Nutrition will give Girls an Edge in Volleyball (Volleyball and Whey Protein)

Indoor Volleyball is one of the fastest growing sports in America.  Although it doesn’t have the following that it does in Europe and especially South American, indoor volleyball is attracting many new people every year.  Beach Volleyball is still going strong after gaining its start in Southern California, but the indoor game is really taking off in the high school ranks.  The woman’s version is a main stay at almost any high school in America.  Title IX has really opened up opportunities for girls to play competitive volleyball in high school and to gain scholarships to play in college.

Many colleges are having problems finding enough girls to fill a roster.  Many colleges are giving away scholarships to any girls whom are willing to play.  This is due to the rules of Title IX that limit the number of men’s sports to an equal number of woman’s sports.  The problem that schools are finding is that girls don’t train for volleyball, and don’t know about the opportunities that they have to go to school for free while playing the sport that they love.

Studies have shown that girls do not train in the off season of their sports to the same level of their male counterparts.  The studies indicate that a high percentage of male athletes know the importance of off season training, and exert themselves in a single sport.  While female athletes don’t train in the offseason, they only train while the sport is in season.  This gives a huge advantage to the girls whom are training in the off season.  They are working out and improving their muscle memory.  They are also watching their nutrition in the off season to provide their bodies with the building blocks that they need to outperform the other girls on the squad.  

One of the best nutritional substitutions that girls can make to improve their off season nutrition is to increase their intake of protein.  Paired with an effective workout, an increase in protein will help to create lean muscle.  Lean muscles will burn more calories during the day, and are the best muscles for the quick movements in volleyball.  In addition studies have shown that men prefer women with the lean sexy body types.  So, in addition to increasing her competitive advantage on the court, female athletes also improve her overall appearance with lean muscles.  

The best way for a female athlete to increase the amount of protein that she has in her diet is to take a protein supplement.  Female athletes should look to take whey based protein supplements.  Whey protein supplements are dairy based and therefore superior to soy based supplements.  Whey protein isolate supplements contain 90% pure protein compared to whey protein concentrates, so isolate mixtures are recommended.   Isolate mixtures also don’t contain the fats and carbohydrates that concentrate supplement mixtures contain.  It is also a good idea to find a supplement mixture that contains at least 19 grams per serving.  

There are many opportunities for female athletes to go to college for free, if they will train and take advantage of the opportunities available through Title IX.  Adding protein to a good nutrition plan, and working out in the off season will give female athletes the edge they need to stand out over the other athletes on the volleyball court.