”.

Much more than health

Preserving the crew fitness is not the only requirement for this type of food: “Weight restrictions on board mean that all food must be energy dense to guarantee maximum nutrition for every bite”¸ says Louise. “Other things need to be taken into account too, such as the difficulties of eating under extreme conditions, the lack of time to prepare meals and the shift - roster system, the extreme temperatures, seasickness and boredom resulting from the limited choice of food for such a long time”.

But drink is no less important than food. “Good hydration is essential for the performance of the sailors, their health and wellbeing”. The constant intake of freeze-dried food may lead to stomach problems or constipation; they must drink a lot. “It is not always possible to get the crew to drink enough liquid to prevent problems such as dehydration, so we are considering several special drinks for sportsmen which may help regulate their hydration during the race”.

In order to monitor the evolution of each crew member at all times, the nutrition expert works closely with the team’s physical therapist and the medical staff of the Volvo Ocean Race. “That will keep me up to date on any changes on the health of the crew. Due to the conditions of the race and the extreme weight load on the body, it is expected that all crew members, without exceptions, will grow exhausted and their nutritional level will be endangered. My goal is to make sure that they are as fit as possible before the race, monitoring and adapting the dietary options and the menu to ensure that they meet all their nutritional targets”.

The work of Louise Bell is not limited to the 9 months of the competition. One year before the start of the VOR, the nutrition expert began preparing the dietary schedule for the crew members, and she will continue to tell them what they have to eat after they leave the ship.“Eating freeze-dried food for weeks is hard on the stomach. It is important to switch back to normal food, with fresh easy-to-digest food; I will be working with the support team and the cooks to help with the recovery of the crew after they reach land”.

Share or bookmark this story: