Raptor Advantage
The Raptor bar can help football players meet their nutritional needs and optimize performance whether it’s during training or competition. The first goal in optimizing performance of football players is to prevent dehydration. Recent research indicates that athletes may need more electrolytes typically found in sports drinks in order to maintain hydration during exercise particularly in hot and humid environments. The Raptor bar contains recommended levels of sodium and other electrolytes needed to promote hydration and help reduce the incidence of muscle cramping during exercise. In addition, the Raptor bar contains glycerol which has been shown to help promote fluid retention. Therefore, ingesting a Raptor bar prior to exercise and at half-time can help football players retain the fluids they consume during exercise in order to prevent dehydration.

Since football players use high levels of carbohydrate to perform, the second goal to optimize performance of football players is to provide carbohydrate prior to and during games. This is particularly true since pre-game meals are generally consumed 3-4 hours before warm-ups begin and a game may take 3-4 hours to play. The Raptor bar contains a mixture of fast, intermediate, and slow releasing carbohydrates that can provide a sustained release of carbohydrate over time. Ingesting a Raptor bar 30-minutes prior to warm-ups and at half-time can help fuel exercise particularly toward the end of practice and a game.

The third goal is to provide nutrients that can enhance exercise performance. In addition to water/sports drinks and carbohydrate, research has shown that sodium and calcium phosphates and β-alanine can help buffer muscle acidity and increase anaerobic threshold. In addition, sodium phosphate supplementation has been reported to increase maximal aerobic capacity. The Raptor bar contains high levels of sodium and calcium phosphate as well as β-alanine content that can help football players maintain high intensity exercise and recover from play to play.

The fourth goal of optimizing performance of football players is to minimize the catabolic and immune-suppressive effects of intense exercise. Research has shown that ingesting a small amount of protein and amino acids prior to and following exercise can help reduce the breakdown of muscle during exercise and promote recovery following exercise. In addition, that ingestion of antioxidants can help reduce muscle damage and promote recover following intense exercise. There is also evidence that provision of nutrients that support the immune system can help minimize the immune-suppressive effects of intense training and reduce the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections. The Raptor bar contains the right amount and type of protein and amino acids that can help minimize catabolism during exercise and promote protein synthesis after exercise. The Raptor bar also contains a rich source of antioxidants (Vitamin E, Vitamin C, selenium, Coenzyme Q10, alpha lipoic acid, and taurine) that have been reported to minimize the damaging effects of intense exercise on muscle. In addition, the Raptor bar contains high levels of nutrients that support the immune system (i.e., L-glutamine, Vitamin C, zinc) For football players, ingesting a Raptor bar prior to and following exercise can help them minimize the catabolic effects of intense training, promote recovery from practice and games, and support the immune system so you can better tolerate intense training.

The fifth goal to optimize performance of football players is to help them maintain mental focus throughout the game. Often times, mental focus and concentration declines the longer a person exercises. This can lead to mistakes and/or risk of injury particularly towards the end of a game. The Raptor bar contains branched chain amino acids (BCAA), taurine, and choline that can help a football player maintain mental focus and concentration throughout the game.

The final nutritional goal for football players is to provide nutrients after exercise to promote recovery. Ingesting carbohydrate, protein/amino acids, electrolytes, antioxidants, and nutrients that support the immune system can help athletes recover from intense exercise and tolerate training to a better degree. This can help a football player get the most out of off-season training and maintain muscle mass and performance during the season.

Exercise

• 5-8 hours per week of resistance-training and conditioning drills during off-season to increase muscle mass and improve speed, agility, and fitness
  
  
• 2-2.5 hours of intermittent, high-intensity exercise during practice
  
  
• 4-5 hours of intermittent, high-intensity exercise for pre-game and games
  
  
• 2-3 hours per week of resistance-training and conditioning drills in-season to help maintain strength and muscle mass.

Nutrition

• Fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration and reduce the incidence of muscle cramping particularly in hot and humid environments
  
  
• Carbohydrate to sustain blood glucose levels and exercise capacity
  
  
• Nutrients that can support high intensity exercise performance and recovery from intermittent exercise
  
  
• Protein/amino acids to prevent muscle breakdown and facilitate protein synthesis and recovery following exercise
  
  
• Antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress and muscle damage
  
  
• Nutrients to reduce the immuno-suppressive effects of intense exercise particularly during heavy training periods
  
  
• Nutrients to help maintain mental focus during prolonged training and competition

Refueling

• Consume a high carbohydrate/low fat meal 3-4 hours prior to practice, training sessions, and/or games
  
  
• Ingest one Raptor bar 30-60 minutes prior to practice, training sessions, and/or games
  
  
• Consume 4-6 cups of water and/or sports drinks each hour during exercise with a goal of not losing more that 2% of body weight (e.g., 4 lbs for a 200 lbs athlete) as a result of dehydration during exercise. Consume more fluids as needed in hot and humid environments.
  
  
• Ingest one Raptor bar during halftime with 4-6 cups of water and/or sports drink
  
  
• Ingest one Raptor bar within 30 minutes following practice, training sessions, and/or games
  
  
• Consume a high carbohydrate/low fat meal within 2 hours following practice, training sessions, and games
  
  
• Make sure you consume enough fluids to regain weight lost from exercise (3 cups per pound lost)
  
  
• Consume Raptor bars as a nutrient dense snack between meals